FreeAgent
FreeAgent is a UK accounting package that tracks income, expenses, VAT and payroll. It prepares and files company accounts, Self Assessment and Making Tax Digital updates with HMRC.
#11 in Business & Finance ToolsAccounting SoftwareFree plan
Who it's for
Best for
Sole traders and contractors filing their own Self Assessment and MTD updates
NatWest, RBS or Mettle business customers who get the software free
Not for
- Budget-conscious sole traders without a NatWest, RBS or Mettle bank account
Developers wanting an open ledger for custom calculations and scripts
Free plan$0
Paid plan$33/mo
Features
Making Tax Digital filing
MTD-compatible software for quarterly updates, with a blog and step-by-step guide for sole traders and landlords who receive an HMRC letter about MTD for Income Tax.
Payroll and PAYE filing
Monthly payroll runs in the software, with auto-calculated PAYE and National Insurance filed directly to HMRC.
Invoicing, estimates and expenses
The dashboard covers invoicing, estimates, expenses, projects and time tracking for day-to-day admin.
Banking and smart categorisation
Banking connections, smart categorisation and a cashflow view help keep transactions sorted and money in and out visible.
Tax filing and final accounts
VAT, Self Assessment and end-of-year filing are handled in the software, including Final Accounts and Corporation Tax return data.
What users say
Pros
- Corporation tax, VAT returns and payroll all file to HMRC from within the software in a few steps.
- A Making Tax Digital quarterly update goes to HMRC in one quick submission from the software.
- Businesses banking with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle get the software at no extra cost.
- Two years of previous bookkeeping can be brought up to date in a single afternoon.
- The phone helpline answers quickly and talks through problems such as opening balances step by step.
Cons
- The quarterly filing routine is easy to forget, so the steps have to be worked out again every time.
- Quarterly updates for a previous tax year cannot be filed, leaving overdue returns with no route through the software.
- The standalone monthly subscription is expensive without a partner bank account deal.
- The transaction log is awkward to read, which makes ad-hoc calculations on the ledger hard work.
- PAYE registration and some end-of-year tax forms stay outside the software, so an accountant is needed.
A selection of the review sources we used:
Corporation tax, VAT and payroll filings finished in a few steps- Overdue quarterly update with no option to file the fourth quarter
Quarterly filing steps forgotten and relearned from scratch- Opening a Mettle account just to avoid the subscription cost
Two years of books sorted in six hours after leaving QuickBooks
Summarized from public user reviews and community discussions. View details
Global Traffic Rank
Top 500k
Alternatives
Rank#11 in category#6 in category#10 in category#18 in category
Free planYesYesNoNo
ProQuick HMRC filing, free with partner banks, fast phone supportLow cost, free plan, smooth migration, helpful phone helpGuided onboarding, quick bank setup, help videos, automationSturdy ledger, bank rules, quick payroll, reliable feeds
Better forGuided one-to-one onboarding calls with follow-up email summaries and help videos.
Weaker atGetting the full accounting subscription free through a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, or Mettle account.