FreeAgent
6.4/10FreeAgent is UK cloud accounting software for sole traders, limited companies, partnerships, and landlords. It covers invoicing, banking, payroll, and Making Tax Digital filing.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
FreeAgent is an online accounting package built in Edinburgh. It was designed for UK freelancers, contractors, and micro-businesses. It brings together invoicing and estimates, bank feeds with smart categorisation, expense and receipt capture, time tracking and projects, payroll, and HMRC filings. Those filings include Making Tax Digital VAT returns, Self Assessment, MTD for Income Tax, and, on the limited company plan, end-of-year filing and Corporation Tax data. Pricing depends on the type of business rather than on the number of users or features. At the time of research, the monthly prices excluding VAT were £33 for a limited company, £27 for a partnership or LLP, £19 for a sole trader, and £10 for an unincorporated landlord. New customers get 50% off for six months on monthly billing or for the first year on annual billing. Every plan comes with a 30-day trial. The software is free for customers who hold a NatWest, RBS, or Ulster Bank business account, and for some Mettle account holders. NatWest Group bought FreeAgent in 2018. Accountants and bookkeepers get a free Practice Dashboard and pay for client licences. The integrations directory includes Stripe, GoCardless, PayPal, Pleo, Dext, HubSpot, Float, Fathom, Zapier, and Amazon UK, and there is a public API. The main limitation is that FreeAgent is built narrowly for small UK businesses. Reviewers point to basic invoice templates, no custom reporting, payroll that only suits very small teams, and fewer advanced features than Xero or QuickBooks. There is no multi-entity consolidation, so it is a poor fit for growing or international companies.
Our Rating
Who FreeAgent is best for
Good fit
FreeAgent was built for freelancers and contractors from the start, and it has a dedicated sole trader plan with Self Assessment.
Projects, time tracking, and invoicing from tracked time suit small consulting firms.
It suits UK micro-businesses and limited companies well but has few advanced features for larger teams.
Accountants get a free Practice Dashboard, discounted client licences, and integrations with accounts production tools.
Less suited
- Real Estate6/10
A landlord plan tracks income and costs per property for unincorporated landlords.
- Enterprise1/10
It has no multi-entity or enterprise controls.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free for customers with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, or qualifying Mettle business account.
- Built-in HMRC filing covers MTD VAT, Self Assessment, and MTD for Income Tax, and the limited company plan adds end-of-year filing.
- Reviewers often praise its UK-based phone and chat support.
- Every plan includes time tracking, projects, and invoicing, which suits freelancers who bill by the hour.
- Multi-currency invoicing and foreign-currency bank accounts are supported, with realised and unrealised gains and losses calculated automatically.
Cons
- Reviewers describe invoice templates as basic and say custom reporting is limited.
- Payroll suits only director-only setups or very small teams.
- Its integration ecosystem is smaller than those of Xero or QuickBooks.
- It has no multi-entity consolidation or advanced controls, so it does not scale to larger firms.
- Some users report out-of-date help articles.
Key Features
FreeAgent Pricing
Landlord
- No payroll
- Price excludes VAT
- Income and costs tracked per property
- Introductory offer of £50 for the first year on annual billing
Sole trader
- Price excludes VAT
- Self Assessment and MTD for Income Tax
- Introductory offer of £95 for the first year on annual billing
- Free with a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, or Mettle account
Partnership or LLP
- Price excludes VAT
- Invoicing, banking, payroll, and VAT
- Free with a NatWest, RBS, or Ulster Bank business account
- Introductory offer of £135 for the first year on annual billing
Limited company
- Payroll
- Price excludes VAT
- VAT and Self Assessment
- 10 Smart Capture receipts per month
- End-of-year filing and Corporation Tax data
- Invoicing, estimates, expenses, and projects
- Free with a NatWest, RBS, or Ulster Bank business account, or with an active Mettle account
- 50% off the first 6 months on monthly billing, or £165 for the first year on annual billing
Accountant or bookkeeper
- Free Practice Dashboard
- Pay per client licence, with Partner Programme discounts
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every paid plan includes a 30-day free trial and can be cancelled at any time.
Yes. It is free with a NatWest, RBS, or Ulster Bank business current account, and with a Mettle account that has at least one transaction a month. Mettle does not qualify for the partnership plan.
Yes. All plans are MTD-compatible. They cover VAT returns, and the sole trader plan includes MTD for Income Tax.
Smart Capture processes up to 10 receipts and bills a month. Smart Capture Unlimited removes the cap for £5 a month plus VAT.
Integrations include Stripe, GoCardless, PayPal, Pleo, Dext, AutoEntry, HubSpot, Capsule, Float, Fathom, BrightPay, Amazon, WooCommerce, and Zapier, plus a public API.
NatWest Group, previously Royal Bank of Scotland Group, bought it in 2018 for about £53 million.
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