QuickBooks vs FreeAgent
Side-by-side comparison for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
QuickBooks
Big US brand with strong UK MTD support.
QuickBooks Online is Intuit's cloud accounting product. Regular heavy discounts (often 90% off for 6 months) make it effectively cheap to start. Full MTD VAT and Income Tax support.
Visit QuickBooksFreeAgent
Free if you have a NatWest Group business account, otherwise £19–£33/mo.
FreeAgent is a polished UK-built accounting platform owned by NatWest. It's free if you hold a business current account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank, or a free Mettle business account, and you make at least one transaction a month. Outside that, it's a paid subscription. Strong for sole traders and landlords wanting automation.
Visit FreeAgentFull feature comparison
| QuickBooks | FreeAgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & compliance | ||
| Price from | £12/mo | Free |
| Free tier | – | ✓ |
| HMRC-recognised | ✓ | ✓ |
| Features | ||
| Bank feeds | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile app | ✓ | ✓ |
| Receipt scanning | ✓ | ✓ |
| CIS support | ✓ | – |
| Furnished holiday let support | – | – |
| VAT submission | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bridging software | – | – |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple properties | – | ✓ |
| Accountant access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Best suited to | ||
| Sole Traders | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landlords | – | ✓ |
| Airbnb / Short-let Hosts | – | – |
| CIS Subcontractors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Uber & Gig Drivers | – | – |
| Freelancers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spreadsheet Users | – | – |
| Simple Affairs | – | – |
| Accountants | ✓ | ✓ |
| VAT-Registered | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ = supported. Based on each provider's published plans; check their site for the latest details.
QuickBooks verdict
A strong all-rounder, especially for CIS subcontractors. Watch the post-intro pricing.
FreeAgent verdict
If you already have a NatWest Group business account, or are willing to open a (free) Mettle account, this is effectively free. Otherwise it's an expensive full-fat accounting platform.