QuickFile vs QuickBooks
Side-by-side comparison for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
QuickFile
UK-built, genuinely free under 1,000 transactions/year.
QuickFile is a UK cloud accounting platform with a generous free tier — free for small businesses with fewer than 1,000 nominal transactions in a year. Full MTD support for VAT and Income Tax.
Visit QuickFileQuickBooks
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 QuickBooksFull feature comparison
| QuickFile | QuickBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & compliance | ||
| Price from | Free | £12/mo |
| 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.
QuickFile verdict
The best free option for sole traders who've outgrown HMRC's basic tool.
QuickBooks verdict
A strong all-rounder, especially for CIS subcontractors. Watch the post-intro pricing.