FreeAgent is online accounting software for small businesses, freelancers and contractors, and landlords, with a separate setup for accountants and bookkeepers. It covers invoicing, expenses, bank feeds, payroll and tax returns. The pricing page we saved shows UK prices in pounds, set by business type: from £10 a month for landlords to £33 a month for limited companies, all excl. 20% VAT. You can also get it free if you hold a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account and meet the conditions.
Quick verdict
If you run a UK limited company, partnership or sole trader business, or let property, and want your books, invoices and tax filing in one place, FreeAgent is worth a look. You pay one price for your business type. The pricing page doesn’t mention per-user charges, and the home page calls payroll “at no extra cost”. New subscribers get 50% off the first six months on monthly billing, or the first year on annual billing, and there’s a 30-day free trial. The vendor says FreeAgent is on HMRC’s list of compatible software for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT and for Income Tax. The store listings describe payroll, MTD VAT filing and Self Assessment filing as extra functionality you get when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer. Many app reviewers call FreeAgent easy to use. Several say features are missing from the app, and several report crashes or other problems getting it to work.
FreeAgent at a glance
| Vendor | FreeAgent (FreeAgent Central Ltd) |
|---|---|
| What it does | Online accounting for small businesses: invoicing, expenses, bank feeds, payroll, VAT and other tax returns |
| Price (UK, excl. 20% VAT) | Limited company £33/month or £330/year; partnership or LLP £27/month or £270/year; sole trader £19/month or £190/year; landlord £10/month or £100/year. 50% off at the start (see pricing) |
| Free plan | Free with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business current account, or a Mettle account (conditions apply); otherwise a 30-day free trial |
| Integrations | Payments: Tyl by NatWest, Stripe, GoCardless and PayPal; bank feeds; Amazon UK Marketplace (paid add-on). The site links to an Integrations page and a FreeAgent API page. |
| Apps | Android (4.3 stars, 1,789 ratings), iPhone (4.5 stars, 44 ratings) |
| Data checked | November 4, 2026 |
Features
These come from the home, pricing, security and “FreeAgent vs competitors” pages on freeagent.com. The comparison page is FreeAgent’s own; we use it only for what it says about FreeAgent.
- Dashboard and Radar: the dashboard shows cashflow, profit and loss, and invoice and tax timelines. Radar gives “tailored trend-spotting and tips”.
- Invoicing and estimates: automated invoices and reminders, online payments, and estimates you can convert to invoices. The comparison page adds recurring invoices and payment reminders.
- Getting paid: one-click payments through Tyl by NatWest, Stripe, GoCardless and PayPal. The comparison page mentions online payments, Direct Debits and one-click payment links.
- Banking: bank feeds that import your business transactions automatically, and smart categorisation that explains new transactions based on earlier descriptions. The comparison page lists multi-currency support using the latest exchange rate on xe.com.
- Expenses and bills: snap receipts and record out-of-pocket expenses. Smart Capture extracts data from receipts and bills, matches transactions and categorises them: up to 10 a month as standard, unlimited with a £5/month add-on. The comparison page lists bills (including recurring and foreign currency bills) and mileage claims at HMRC’s allowable rates.
- Projects and time: project income, expenses and profitability; time tracking that you can add to invoices, with timesheet reports.
- Payroll: monthly payroll with auto-calculated PAYE and National Insurance filed directly to HMRC. The home page adds Real Time Information (RTI) submissions, payslips and P60s, and automatic pension contribution calculations. The comparison page says you can pay as many employees as you need to. Payroll isn’t in the landlord feature list.
- Tax: MTD-compatible VAT returns filed directly to HMRC, a Tax Timeline showing what you owe and when, and Self Assessment filing. Limited companies also get Final Accounts and Corporation Tax returns data. Sole traders and landlords get MTD for Income Tax, with quarterly updates and the final declaration filed directly to HMRC. The comparison page says Self Assessment filing is “Not available for Partnership or LLP accounts”.
- Cashflow: a Cashflow forecast; the home page mentions a 90-day projection and suggestions for shortfalls.
- Landlords: record income and costs against each property and track profitability.
- Working with an accountant: you can invite your accountant or bookkeeper to work with you in real time. Practices get a free Practice Dashboard, can import and explain clients’ bank transactions, work from the same set of accounts and run reports across their client base.
- Support: the pricing page describes UK-based support accountants you can reach online or over the phone. The comparison page says chat, email or phone.
- Security (the vendor’s claims): the security page says customer data is held in data centres in Ireland that meet ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018 certification, and that FreeAgent is Cyber Essentials Plus certified. It says data is encrypted in transit (TLS v1.2) and at rest (256-bit AES), and that customers can enable 2-Step Verification. The pricing FAQ says data is held in AWS data centres. In the site footer, FreeAgent says it is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority for account information services.
Plans and pricing
The pricing page we saved shows prices for UK business types, in pounds, and says “All prices excl. 20% VAT”. The site has a region selector for the United Kingdom, the United States and Global; we didn’t check prices for other regions.
| Business type | Regular price | Introductory price |
|---|---|---|
| Limited company | £33/month, or £330/year billed annually | £16.50/month for the first six months, or £165 for the first year |
| Partnership or LLP | £27/month, or £270/year billed annually | £13.50/month for the first six months, or £135 for the first year |
| Sole trader | £19/month, or £190/year billed annually | £9.50/month for the first six months, or £95 for the first year |
| Landlord (unincorporated) | £10/month, or £100/year billed annually | £5/month for the first six months, or £50 for the first year |
| Accountant or bookkeeper | Free Practice Dashboard; you pay for the client licences you add | Discounted pricing as active licences grow (Partner Programme); no prices shown |
Each business type gets one price on the pricing page, and the feature list changes with the type (for example, Payroll isn’t listed for landlords). For partnerships, LLPs and sole traders, it says a “Cash basis” account won’t include Stock or Payroll features.
Free access and add-ons
- Free through your bank: £0.00 if you have a business current account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank, for as long as you retain the account, or a Mettle bank account and make at least one transaction a month. The partnership and LLP card names only NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank. Optional add-ons may be chargeable.
- Smart Capture Unlimited: £5/month, billed monthly, excl. 20% VAT. Without it, Smart Capture handles 10 receipts and bills per calendar month.
- Amazon: £6/month, billed monthly, excl. 20% VAT, to connect your Amazon UK Marketplace account. It isn’t listed for landlords.
- Trial and contract: a 30-day free trial, and the home page says no payment card is required. The pricing page says you can cancel at any time.
- Referrals: if you have a direct subscription and refer someone who subscribes, you both get 10% off. Refer 10 people and your subscription becomes free.
Mobile apps
FreeAgent has free apps for Android (“FreeAgent Mobile”) and iPhone (“FreeAgent Mobile Accounting”), both from FreeAgent Central Ltd. You need an active FreeAgent account to use them. On Android it’s version 5.3.0, updated November 3, 2026, first released January 19, 2016, with 100,000+ downloads; the listing shows no ads and no in-app purchases. On iPhone it’s version 5.18.0, updated October 27, 2026, first released April 11, 2015, and it requires iOS 18.0 or later. Both listings say you can send invoices and take payments online and with Tap to Pay, let FreeAgent chase late payers, snap receipts, follow your bank feed, and use Radar. Estimates, bills, time tracking, mileage, cashflow and Tax Timeline are on the list too, along with a home screen widget and switching between FreeAgent accounts. On Android the app asks for camera, location, contacts and NFC access, among other permissions.
The Google Play star counts in our data don’t add up to the listing total of 1,789 ratings, so we left the breakdown out. The data we collected doesn’t include a star breakdown for the iPhone app.
Web vs. mobile apps
| Feature | Web | Android and iPhone apps | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Yes, with automated invoices and reminders | Yes, with online payments and Tap to Pay | Pricing page, store listings |
| Receipts and expenses | Yes; Smart Capture 10 a month as standard | Yes, snap receipts and the app extracts the details | Pricing page, store listings |
| Bank feed | Yes | Yes | Pricing page, store listings |
| Estimates, bills, time tracking, mileage | Yes | Yes | Pricing and comparison pages, store listings |
| Projects | Yes | Android lists project finances; the iPhone listing puts project management functionality among the extra functionality when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer | Pricing page, store listings |
| Payroll | Yes (not listed for landlords; not on Cash basis for partnerships, LLPs and sole traders) | Listed as extra functionality when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer | Pricing page, store listings |
| MTD VAT filing to HMRC | Yes | Listed as extra functionality when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer | Pricing page, store listings |
| Self Assessment filing to HMRC | Yes (not for partnerships or LLPs) | Listed as extra functionality when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer | Pricing and comparison pages, store listings |
Pros (from app reviews)
These come from Android app reviews from the last two years plus one iPhone review; the newest review in our data is from November 2026. Our sample includes a fixed number of reviews per star level, so low ratings may be over-represented.
- Easy to use: many reviewers call it easy, simple, intuitive or user-friendly, and several say it’s easier than other accounting software they’ve used. Several others find it complicated, clunky or not intuitive (see the cons).
- Support: several praise the support staff, and a few of them mention phone support. Two others call support poor or terrible.
- Help pages: two praise the help pages or help centre.
- Tax and MTD: a few say it helps with MTD, HMRC’s digital rules or their tax return. Two say they run payroll and VAT through it. One says they’re still working out how to connect to HMRC.
- Free with a bank account: a few say they get it free with a NatWest account, and one says it works well with their Mettle account.
- Value for money: a few say it saves them money or is better value, one of them because they no longer pay an accountant.
- Reliable, for some: several say it’s reliable or that they’ve had no problems. A few others report crashes (see the cons).
- Receipt capture: two praise the receipt scanning or attaching receipts. Several others complain about it.
Cons (from app reviews)
- Missing from the app: several say features are missing from the app, and a few of them say they end up using the website, browser or desktop version instead. Two of them name payroll or paying a salary. One asks to manage recurring invoices in the app, and the developer’s reply says a few customers have raised this.
- Complicated or clunky: several find the app complicated, clunky, not intuitive or badly laid out, and one says it takes “Lots of unnecessary additional clicks”.
- Crashes and start-up problems: several say the app crashes, won’t open, won’t work or won’t connect. The developer’s replies to a few of these, from June 2026, say a fix was released in app version 4.35.0.
- Receipts and attachments: several complain about receipt and attachment handling: they can’t attach photos, can’t crop a receipt, can’t upload a document (only photos from the gallery), find the upload process poorly designed, or find Smart Capture poor. The developer’s reply to the upload complaint, in July 2026, suggests the phone’s share option in the meantime and says the ability to create a bill with Smart Capture is coming “very shortly”.
- Problems after updates: a few say an update broke something, such as amounts gaining an extra “.00” or the keyboard covering the invoice email text. The developer’s reply to the amount bug, in March 2026, says a fix was released.
- Bank feed and invoice status: a few say bank transactions are slow to come through or the balance doesn’t match their bank. Two say paid invoices still show as unpaid or outstanding.
- Single complaints: one reviewer finds it expensive for a sole trader and wants a cheaper package. One iPhone reviewer says the app showed “your free trial has ended” right after sign-up. One asks for an offline mode, and the developer’s reply says it “isn’t on our current roadmap”.
Who it’s for
A good fit if:
- You run a UK limited company, partnership or LLP, sole trader business or rental property: the pricing page has a package and a UK price for each.
- Your business banks with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or Mettle and meets the conditions, so FreeAgent costs £0.00 apart from optional add-ons.
- You’re a sole trader or landlord getting ready for MTD for Income Tax: the pricing page lists quarterly updates and the final declaration filed directly to HMRC.
- Payroll belongs in the same tool for your staff: the pricing page lists PAYE and National Insurance filing to HMRC, and the comparison page says you can pay as many employees as you need to.
- An accountant or bookkeeper works on your books and you want them in the same set of accounts.
- You want phone support: the pricing page lists UK-based support accountants online or over the phone.
Look elsewhere if:
- Your team expects to do everything on phones: the store listings describe payroll, MTD VAT filing and Self Assessment filing as extra functionality when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer, and a few app reviewers say they end up on the website or desktop version.
- You use cash-basis accounting as a partnership, LLP or sole trader and need payroll or stock: the pricing page says a Cash basis account won’t include them.
- As a partnership or LLP, you want to file Self Assessment in FreeAgent: the comparison page says it’s not available for those accounts.
- Much of your expense recording happens with no internet connection: the developer’s reply to one reviewer says offline mode isn’t on the current roadmap.
- You’re an accounting practice and want published per-client prices before you sign: the pricing page doesn’t show client licence prices.
FAQ
How much does FreeAgent cost?
On the UK pricing page, a limited company pays £33/month or £330/year, a partnership or LLP £27/month or £270/year, a sole trader £19/month or £190/year, and a landlord £10/month or £100/year. All prices are excl. 20% VAT. New subscribers get 50% off the first six months on monthly billing or the first year on annual billing. Smart Capture Unlimited (£5/month) and Amazon (£6/month) are optional add-ons.
Can you get FreeAgent for free?
Yes, through some banks. The pricing page says it’s £0.00 with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business current account for as long as you keep the account, or with a Mettle account if you make at least one transaction a month. Optional add-ons may be chargeable. Everyone else gets a 30-day free trial, and the home page says no payment card is required.
Does FreeAgent support Making Tax Digital?
The pricing FAQ says FreeAgent is on HMRC’s list of compatible software for both MTD for VAT and MTD for Income Tax. On the same page you’ll find MTD-compatible VAT returns filed directly to HMRC, and MTD for Income Tax for sole traders and landlords. If you were hoping to file from your phone, the mobile app listings describe MTD-compliant VAT filing as extra functionality when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer.
Is FreeAgent only for UK businesses?
The pricing page we saved shows prices only for UK business types, in pounds, and its tax features file to HMRC. The site’s region selector also offers United States and Global versions, which we didn’t check. If your business is outside the UK, look at the version for your region before you sign up.
Can you run payroll in the FreeAgent app?
The store listings put RTI-compliant payroll among the extra functionality you get when you log in on a laptop or desktop computer. Two app reviewers say they have to use the website for payroll. On the web, the pricing page lists monthly payroll with PAYE and National Insurance filed directly to HMRC.
How this review was put together
We did not test FreeAgent. This review is based on public information from official sources: the vendor’s own website (its features, pricing and policy pages) and, where the product has mobile apps, its Google Play and App Store listings, ratings and user reviews. Features, prices and claims are the vendor’s own descriptions; what users like and dislike comes from store reviews, when there are any. Everything was checked on November 4, 2026. Prices and features change, so check the vendor’s site before you buy.
