FreeAgent is a British accounting package priced by the legal form of the business it serves. Readers weigh an alternative when they sit outside the UK, when the bank-linked free plan does not apply to them, or when they need payroll, inventory or multi-entity features that a small-business tool treats lightly. The options below range from free-tier bookkeeping to national platforms.
Short answer: Akaunting, Wave and FreshBooks head the list of FreeAgent alternatives drawn from our accounting software ranking. Smaller vendors fill the top three places where the category offers them, and the household names start at place 4. Akaunting is the one to try if you want to run the books on your own server. Below are 10 alternatives, each taken from the Best Accounting Software in 2026 ranking, with its main difference from FreeAgent.
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Pricing: Per month, published; free with some UK business accounts
Established in: United Kingdom
Built for: A UK contractor or micro-company that wants filing handled
Not for: A growing company with inventory or foreign subsidiaries
01
Why buyers look past FreeAgent
01
The price follows your business type
FreeAgent's pricing page lists a limited company at GBP 33 a month, a partnership or LLP at GBP 27, a sole trader at GBP 19 and an unincorporated landlord at GBP 10, all excluding 20% VAT. Half-price introductory terms last six months on monthly billing. A company that outgrows the sole-trader shape pays more for the same screens.
02
The free plan is tied to a bank
No charge applies only if the business holds a current account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank, or a Mettle account with at least one transaction a month. Anyone banking elsewhere pays the listed fee. Choosing the software this way also means a bank move can reopen the pricing question.
03
Extras are charged on top
Smart Capture on the default tier covers 10 receipts and bills a month; the unlimited version is a GBP 5 monthly add-on, and an Amazon connection costs GBP 6. These sums are small, yet they show that the headline plan price is not always the final one for a business that scans paperwork heavily.
Akaunting, Inc. sells cloud plans in four tiers or source code you run on your own server. The entry tier covers one company, one user and 1,000 invoices, while double-entry accounting and bank feeds start on Premium. Its Business Source License restricts use beyond two users, one company or 1,000 invoices. UK tax filing is not something its pages promise.
Switch from FreeAgent if you want to run the books on your own server.
Wave gives unlimited invoices and basic double-entry bookkeeping on a free Starter plan, paid for by card processing and a Pro tier. Automatic bank imports and extra user roles need Pro at $19 USD a month. The price list is in US and Canadian dollars, North America is the only payroll region, and human support costs extra. It does not target British tax rules.
Switch from FreeAgent if a free invoicing and bookkeeping base matters more than local tax features.
FreshBooks, a Canadian product, centres on invoices and timesheets for freelancers and agencies. The Lite tier begins at $23 USD monthly, adds users for $11 apiece and caps billable clients at five. Full double-entry reporting and bank matching are held back until Plus, so a growing product business tends to outgrow it.
Switch from FreeAgent if your work is billable hours and client invoices rather than stock.
Zoho Books comes from India and has a zero-cost entry level for firms earning less than $50K a year, then per-organisation plans. Professional is where projects and multi-currency start, Elite adds stock tracking, and each user above the plan limit is $3. Its value rises when other Zoho products already hold your customer and sales data.
Switch from FreeAgent if turnover is small now and you already run other Zoho applications.
Pennylane is a French platform in which the business and its accounting firm share a single file, so nothing is passed back and forth as exports. Invoicing plans for independents carry published prices, with a free tier for micro-enterprises without VAT and paid plans from 7 EUR a month. Company accounting is quoted through the accountant, and the product follows French practice.
Switch from FreeAgent if you file in France and want the accountant working in your file.
Sage Accounting is another British product, designed around statutory filing so that the accountant's needs shape the setup. Our category record calls the interface dated and its app ecosystem the smallest of the major packages. Plans are billed monthly by tier. The tool is more of a like-for-like swap than a change of approach.
Switch from FreeAgent if your accountant already uses Sage and drives the choice.
Xero, from New Zealand, does not limit users on any plan, and every plan reconciles bank feeds. Early, the cheapest, allows 20 invoices and five bills monthly. Only the top plan covers projects and multi-currency, while advanced stock control is sold separately. The wide set of connected apps is its main selling point to accountants.
Switch from FreeAgent if several people touch the books and your accountant asks for Xero.
QuickBooks Online, made by Intuit in the United States, charges per company file and sets user ceilings of 1, 3, 5 and 25 across its plans. Stock handling begins at Plus. The free option allows a single user and two invoices each month. Our record notes that in-product upsells are frequent, and its strength lies in North American familiarity.
Switch from FreeAgent if you trade with North America and bookkeepers there expect QuickBooks.
Fortnox is the Swedish choice, sold as a package or as single modules. Every customer pays an Access fee that climbs with transaction volume, and payroll adds a per-employee charge, which turns the monthly bill into several lines. Its accountants and integrations are centred on Sweden, which makes it a poor fit for a business that files only in the UK.
Switch from FreeAgent if your business is registered in Sweden and your accountant works there.
Exact Online is sold in Dutch packages between 49 and 299 EUR monthly, from Essentials upward to Premium. Packages cap users, bank connections and sales invoices, so a useful setup costs several times the headline price. Tax, audit-file and accountant workflows target the Netherlands and Belgium.
Switch from FreeAgent if you operate in the Netherlands or Belgium.
Fortnox: Packages or modules are added to an Access fee tied to transaction volume, so expect several cost lines.
02
You want a free base while turnover is small
Zoho Books: Businesses with less than $50K in yearly revenue can stay on the free level; Professional unlocks projects and multi-currency.
03
You bill by the hour to a handful of clients
FreshBooks: Lite costs from $23 USD a month, covers five billable clients and leaves reconciliation to Plus.
04
You want to run the software on your own server
Akaunting: Source code is available under a Business Source License, with double-entry accounting from the Premium tier.
05
Several people need access to the books
Xero: No plan caps the number of users, and every plan includes bank reconciliation.
04
When FreeAgent is still the right choice
FreeAgent suits a UK sole trader, contractor, small company or landlord whose accountant already works in it. The pricing page lists no limits on users, invoices or bank feeds, accountants get a free Practice Dashboard, and clients can get free licences through NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or Mettle. Data sits in Irish data centres, and the company holds Cyber Essentials Plus. If your bank qualifies, leaving costs more than staying.
05
What moving off FreeAgent involves
01
Tax set-up does not travel
A switch affects more than invoices. Check that the new tool handles the same UK filing steps your accountant relies on before the first full cycle, and agree a cut-off date so that opening balances, open invoices and bank history line up.
02
Free licences end when you move
If your licence is free through a bank link or an accountant arrangement, the new tool will carry its own price. Compare that price against the full FreeAgent fee for your business type, not against GBP 0, and ask your accountant whether they can open the new file.
06
Questions about replacing FreeAgent
6 answers
What does FreeAgent cost?
The pricing page lists GBP 33 a month for a limited company, GBP 27 for a partnership or LLP, GBP 19 for a sole trader and GBP 10 for an unincorporated landlord, excluding VAT.
Annual billing is GBP 330, 270, 190 and 100 respectively. New customers get 50% off for six months on monthly billing or the first year on annual billing.
Is FreeAgent free?
It is free for limited companies, partnerships, sole traders and landlords who hold a qualifying business current account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank, or a Mettle account with at least one transaction a month.
Mettle is not listed for partnerships. Everyone else pays, after a 30-day trial.
Where does FreeAgent store data?
Its security page says customer information is held in data centres in Ireland across multiple availability zones, with ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018 certification at the hosting level. Stored data is encrypted with 256-bit AES and transfer uses TLS v1.2.
Which alternatives have a free tier?
Wave offers a free Starter plan, Zoho Books a free tier under $50K annual revenue, QuickBooks Online a free plan limited to one user and two invoices a month, and Pennylane a free tier for micro-enterprises without VAT.
Check each one's tax coverage for your country.
Which option works outside the UK?
Pennylane suits France, Fortnox suits Sweden, Exact Online suits the Netherlands and Belgium, and Visma eAccounting suits the Nordic countries. Their pages and our records describe local tax and accountant workflows rather than UK filing.
Can I self-host an accounting tool instead?
Akaunting sells its source code to run yourself under a Business Source License that restricts use beyond two users, one company or 1,000 invoices. The cloud plans avoid that burden.
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Sources
Checked 4 November 2026
FreeAgent pricing: Plan prices by business type, 50% introductory offer, bank-linked free plan, 30-day trial, Smart Capture limit and add-ons, Practice Dashboard, client licences.
FreeAgent security: Irish data centres, ISO 27001/27017/27018, AES 256-bit, TLS 1.2, Cyber Essentials Plus.
FreeAgent features: Invoicing, expenses, time tracking, banking and projects features.
Akaunting: Four cloud tiers, self-hosted source code, Business Source License limits, Premium double-entry.
Wave: Free Starter, Pro at $19 USD, payroll US and Canada only, paid support add-on.
FreshBooks: Lite from $23 USD, $11 extra users, five billable clients, Plus reconciliation.
Zoho Books: Free tier under $50K revenue, Professional and Elite features, $3 extra users.
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Author and fact-checker: Sebastiaan Smits. This page was last reviewed on 7 November 2026; our review process is public.
