FreeAgent

Accounting for freelancers and small businesses

Cloud accounting software owned by NatWest Group (Royal Bank of Scotland), designed primarily for UK freelancers, contractors, and small businesses. Strong on UK tax compliance including Making Tax Digital.

Our take

FreeAgent is the best accounting tool you've probably never heard of — if you're UK-based. It handles Self Assessment tax returns, VAT filing, MTD (Making Tax Digital), and CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) natively, saving UK freelancers hours at tax time. NatWest/RBS customers get it free, which is an incredible deal. The single pricing plan keeps things simple: one price, all features, unlimited users. Multi-currency support and built-in UK payroll are valuable inclusions. Outside the UK, though, FreeAgent is harder to recommend — US and international tax compliance is limited, and the feature set doesn't match QuickBooks or Xero on a global scale. The interface is clean but slightly dated, and inventory management is absent. Best for UK freelancers, contractors, and small businesses — especially NatWest/RBS banking customers who get it free.