Clear Books vs FreeAgent
Both are full cloud accounting tools for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Clear Books is the cheaper starting point at £0 (VAT included) versus from £144/yr for FreeAgent — but the cheapest plan only wins if it covers the income types you actually have.
| Clear Books | FreeAgent | |
|---|---|---|
| True annual cost from | £0 | from £144/yr |
| Self-employment | Yes | Yes |
| Property / rent | Yes | Yes |
| Keeps your spreadsheet | No | No |
| Accountant access | Yes | Yes |
| Type | full cloud accounting | full cloud accounting |
| HMRC status | Recognised | Recognised |
| Price verified | 2026-08-10 | 2026-08-10 |
Clear Books
Established UK cloud accounting with a genuinely free plan for sole traders and landlords — MTD for Income Tax quarterly updates and year-end filing at no cost, with low-priced paid tiers that add bank feeds and per-property tracking.
- People who want free cloud accounting from an established UK provider
- Sole traders and landlords who may later want bank feeds
FreeAgent
Freelancer-favourite accounting with time tracking and project costing. Free for life with the right bank — which can make it the cheapest serious option by a mile.
- NatWest / RBS / Ulster / Mettle customers (free!)
- Contractors and freelancers
Not sure either is right? Use the finder to get a recommendation ranked by what it will actually cost you.
Prices are each tool's cheapest plan, VAT included, last verified 10 August 2026 (catalogue reconciled 10 August 2026). Links are affiliate links and never affect ranking. Not affiliated with HMRC; not tax advice.