Clear Books vs MTDsorted
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 £72/yr for MTDsorted — but the cheapest plan only wins if it covers the income types you actually have.
| Clear Books | MTDsorted | |
|---|---|---|
| True annual cost from | £0 | from £72/yr |
| Self-employment | Yes | Yes |
| Property / rent | Yes | Yes |
| Keeps your spreadsheet | No | No |
| Accountant access | Yes | No |
| Type | full cloud accounting | full cloud accounting |
| HMRC status | Recognised | Recognised |
| Price verified | 2026-07-06 | 2026-07-06 |
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
MTDsorted
Simple UK accounting best known for free MTD VAT filing. Income Tax quarterly submissions sit on the cheap paid plans, with bank feeds, invoicing and both in-app records and spreadsheet bridging.
- People who want cheap software with real bookkeeping
- VAT-registered sole traders (the VAT side is free)
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 6 July 2026 (catalogue reconciled 6 July 2026). Links are affiliate links and never affect ranking. Not affiliated with HMRC; not tax advice.