My Tax Digital vs QuickBooks
Both are full cloud accounting tools for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
My Tax Digital is the cheaper starting point at £0 (VAT included) versus from £129.60/yr for QuickBooks — but the cheapest plan only wins if it covers the income types you actually have.
| My Tax Digital | QuickBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| True annual cost from | £0 | from £129.60/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 |
My Tax Digital
A genuinely free, HMRC-recognised MTD tool from Open Answers. Works as either spreadsheet bridging or simple in-app accounting, and covers both self-employment and property income at no cost.
- Anyone who wants to comply for £0
- Sole traders and landlords with straightforward affairs
QuickBooks
Widely used cloud accounting. The Sole Trader Plus plan covers self-employment and a single rental property if you're not VAT-registered; Simple Start adds VAT.
- Sole traders and single-property landlords on a budget
- People who want a big app ecosystem
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.