Best FreeAgent Alternative for Freelancers

Q: How much does FreeAgent cost?

FreeAgent is free if you have a qualifying NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, or Ulster Bank business account. Without a qualifying bank account, FreeAgent costs around PS19/month plus VAT (PS12/month plus VAT for sole traders in the first 6 months as of recent promotions). Check FreeAgent's website for current pricing.

Q: Is FreeAgent free?

FreeAgent is free for NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland business banking customers. For everyone else, it is a paid subscription. The free access is tied to maintaining a qualifying bank account.

Q: What does FreeAgent include that Tidybill does not?

FreeAgent includes full double-entry bookkeeping, Self Assessment tax return preparation, VAT returns with MTD support, payroll, and bank reconciliation. Tidybill covers invoicing, time tracking, and billing workflows only. If you need accounting and tax filing in one product, FreeAgent covers more ground.

Why freelancers look for a FreeAgent alternative

FreeAgent is accounting software with invoicing, not invoicing software

FreeAgent is well-regarded in the UK freelance community. These are the reasons some users look for alternatives.

Subscription cost if you change banks

FreeAgent is free only for NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Ulster Bank business banking customers. If you switch banks or do not hold a qualifying account, you pay the full subscription rate, around PS19/month plus VAT. The product's pricing is tied to a banking relationship, not a software subscription on its own terms.

No client portal

FreeAgent does not offer a client-facing portal. Clients receive invoices by email and pay via payment links. There is no self-service view where clients can log in to see all their invoices, check outstanding amounts, and make payments without requiring a new email each time.

Interface prioritises accounting over invoicing speed

FreeAgent's interface is designed around accounting workflows. For a freelancer who primarily sends invoices and tracks time, navigating through accounting-focused menus adds friction to tasks that should be quick.

NatWest acquisition changes the roadmap

NatWest Group acquired FreeAgent in 2018. Product decisions since then have increasingly reflected the priorities of a bank-owned entity rather than an independent software company. For freelancers who want their invoicing tool independent of financial institution ownership, this is a genuine concern.

What FreeAgent is genuinely good at

FreeAgent has earned a strong reputation in the UK freelance market for good reasons. Its Self Assessment tax return preparation is a significant feature for UK sole traders: the product can prepare your return from your bookkeeping data, which saves time and reduces the chance of errors. Its MTD-compliant VAT return submission is also genuinely useful for VAT-registered freelancers.

If you are a UK sole trader who wants accounting, tax preparation, invoicing, time tracking, and expense management in one product, FreeAgent covers all of these and is well regarded by UK accountants. The free access via NatWest or RBS is a material benefit if you bank with them.

FreeAgent pricing in 2026

FreeAgent pricing:

Free: NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, or Ulster Bank business banking customers
Paid (sole trader): approximately PS12/month plus VAT (introductory rate for new accounts), rising to approximately PS19/month plus VAT after the introductory period
Paid (limited company): approximately PS19/month plus VAT, rising to approximately PS29/month plus VAT after the introductory period

Pricing includes VAT obligations in the UK. Check FreeAgent's current pricing page for exact rates.

When Tidybill is a better fit

Tidybill is not a FreeAgent replacement if you need Self Assessment preparation or MTD VAT returns. If those are requirements, FreeAgent, Xero, or another accounting platform is the right choice.

Tidybill is a better fit when:

You have an accountant who handles your Self Assessment and VAT, and you just need clean invoicing tools
You bank with a bank that does not give you free FreeAgent access and do not want to pay PS19+VAT/month for features you mainly ignore
You need a client portal where clients can log in to view and pay invoices
You want a free plan to start with, no trial
You work internationally and need non-UK currency support without it being a secondary concern

Tidybill exports invoice data as CSV for your accountant to use in FreeAgent or any other accounting tool. See our pricing page, or compare with the Xero alternative if you are evaluating other UK accounting tools.

Side by side

Tidybill vs FreeAgent

Focused on invoicing and billing features.

Feature	Tidybill	FreeAgent
Free plan (no strings)	Yes, free forever	Free with NatWest/RBS only
Paid starting price	$7/mo (Starter)	~PS19/mo+VAT (full rate)
Time tracking	Built-in	Built-in
Client portal	Yes, Starter	Not available
UK Self Assessment prep	Not available	Core feature
MTD VAT returns	Not available	Full MTD support
Independent of bank ownership	Yes	NatWest-owned

Frequently asked questions

How much does FreeAgent cost?

FreeAgent is free for NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Ulster Bank business banking customers. Without a qualifying bank account, FreeAgent costs around PS19/month plus VAT for sole traders (approximately PS12/month plus VAT for the first 6 months as an introductory rate). Limited company pricing is higher. Check FreeAgent's website for current rates.

Is FreeAgent free?

FreeAgent is free only for NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland business banking customers. For everyone else, it is a paid subscription. The free access is tied to maintaining a qualifying bank account, not the product itself.

What does FreeAgent include that Tidybill does not?

FreeAgent includes Self Assessment tax return preparation, Making Tax Digital VAT return submissions, payroll, bank reconciliation, and full double-entry bookkeeping. Tidybill covers invoicing, time tracking, and billing workflows only. If you need accounting and tax filing in one product, FreeAgent covers more ground.

Can I use Tidybill alongside FreeAgent?

Yes. Some freelancers use Tidybill for invoicing and client-facing billing while their accountant uses FreeAgent for bookkeeping and tax. Tidybill exports invoice data as CSV that can be imported into FreeAgent or any other accounting tool.

Does FreeAgent have a client portal?

FreeAgent does not offer a client-facing portal where clients can log in to view and pay their invoices from a central location. Invoices are sent by email with individual payment links. Tidybill's Starter plan includes a client portal where clients can see all their invoices and pay online without requiring a new email each time.

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