Pick FreeAgent if: you bank with Mettle, NatWest, RBS or Ulster (FreeAgent is free). Even if you don't, it's the cleanest UK-designed sole trader workflow and the standard-tier price is competitive.
Pick QuickBooks if: you need broader integrations beyond a UK-focused accountant stack, you want Intuit's mature payroll integration in the same vendor, or you're already in the QuickBooks ecosystem.
The pricing reality
The single biggest difference between these two: FreeAgent is free if you bank with NatWest Group (Mettle, NatWest, RBS, Ulster). Otherwise it's £19/month sole trader or £29/month Ltd direct. QuickBooks Self-Employed starts at £10/mo and Simple Start at £15/mo regardless of your banking.
For a sole trader who'd otherwise pay for accounting software, switching to Mettle business banking + free FreeAgent is mathematically the cheapest setup on the UK market — saves £120–228/year vs paid alternatives. See our Mettle review.
At a glance
| Feature | FreeAgent | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader price | £0 via Mettle/NatWest, else £19/mo | £10–15/mo |
| Ltd price | £0 via Mettle/NatWest, else £29/mo | £15/mo (Simple Start) |
| UK design | UK-built (Edinburgh) | US Intuit product, UK-localised |
| Sole trader workflow | Purpose-built, clean | Self-Employed plan also strong |
| Self Assessment generation | ✓ Native | ✓ Native (Self-Employed plan) |
| MTD-VAT | ✓ | ✓ |
| MTD-ITSA-ready (Apr 2026) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-currency | ✓ All plans | Essentials+ (£32/mo) |
| Receipt capture | ✓ Mobile + email | ✓ Built-in |
| Payroll add-on | Included on Ltd plan | +£5/mo per employee |
| Integrations | ~100 | 650+ |
| Mobile app | Strong, focused | Strong, broader |
| Accountant familiarity (UK) | Common — strong UK base | Common |
Where FreeAgent wins
- Cost via banking bundle. Free with Mettle/NatWest/RBS/Ulster is unmatched.
- UK-built design. Edinburgh-headquartered, NatWest-owned since 2018. Every feature is UK-tax-shaped — not retrofitted from a US product.
- Sole trader simplicity. Genuinely the cleanest UK sole trader workflow we've used.
- Multi-currency on all plans. QuickBooks restricts this to higher tiers.
- Payroll bundled. Ltd plan includes director payroll without an add-on charge.
Where QuickBooks wins
- Integration ecosystem. 650+ apps vs FreeAgent's ~100. Matters most for unusual integrations (ecommerce, specialist project tools).
- Brand familiarity. Intuit's global presence means more accountant familiarity outside UK accounting practice.
- Self-Employed plan pricing. £10/mo undercuts FreeAgent direct (£19/mo) for non-NatWest sole traders.
- Payroll polish. QuickBooks Payroll is mature; FreeAgent's is functional but less polished.
- Bank feed coverage. Both connect to UK banks, but QuickBooks's bank feed history is generally slightly longer on first connection.
Decision matrix
If you bank with Mettle, NatWest, RBS or Ulster
FreeAgent wins almost automatically. Free vs £10–15/mo is a real saving over years. The only reason to override: you need a QuickBooks-specific integration that FreeAgent doesn't have, or your accountant is QuickBooks-only.
If you bank elsewhere as a sole trader
QuickBooks Self-Employed at £10/mo is cheaper than FreeAgent direct at £19/mo. Both work well. Consider whether switching to Mettle for free FreeAgent saves you more long-term — the math usually says yes if you'd otherwise pay £19/mo.
If you bank elsewhere as a Ltd
QuickBooks Simple Start at £15/mo undercuts FreeAgent direct at £29/mo. If you don't want the friction of switching banks, QuickBooks is the cheaper option. If you'll consider switching to Mettle, FreeAgent free is cheaper.
If you're already with an accountant
Ask which they prefer. Working in their familiar system saves 10–20% on monthly accountant fees. Many UK accountancy practices are dual-fluent in FreeAgent and Xero with QuickBooks as a secondary option.
Yes — full FreeAgent sole trader or Ltd plan, no time limit, no transaction limit. The only condition is you bank actively with Mettle (or NatWest/RBS/Ulster). If you close the bank account, FreeAgent transitions to its normal paid subscription. See our Mettle review.
Yes. Both support data import from each other. Easiest at year-end. See our switching guide.
FreeAgent has the stronger UK-specific support reputation — UK-based team, in-app chat, decent response times. QuickBooks support is broader but US-headquartered with UK-hours coverage.
Xero is the third dominant option, particularly strong for limited companies working with accountants. See our QuickBooks vs Xero head-to-head and Xero vs Sage.
Yes — the Ltd plan (£29/mo direct, free with NatWest banking) includes payroll, dividend voucher management, and the corporation tax workflow. Strong fit for single-director Ltds.
Yes natively for sole traders. Generates the figures and you submit via HMRC. QuickBooks Self-Employed does the same; both are MTD-ITSA-ready for April 2026.
Both offer 30-day free trials. FreeAgent is free indefinitely if you bank with NatWest Group, so there's no urgency on the trial clock.
Editorial comparison as at May 2026. Pricing and features change — verify on the live provider sites.