FreshBooks vs FreeAgent
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
FreshBooks
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Canada
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
FreeAgent
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.1 against 4.1. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | FreshBooks | FreeAgent |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £16/mo | £19/mo |
| Free version | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 261 reviews | 297 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- FreshBooks
- FreeAgent
| Dimension | FreshBooks | FreeAgent | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Value for money | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Customer support | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks | 42% (109 reviews) | 36% (95 reviews) | 14% (36 reviews) | 7% (18 reviews) | 1% (3 reviews) |
| FreeAgent | 42% (126 reviews) | 32% (96 reviews) | 16% (49 reviews) | 7% (20 reviews) | 2% (6 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 420%
- Only FreshBooks
- 630%
- Only FreeAgent
- 1050%
20 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
FreshBooks
6- Automated payment reminders
- Client portal
- Online payments
- Professional invoicing
+ 2 more in the table below
FreeAgent
10- Bank feeds
- CIS support
- Corporation Tax tracking
- Director Self Assessment
+ 6 more in the table below
Showing 20 of 20 features
| Detail | FreshBooks | FreeAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 16 | ||
| Automated payment reminders | YesYes | NoNo |
| Client portal | YesYes | NoNo |
| Online payments | YesYes | NoNo |
| Professional invoicing | YesYes | NoNo |
| Project profitability | YesYes | NoNo |
| Recurring invoices | YesYes | NoNo |
| Bank feeds | NoNo | YesYes |
| CIS support | NoNo | YesYes |
| Corporation Tax tracking | NoNo | YesYes |
| Director Self Assessment | NoNo | YesYes |
| Dividend documentation | NoNo | YesYes |
| Invoicing and estimates | NoNo | YesYes |
| MTD for Income Tax | NoNo | YesYes |
| Payroll | NoNo | YesYes |
| Radar business insights | NoNo | YesYes |
| Tax timeline with amounts and deadlines | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 4 | ||
| Expense and mileage tracking | YesYes | YesYes |
| Making Tax Digital for VAT | YesYes | YesYes |
| Mobile app | YesYes | YesYes |
| Time tracking | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | FreshBooks | FreeAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for VAT | YesYes | YesYes |
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for ITSA | Not listedNot listed | YesYes |
| Making Tax Digital ready | YesYes | YesYes |
| RTI-compliant payroll | Not listedNot listed | YesYes |
| CIS support | Not listedNot listed | YesYes |
| Open Banking bank feeds | Not listedNot listed | YesYes |
| Data residency | Not stated | United Kingdom |
| UK-based support | Not stated | UK based support team |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
FreshBooks
FreeAgent
Lite
£16/mo
- Unlimited invoices
- Up to 5 billable clients
- Expense tracking
Free with NatWest, RBS, Ulster or Mettle
FreeLower
- Full product, not a limited version
- For as long as you hold the account
- Mettle requires one transaction a month
Plus
£30/mo
- Up to 50 billable clients
- Recurring invoices
- Project profitability
Sole trader
£19/moLower
- Self Assessment preparation
- MTD for Income Tax
- Invoicing and expenses
Premium
£42/mo
- Unlimited billable clients
- Advanced reporting
- Everything in Plus
Limited company
£33/moLower
- Corporation Tax tracking
- Dividend documentation
- Director Self Assessment
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose FreshBooks if
- It costs less to get started — £16/mo against £19/mo.
- It lists 6 features FreeAgent does not, including automated payment reminders.
Choose FreeAgent if
- There is a free tier you can stay on, which FreshBooks does not offer.
- It lists 10 features FreshBooks does not, including bank feeds.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 7 of them against 1.
On verified Assaylist reviews, FreshBooks currently rates 4.1 against 4.1 for FreeAgent. That gap is not the whole story: FreshBooks starts at £16/mo and FreeAgent at £19/mo, so the right answer depends on the tier you actually need and on which one handles your UK obligations. Read both profiles before you commit, and confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site.
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