FreeAgent vs QuickBooks Online
We give FreeAgent a 2.2 GPA and QuickBooks Online a 2.4, out of 4.0. QuickBooks Online grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FreeAgent
Accounting for freelancers and small firms, built in the UK
QuickBooks Online
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFreeAgentFair | 2.4GPAQuickBooks OnlineFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | COne plan at $27 a month or $270 a year, between this category's middle at $23 and its dearer quarter at $31.10, with no cheaper tier for someone sending three invoices a month. Everything is in it, though, and the first 6 months are half price. | CSimple Start is $38 a month for 1 user, above the dearer quarter of accounting tools at $31.10 but short of the dearest tenth at $49. Three users is $85, and inventory and budgets need Plus at $140. The 50% off lasts only 3 months. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day free trial with no card needed. There's no free plan in the US. In the UK, NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle business customers get FreeAgent free. | CThere's a free plan, but it's 2 invoices a month, 3 reports and 1 bank account, with no accountant access or mobile app. You'll hit that fast. Paid plans have a 30-day trial instead of the discount. |
| Features | CInvoices and estimates, bank feeds, receipt capture, time tracking, project profit, multiple currencies and sales tax reports. The gap is in the listing: the US edition has no payroll, as payroll and HMRC filing belong to the UK one. | BBank feeds that learn your categories, invoices and payments, bill pay by ACH, reports, budgets, project profit, inventory, classes, AI that reconciles and flags oddities, and payroll as an add-on. That's the whole job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You link a bank and explain each transaction as money in or out, and the dashboard shows when tax bills are due. It's still bookkeeping to learn, though. | CNo store rating on record. Its bank feeds learn how you categorize and copy you, which helps, but there are accounts to connect and reports to learn before it runs itself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, Pleo, Float, Chaser and Tyl by NatWest. There's no desktop app, and the bank feeds page names mainly UK banks. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with PayPal, Square, Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Gusto and QuickBooks Time. No desktop app is listed, and the free plan gets no mobile app or third-party apps. |
| Best for | freelancers who want one plan with no tiers | US businesses that share the books with an accountant |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreeAgent starts at $27 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 a month and scores 2.7.
QuickBooks Online scores higher, and starts $11 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 6 score higher than FreeAgent for less, and 5 score higher than QuickBooks Online for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- FreeAgent starts at $27 per month, billed monthly. QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly.
- QuickBooks Online has a free plan. FreeAgent does not, though it has a free trial.
- FreeAgent also covers time tracking.
- QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.
At a glance
| FreeAgent | QuickBooks Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $27 per month, billed monthly | $38 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | 1 user, income and expense tracking, 2 invoices a month, 3 reports and 1 connected bank. No accountant access, mobile app or third-party apps. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | 30-day free trial on paid plans, taken instead of the 3-month discount |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FreeAgent Central | Intuit Inc. |
| Price read from | freeagent.com | quickbooks.intuit.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FreeAgent
- Freelancers and contractors who want invoicing, time and books in one plan
- UK sole traders and limited companies filing with HMRC
- NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle customers, who can use it free
QuickBooks Online
- US small businesses that want their accountant working in the same books
- Businesses that expect to add payroll, inventory or project tracking later
- Sole traders who only need to track income and send a few invoices
Worth knowing
FreeAgent
- The advertised prices are 50% off the first 6 months (or first year, paid annually); it then renews at $27 a month or $270 a year.
- Payroll, Making Tax Digital and HMRC filing belong to the UK edition; the US edition lists sales tax reports but no payroll.
- UK prices depend on business type, excluding VAT: £10 a month for landlords, £19 sole traders, £27 partnerships and £33 limited companies.
- Support comes from accountants based in the UK, and the bank feeds page names mainly UK banks.
QuickBooks Online
- The advertised prices are a 50% discount for the first 3 months; the plan then renews at $38, $85, $140 or $340 a month.
- Each plan caps users: 1 on Simple Start, 3 on Essentials, 5 on Plus and 25 on Advanced.
- Payroll costs extra: Workforce Payroll alone is $50 a month plus $7 per employee, and Premium is $88 plus $13 per employee.
- These are US prices and plans; Intuit runs separate country sites for Canada, the UK, Australia, India and others.
Key features
FreeAgent
- Estimates and invoices
- Send estimates and invoices from templates, convert an estimate to an invoice in one click, and invoice in other currencies.
- Bank feeds
- Import transactions daily from linked bank accounts, or upload OFX, QIF and CSV statements, and explain each one as money in or out.
- Expenses and Smart Capture
- Photograph receipts on the phone and upload them. Unlimited Smart Capture scanning is a $6 a month add-on.
- Time tracking and projects
- Record time with a stopwatch or timesheets and see the income, costs and profit of each project.
- Dashboard and Radar
- A dashboard shows cash flow and when tax bills are due, and Radar points out trends in the business's numbers.
- Sales tax reports
- Set one or more sales tax rates, including compound ones, and report tax charged and reclaimable, with Schedule C reporting.
QuickBooks Online
- Bank feeds and automatic categorizing
- Connect bank and card accounts and QuickBooks learns how you categorize transactions, then matches and records new ones the same way.
- Invoices and online payments
- Send invoices and estimates, take card and bank payments through QuickBooks Payments, and get status updates and reminders.
- Bills and accounts payable
- Organize and pay bills by ACH from paid plans. Standard ACH payments beyond the monthly allotment cost $0.50 each.
- Reports, budgets and projects
- Profit and loss and sales reports on every paid plan. Budgets, project profitability, inventory and class tracking start on Plus.
- Intuit Intelligence
- AI tools that categorize expenses, reconcile books and flag anomalies, with more of them unlocked on Plus and Advanced.
- Payroll through QuickBooks Workforce
- A separate subscription that runs full-service payroll, files payroll taxes and e-files 1099s, added from the same checkout.
Plans
FreeAgent
FreeAgent$27
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $13.50 a month for the first 6 months. One plan with invoicing, expenses, banking, projects, time tracking, sales tax reports and multiple currencies.
QuickBooks Online
Free$0
1 user, 2 invoices a month, profit and loss, balance sheet and account quick report, and 1 connected bank account.
Simple Start$38
per month for 1 user, billed monthly
Advertised at $19 a month for the first 3 months. Automated bookkeeping, invoicing with online payments, bill pay and access for 2 accountants.
Essentials$85
per month for up to 3 users, billed monthly
Advertised at $42.50 a month for the first 3 months. Adds enhanced reports, employee time on invoices and web lead forms.
Plus$140
per month for up to 5 users, billed monthly
Advertised at $70 a month for the first 3 months. Adds budgets, project profitability, inventory and up to 40 classes and locations.
Advanced$340
per month for up to 25 users, billed monthly
Advertised at $170 a month for the first 3 months. Adds custom roles, workflow automation, Excel sync, batch invoices and priority support.
Ways to pay less
FreeAgent
- Other savings
50% off the first 6 months
New customers on monthly billing pay $13.50 a month for 6 months, then $27. The UK offer works the same way on each business-type price.
- Annual discount
Pay yearly: 12 months for the price of 10
Paying upfront costs $270 a year, the price of 10 months. The first year is half price at $135.
- Other savings
Free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account
UK businesses with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business account, or a Mettle account used at least once a month, get FreeAgent free.
QuickBooks Online
- Other savings
50% off the first 3 months
New customers on a monthly plan pay half the base price for the first 3 months, then the regular price. It does not apply to per-employee fees.
