FreeAgent vs QuickFile (2026): which should you pick?

Pick FreeAgent if

• Fits if you're a UK sole trader or limited company filing with HMRC
• Works for you if you bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle, as it's free with them

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you run payroll in the US, as the US edition has none
• Pricey if you only send a few invoices, since there's one $27 plan and nothing smaller
• Skip it if you want unlimited receipt scanning included, as that's $6 a month extra
• Watch out: the advertised price is 50% off the first 6 months, then it renews at $27 a month
• Tight if you bank outside the UK, as the bank feeds page names mainly UK banks and support is UK-based

Pick QuickFile if

• Fits if you're a UK sole trader or small company with under 1,000 ledger entries a year
• Works for people who want MTD VAT returns without a subscription

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're busy: 1,001 entries or more moves you to £60 plus VAT a year
• Watch out: bank feeds cost £15 plus VAT a year and extra storage £9.99 per GB, with 1 GB included
• Watch out: Power User features cost extra on the free tiers, and the page doesn't state the price
• Skip it if you're an accountant or bookkeeper: you're directed to QuickFile Affinity instead

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.

QuickFile

• Prices exclude VAT; the paid tiers apply from 1,001 ledger entries in a rolling 12 months.
• Bank feeds cost an extra £15 plus VAT a year, and extra file storage is £9.99 per GB a year, with 1 GB included.
• Power User features cost extra on the free tiers, and the pricing page does not state that price.
• Accountants and bookkeepers are directed to the separate QuickFile Affinity product.

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.

QuickFile

Invoicing and estimates

Branded invoices and quotations, with a client area, reusable inventory items and multi-currency support.

VAT returns

MTD-compatible VAT returns on every plan; MTD VAT bridging and MTD ITSA readiness are listed as Power User features.

Purchases and receipts

Receipt and purchase management, with receipts photographed and stored from the iOS and Android mobile app.

Banking automation

Automated bank feeds are an add-on at £15 plus VAT a year; the vendor lists the supported banks.

Power User features

Segmented profit and loss, custom trading styles, invoice revision history, cryptocurrency tracking and bulk invoice entry.

API access

API access and free unlimited users are included on all plans, along with two-factor authentication and daily backups.

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.

QuickFile

• Extra Small, Small and Medium£0

  Up to 1,000 ledger entries in 12 months; Power User features are a separate paid subscription.

• Large and Extra Large£60

  per year, plus VAT

  For 1,001 ledger entries and up, including Power User features; accounts over 40,000 entries need an enterprise quote.

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.

QuickFile

No public discounts listed.