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United Kingdom Local product
FreeAgent

FreeAgent

United Kingdom Local product

What is FreeAgent?

FreeAgent is award-winning online accounting software that’s designed specifically for small businesses and freelancers. Over 100,000 business owners and their accountants and bookkeepers use FreeAgent to create invoices, monitor cashflow, file tax returns and much more. With no confusing accounting jargon and a friendly support team on hand to answer any questions, FreeAgent makes it easy to keep your business admin on track.

Who Uses FreeAgent?

FreeAgent is designed especially for small businesses and freelancers. The software is primarily designed for UK-based businesses, but it does also offer a basic package for international businesses.

FreeAgent Software - Reconciling transactions in FreeAgent's banking area
FreeAgent Software - Creating an invoice in FreeAgent
FreeAgent Software - The banking section of FreeAgent
FreeAgent Software - FreeAgent's mobile dashboard

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Reviews of FreeAgent

Average score

Overall
4.5
Ease of Use
4.4
Customer Service
4.4
Features
4.3
Value for Money
4.3

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001
Faith
Faith
Director in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Sports, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Freeagent is my choice for Accounting

5.0 last year

Comments: A few times, I've had to contact their support. They have live-help and the accountants are amazingly responsive, understanding and helpful. One of the best supports I've had in any software.

Pros:

Saves loads of time and is easy to use for a business owner without the need for a book keeper or accounting person. Love the bank imports and ease of reconciliations. RTI and VAT submissions submit to HMRC straight from the software. I could go on and on here, but having had business since 1999, the importance of having great finance management as a small business can't be understated!

Cons:

At the moment you can scan/photograph expenses and it can complete the data entry using AI. I can't wait until this can happen for bills too!

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Accounting, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

FreeAgent - Free if you use some bank accounts

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Great customer service on the queries I've raised.

Pros:

Free for users of certain banks and they get access to it all not just some features.

Cons:

That the bank options when reconcilling aren't very flexible or obvious as to which category.

As
Chief Executive in UK
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

FreeAgent, not using anymore. Software is Pathetic

1.0 last year

Pros:

It is Automated on Invoicing, etc. That is very error prone.

Cons:

I do not like Freeagent. Freeagent do not give options. It is very closely connected.

Simon
Arborist in UK
Individual & Family Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

A good stepping stone for a service business

5.0 2 months ago

Comments: Very good overall experience. Helped me build my business until I was ready to move onto bigger software.

Pros:

I really found this software useful when setting up my first business

Cons:

It was limited with regard managing jobs and scheduling

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Freeagent - simple and reliable accounting

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: Freeagent covers all our accounting and invoicing needs very well. We have tried one of the leading alternatives but came back as we were so pleased with it.

Pros:

The billing and invoicing functionality is a key feature of the product and works very well. They send a Monday motivator email summarising your agenda for the week on Monday mornings. This includes items such as unbilled hours logged, payments to approve and bills to chase or pay. MFA is supported for increased security.

Cons:

There are few things that I don't like to be honest, the only one that can be annoying is the bank feeds can sometimes be a little slow to show items. A manual refresh option for bank feed data would be useful.

Ben
Manager in UK
Computer Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great cloud-based accounting

4.0 8 months ago

Comments: Overall I am very happy with FreeAgent and have very minimal issues, usually very easily resolved, but regardless their software still makes it a lot easier to do accounting and file taxes compared to doing it all on my own.

Pros:

FreeAgent is an incredibly supportive and useful tool for someone that is not good with accounting and has a very busy job that makes accounting a very timely task. To be able to rely on software to explain transactions, calculate your income and outgoings as well as file tax for you is very useful without having to worry about a lot of jargon. The support has been very useful at times when needing help with some explanations or more.

Cons:

It was a while back that they announced that they could no longer offer accounting support, and always recommend hiring your own accountant, however back when I first signed up for FreeAgent I was sure that they advertised themselves as not requiring an accountant.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Very good all round!

5.0 5 months ago

Comments: Really positive and I would encourage everyone running a business to use their software.

Pros:

Free Agent came bundled with my NatWest account. It is easy to use with a clear interface and integrates well with my bank accounts. The mobile app is excellent and the support (both technically and professionally) is clear and of good standard. I find their email updates helpful.

Cons:

I would like them to be able to import transactions directly from Stripe as a ‘bank account’ as currently you have to manage this manually.

Adam
Director in UK
Computer Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

FreeAgent -> Simple and Effective

5.0 5 months ago

Comments: Would recommend for any small business as works really well

Pros:

Really great for small business, simple accounting across the board. I really like the dashboard feature.

Cons:

I wish the dashboard could be a bit more customisable with options to show reports or category spending as a tile / more configurable layout

Samantha
Samantha
Owner in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Great for non- accountants and accountants alike

5.0 last year

Pros:

It's nicely laid out and easy to navigate, the automatic filling is a breeze, recurring invoices & bills save so much time and the time tracking features are useful in some cases.I used the software probably just when it started many years ago when i started as a freelancer, but it was pretty expensive then, so i moved on. I returned when it was offered for free through my bank as it was a bit of a no brainer.

Cons:

The integration with other tools is very lacking, yes it has zapier but with only a couple of integration points its basically useless with the tech stacks most of us operate now. From memory (as i cant find the customer forums anymore) users have been requesting improvements to this for at least 6 years, so It's not going to be improved basically.

Marta
Admin Manager in UK
Machinery, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Everyday User b

4.0 last year

Comments: All in all I think the system is easy to use and self explanatory, but few tweeks would be welcomed.

Pros:

I like how easy to use the site is. I mainly use it on web and I'm not sure if there's an app but coming in to work, having never used this before, it was easy to find my way around it and get on with work without training.

Cons:

I miss the ability of exporting data into Spreadsheet and trailing trough pages of invoices to highlight and copy so I can paste into Spreadsheet is tiresome. I would love for this to be changed.

Thomas
Director in UK
Online Media, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

My accounting tool from day one

5.0 9 months ago

Pros:

I have been using FreeAgent since I registered my company. It handles all my accounting needs. Saves me so much time.

Cons:

Categorisation of expenses can be improved. It works so far but wish they had simpler naming.

Andrew
Accountant & Bookkeeper in UK
Accounting, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

A very good accounting software for small businesses

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

The customer service is one of the best in the industry and a great user interface.

Cons:

Lack of features such as reports and 3rd party integrations

Jago
Bookkeeper in UK
Accounting, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Easy to use bookkeeping and accounting software for the small clients

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: I love FreeAgent and how we are treated as an accountancy practice by their team. Any issues we aver have are answered and they're are always new features being added. Whenever I find that I can't do something in FreeAgent, I'm always shown a way around it and for that I give 5 stars.

Pros:

It's very intuitive and has amazing support and training for us and our clients. We use this software for our smaller sole traders who find it really easy to use. We do most of the setup and they basically just invoice their clients using the mobile app :)

Cons:

Integrations are pretty non existent for a lot of apps. For example merging eBay or most till sales with FreeAgent can be quite difficult however this is overcome by using Zapier

Richard
The Boss in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: GetApp

Great for small business that want their weekend back

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: I've gone from from a struggle one man band that worked all day and did the paperwork each evening, to having time to spend with the family, and being able to see what I ned to pay to HMRC and when, and I can now see that sending out my invoices in good time, means that the customers are paying me, so the stress levels have gone down so much.

Pros:

I no longer have to nominate which computer is the one that the accounts is on. I can open a web browser on the PC in my home office and enter my hours, mileage, upload photos of receipts, automatially let it reconcile the bank and credit card statements, and let it get on with doing the calcuations. I no longer have to set aside a weekend each month for doing invoices and expenses. or the last weekend of each quarter for doing the VAT return or various days of the last month of each financial year for doing the annual return.

Cons:

Now that the company has made enough money to be able to purchase three cars, it would be nice if the mileage drop down had options for company owned vehicles and the AFR mileage rates, but it only has AMAP rates for personally owned bike, motorcycle or car.

David
Executive Creative Director in UK
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Essential accounting software for any growing business

4.0 7 years ago

Pros:

We've been using Freeagent for over 5 years. In that time frame my company has grown from being a sole-trader to an incorporated limited company with employees. To say that Freeagent has helped facilitate that growth would be an understatement. We now use Freeagent for our VAT submission (saving us £200pq accountants fees), Payroll (saving us £10pm per employee), Sending out client estimates/invoices, and what we originally bought it for... Book keeping and accounting. We have Freeagent connected to our bank feeds, meaning we are only ever 24hrs out of date with our live bank accounts. This is now a common practice with similar software, but for us it came just at the right time. Their team of inhouse accountancy experts is also an incredible resource that we use around once a quarter, or whenever something new crops up that we might need some help with. We still use the skill of an account for filing our end of year accounts, but we could even do this with free agent.

Cons:

The one thing that has been a niggle like a tiny pebble in your shoe, or scratch on the roof of your mouth, is that you cannot send a remittance! Many people have requested this functionality but it has largely been ignored by the freeagent team. I have no idea whether it is a technical or philosophical reason they've just not engaged with it... If they did implement this functionality it would pretty much make it perfect for my companies needs.

Stephen
Stephen
Senior Associate in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Public Relations & Communications, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: GetApp

Good product, good UI, good customer support, a bit pricey but worth it for my business.

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

FreeAgent is a fully-featured accounting and invoicing web app that comes with a great little mobile app too. It has a really clear and easy-to-use interface, making it easy to navigate and produce invoices, check your accounts for selected periods, track your time, manage projects... the list goes on. But for all the functionality, it never feels cluttered. I've experienced great support whenever I've asked for it and it hasn't ever produced any unexpected errors or bugs. It just works.

Cons:

I wanted to recommend this product to my wife for her business but it's just a little bit too expensive for a startup small sole trader company like hers. A reduced cost account type for single users would be great.

Flavio
Flavio
Creative Director in Australia
Verified LinkedIn User
Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great accounting software for freelancers and small teams

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: Having researched a number of different options while freelancing, FreeAgent was hands down the best one for a solo practitioner, with enough features to solve all my accounting needs.

Pros:

Perfect for freelancers and small teams, FreeAgent includes all the aspects needed to control accounts, create / send invoices and keep an eye on projects. Highly recommended for any solo practitioners.

Cons:

If you plan to grow and scale your team, it can be a bit limiting, however it is still a great tool for smaller teams and individuals.

FreeAgent Central Response

5 years ago

Hi Flavio, Thank you so much for sharing your positive review of FreeAgent, we really appreciate it! The FreeAgent Team

John
John
Strategy & Digital Communications Consultant in Canada
Verified LinkedIn User
Management Consulting, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: GetApp

An outstanding find with exemplary customer service

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

The ease of use combined of the platform which is exceptionally intuitive, combined with the brilliant customer service.

Cons:

FreeAgent appears somewhat UK-centric, although the support is still exceptional. The banking does connect to banks in Canada and I have been able to manage harmonized sales tax in Ontario. It may have some current limitations to make it a credible better substitute for Sage, in respect of the tax nuances across different Canadian Provinces.

Saul
Saul
Associate Professor in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Research, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source
Source: GetApp

Fantastic - makes my business life so much easier

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

Love the user interface, which is easily customisable and visually it is really appealing. Makes accounting fun! Easy to use, once you know how to access some of the features. I have a straightforward business in private medical practice and this software takes care of my invoicing, accounting and expenses all in one, with automatic updating of all the relevant information at your fingertips. Both my secretary and I can access the software from anywhere, so it makes for easy team-work. One of the best features for me is the projects section, where I can keep track of the numerous expert reports that I have on my books at any one time.

Cons:

Sometimes working out how to find something, or to alter a document isn't intuitive, and I have had to refer to the website for help, which has always been useful (so far). (NB I think the user who didn't like being referred to My Business Works is being unnecessarily unfair to this software because they had to go through a Barclays intermediary - Barclays are known for their poor service, but this is not FreeAgent...)

John
Managing Director in UK
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great accounting software

4.0 6 years ago

Comments: Very clean app gives good insights from the overview page.

Pros:

It's just so easy to use. We run our plumbing business with this app and it integrates well with Commusoft our field service management software reducing time spent double entering information and doing tasks like invoicing. Now we invoice and complete the job in Commusoft and it pushes al the relevant information to Freeagent.

Cons:

It only does CIS one way. As we have grown from a subcontractor into a contractor that now employs subcontractors we need a simple way to process CIS invoices from our SC's

FreeAgent Central Response

6 years ago

Hi John, Thank you for taking the time to share your review of FreeAgent, we really appreciate it. It was great to hear how you and your business use FreeAgent. Thanks for the feedback about CIS too, we've passed it along to our product team. The FreeAgent Team

John 'Hedge'
John 'Hedge'
Managing Director in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great, powerful,

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

FreeAgent is one of those programs that integrates all sorts of difficult tasks into one single multi-use product. We specifically use it for payroll, invoicing and accountancy and find the integrated approach saves time and helps us quickly track accountancy errors and oversights.

Cons:

The live link to the bank account statements is often glitchy and can cause a headache for those trying to account for every transaction.

FreeAgent Central Response

7 years ago

Hi John, Thank you for sharing your review of FreeAgent. It was great to hear about the features you find most beneficial for your business. We also appreciate you highlighting the glitches you experience with links to bank account statements, we've shared that feedback with the product team. Thanks again! The FreeAgent Team

Dimitrios
Dimitrios
UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source
Source: GetApp

Essential for sole trader's accounting

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

One of the things that scared me about going freelance, was the accounting and book-keeping part this entails. After researching similar web-based solutions, I decided upon subscribing to Freeagent. I wouldn't be able to run my business without it. Everything I need, from invoicing and clients database, to expense filing and completing my self-assessment is there, easy to use and access. When I needed some help or clarifications about something, the staff were prompt and eager to help me and made sure my issues were resolved in any case. Highly recommended software & service!

Cons:

I find that the mobile app has limited functionality compared to the desktop site. I would like the same level of editability when it comes to the handling of bank transactions, as I have via my internet browser.

Steph
Sole trader in UK
Sports, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Early review

4.0 4 years ago

Comments: Better than Quickbooks in terms of reconciling bank account, and bringing the feed in reliably, but this assumption against large numbers of individual customers is a deal breaker.

Pros:

Reconciles some invoice payments that only need approval, an improvement on Quickbooks.

Cons:

Very clunky for adding customers for invoicing. If you have lots of "retail" customers as I do, and send invoices to large numbers of customers, setting them up is a pain, the system seems to assume that you have a small number of commercial customers with multiple contacts at those companies. When making a new invoice you have to go through an alphabetical list of companies, you can't search, and for ease I made that entry an email address. This now means that of course not all people have an email address that is clearly them/their name. Irritating and enough to make me look elsewhere.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Automotive, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Took the worst part of owning a business and made it almost fun

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

The end to end connectivity. Booking time spent with a client turns into an invoice turns into a payment at the bank - and all this is tracked. What used to take hours in excel is all at a glance in FreeAgent.

Cons:

I wish that there was a way to use their time tracking module as a separate product. I no longer run a business but would love to use their time tracker with my team at the larger org I now work for.

FreeAgent Central Response

7 years ago

Hi there, Thank you for sharing your review, we really appreciate it. It was great to hear which FreeAgent features you found most helpful. I've also passed along your time tracking module feedback to our product team. Thanks again! The FreeAgent Team

Pierpaolo
Pierpaolo
Operations Manager in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Food & Beverages
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great accunting software, really easy to use!

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

Fantastic software for your company. Easy to use and complete. You can manage your customers, raise invoices and do your payroll.

Cons:

The software is improving over the years, but you might have some issues when it comes to make payments and raise invoices in other currencies.

FreeAgent Central Response

7 years ago

Hi Pierpaolo, Thank you for sharing your review, we really appreciate it. It was great to hear what you found most useful about FreeAgent. We've also highlighted the issues you raised with our product team. Thanks again! The FreeAgent Team