Clear Books
4.0(299 reviews)
A UK accounting product built for small businesses, sole traders and landlords, with a genuinely free Making Tax Digital plan for the self employed and clean paid tiers above it.
- From
- £16/mo
- Trial
- Free plan
Independent · UK business software
Find the right software
Explore, compare and choose the best fit for your business.
- 12,193
- Verified reviews
- 49+
- Software listed
- 5 years
- Of independent advice
01Explore by category
Every part of your business, covered
Accounting, payroll, HR, CRM, ERP and project management — reviewed and rated for UK businesses.
Xero
4.1(297 reviews)
The New Zealand built platform that reshaped UK cloud accounting. Four tiers, bundled payroll from the Grow plan upwards, and a very large app ecosystem.
- From
- £16/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
FreeAgent
4.1(297 reviews)
A UK accounting product owned by NatWest, aimed squarely at limited company contractors and sole traders. Free for as long as you bank with the group.
- From
- £19/mo
- Trial
- Free plan
Pandle
4.0(290 reviews)
A genuinely free UK bookkeeping product, funded by an optional Pro tier at a flat five pounds a month. Real time bookkeeping and Making Tax Digital at little or no cost.
- From
- Free
- Trial
- Free plan
QuickBooks Sole Trader
4.1(273 reviews)
A cut down QuickBooks built for sole traders facing Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, with mileage tracking and Self Assessment preparation.
- From
- £9/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
QuickBooks Online
4.1(262 reviews)
Intuit's cloud accounting software, sold in four tiers from Simple Start to Advanced. Strong automation, deep app ecosystem, aggressive introductory discounting.
- From
- £14.33/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
FreshBooks
4.1(261 reviews)
A cloud accounting product that grew out of invoicing, popular with freelancers and service businesses that bill by time and project. Strong on getting paid, lighter on heavy bookkeeping.
- From
- £16/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
Sage Sole Trader
4.0(261 reviews)
Sage's entry level tool for self employed people facing Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. There is a genuinely free tier for non VAT registered sole traders.
- From
- £7/mo
- Trial
- Free plan
QuickFile
4.0(259 reviews)
A UK company offering full accounting software free for smaller businesses, with a flat £60 a year charge only once your transaction volume grows.
- From
- Free
- Trial
- Free plan
Zoho Books
4.1(240 reviews)
Part of the wider Zoho suite. The UK edition files SA100 and CT600, handles MTD and CIS, and starts at nothing for one user.
- From
- Free
- Trial
- Free plan
IRIS KashFlow
4.0(221 reviews)
A long standing UK cloud accounting product now owned by IRIS, aimed at sole traders and small businesses that want low cost bookkeeping with the option to add payroll.
- From
- £10.50/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
Sage Intacct
4.0(209 reviews)
Sage's cloud financial management platform for medium sized and growing organisations, built around dimensional reporting and multi entity consolidation.
- From
- Custom
- Trial
- Free trial
02Head to head
Compare two products side by side
Pick any two and see ratings, pricing and features weighed against each other.
Shape Payroll
4.2
250 reviews
Free
PayFit
4.2
245 reviews
£29/mo
03Top rated
The software UK teams rate highest
Ranked on verified ratings from business owners and managers who run these tools day to day.
Sage 50 Accounts
4.2(201 reviews)
Sage's desktop accounting software for established small and medium UK businesses. Deep stock, project costing and multi company reporting that the cloud products do not match.
- From
- £115/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
Xero
4.1(297 reviews)
The New Zealand built platform that reshaped UK cloud accounting. Four tiers, bundled payroll from the Grow plan upwards, and a very large app ecosystem.
- From
- £16/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
Sage HR
4.1(296 reviews)
Sage's mid range HR platform, priced from £5 per employee per month for core leave management with paid modules added on top.
- From
- £5/user/month
- Trial
- Free trial
BrightPay
4.1(235 reviews)
A long standing favourite of UK and Ireland payroll bureaus, now moving fully to the cloud for the 2026/27 tax year. Deep, HMRC recognised, and built for people who run payroll for a living.
- From
- Custom
- Trial
- Free trial
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04Recent reviews
Freshly checked and re-rated
The listings we have re-checked, re-priced or re-rated most recently.
Xero
4.1(297 reviews)
The New Zealand built platform that reshaped UK cloud accounting. Four tiers, bundled payroll from the Grow plan upwards, and a very large app ecosystem.
- From
- £16/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
Epicor Kinetic
4.0(227 reviews)
An ERP built around manufacturing and distribution, strong on shop floor and supply chain depth for product businesses. Delivered through partners on a quoted basis.
- From
- Custom
- Trial
- Paid only
IRIS Staffology Payroll
4.1(223 reviews)
The cloud payroll engine from IRIS, one of the largest UK payroll and accountancy software groups. Priced on the number of payslips you process, which suits variable headcounts.
- From
- £43/mo
- Trial
- Free trial
Onfolk
3.9(238 reviews)
A newer UK platform combining payroll and HR in one place, aimed at scaling companies that want both handled together with heavy automation and a clean interface.
- From
- £5/user/month
- Trial
- Free trial
05Guides
Plain-English guides to buying software
How to choose, switch and get value from the tools your business runs on.
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