Accounting software directory

28 Platforms reviewed
35 Head-to-head comparisons
2025/26 UK tax year covered

AccountingStack catalogues UK accounting software in three groups: core accounting platforms used to run a business, practice management tools used by firms, and dedicated bookkeeping software. Every entry has been reviewed against the same factual criteria — pricing, MTD recognition, deployment, integrations and the audience it actually fits.

All platforms at a glance

Every platform reviewed on AccountingStack, sorted alphabetically. Tap any row for the full review.

Core accounting software

ANNA Money

UK business bank account with built-in bookkeeping, VAT and Corporation Tax filing for sole traders and micro-Ltds

Best for Sole traders and micro-limited company directors who want a single mobile app combining a UK business current account, expense tracking, MTD VAT submission and Corporation Tax filing

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
Free Pay As You Go account, paid tiers from £14.90/month
Deployment
Mobile

Bokio

Free cloud bookkeeping with HMRC-recognised MTD VAT for UK micro-businesses and sole traders

Best for Cost-conscious sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses that need genuinely free bookkeeping with MTD-compliant VAT submissions and AI-assisted transaction categorisation

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Free tier
From
Free , Premium from £8/month
Deployment
Cloud

Capium

All-in-one cloud practice suite built for UK accountants

Best for UK accounting practices wanting one platform for bookkeeping, accounts production, tax and practice management

  • All-in-one
  • Practice management
  • Core accounting
From
£20 /month per module (small tier)
Deployment
Cloud

Clear Books

UK-built cloud accounting software for sole traders, landlords and small limited companies

Best for Sole traders, landlords and small UK limited companies that want HMRC-recognised MTD filing from a British developer at a lower price point than the market leaders

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
Free for sole traders; paid plans from £5/month
Deployment
Cloud

Coconut

UK mobile-first bookkeeping and tax app for sole traders, landlords and the self-employed prepping for MTD ITSA

Best for Sole traders, freelancers, CIS subcontractors and individual landlords who want a phone-first way to do day-to-day bookkeeping and file Self Assessment or MTD for Income Tax direct to HMRC

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
£99.99 per year (Bookkeeping plan), or £16.99 per month
Deployment
Mobile

Countingup

UK business current account with built-in bookkeeping for sole traders

Best for Sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses who want a single app that combines a UK business bank account, automatic bookkeeping and MTD VAT filing

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
£3 per month
Deployment
Mobile

Crunch

Online accounting software bundled with a qualified UK accountant for one monthly fee

Best for Single-director limited companies, contractors and freelancers who want cloud bookkeeping software plus a qualified UK accountant included in the monthly fee

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£27 + VAT per month (sole trader) or £90 + VAT per month (limited company)
Deployment
Cloud

Ember

All-in-one accounting and in-app accountant for UK limited company directors

Best for Single-director UK limited companies and contractors who want bookkeeping, payroll, Corporation Tax and Self Assessment in one app with an accountant on chat

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£39 + VAT per month
Deployment
Cloud

FreeAgent

UK-built cloud accounting for freelancers and contractors, free with a NatWest group bank account

Best for UK freelancers, contractors and single-director limited companies who want HMRC-direct Self Assessment and Corporation Tax filing, especially NatWest group bank customers

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£10 /month (Landlord plan, excl. VAT) or free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account
Deployment
Cloud

FreshBooks

Canadian-built cloud invoicing and accounting platform aimed at service businesses, freelancers and small agencies

Best for UK freelancers, consultants, agencies and service-based businesses that bill by time or project and want polished invoicing, retainers and client portal as the centre of their workflow

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£8 /month (Lite, intro price) or £16/month standard, excl. VAT
Deployment
Cloud

Hammock

Mobile-first property finance and MTD ITSA software for UK landlords

Best for UK landlords with one or more buy-to-let properties who want automated rent reconciliation, Section 24 reporting and MTD ITSA filing in a single mobile-first app

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Landlord
From
£8 plus VAT per month
Deployment
Mobile

KashFlow

UK-built cloud bookkeeping owned by IRIS, aimed at sole traders and small limited companies

Best for Sole traders, contractors and small UK limited companies who want straightforward cloud bookkeeping with built-in MTD VAT and optional payroll, backed by the IRIS practice ecosystem

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£13.50 per month plus VAT (Starter), RRP
Deployment
Cloud

Pandle

UK-built cloud bookkeeping software with a genuinely free tier and a low-cost Pro plan for small businesses

Best for Cost-conscious UK sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses that want HMRC-recognised cloud bookkeeping without the Xero or QuickBooks price tag

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Free tier
From
Free , with Pro from £5 per month plus VAT
Deployment
Cloud

QuickBooks Online

Cloud bookkeeping with strong MTD support and a deep app ecosystem for UK SMEs

Best for UK sole traders, limited companies and small accounting practices wanting MTD-recognised cloud bookkeeping with a deep third-party app marketplace

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£10 /month plus VAT (Sole Trader plan)
Deployment
Cloud

Sage 50

Mature UK desktop accounting product with deep stock, multi-company and project costing for established SMEs

Best for Established UK SMEs and accountants supporting clients with stock control, multi-company consolidation, project costing or batch processing needs that outgrow cloud-only ledgers

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£92 per month plus VAT
Deployment
Desktop

Sage Accounting

Cloud bookkeeping from a long-established UK accounting brand with bundled payroll and CIS

Best for UK sole traders, limited companies and CIS contractors who want cloud bookkeeping with bundled payroll, native CIS support and UK phone support

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£15 per month plus VAT
Deployment
Cloud

Starling Business Toolkit

Banking-led bookkeeping add-on for Starling Bank business account holders

Best for Existing Starling business account holders who want light-touch bookkeeping, MTD VAT filing and, from 2026, integrated MTD ITSA compliance through the bundled Ember platform

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
Free Essentials tier; Accounting Plus from £7 plus VAT per month
Deployment
Cloud

Tide Accounting

UK business bank account with built-in bookkeeping, invoicing and MTD filing

Best for UK sole traders, freelancers and small limited companies who want a single app combining a business current account, bookkeeping, invoicing and MTD VAT and Income Tax filing

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
Free MTD tools; Tide Accounting from £13.99 plus VAT per month
Deployment
Mobile

Wave

Free invoicing and basic bookkeeping built for North American micro-businesses

Best for UK sole traders below the VAT threshold who only need free invoicing, expense tracking and simple income reporting

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Free
From
Free (Starter); Pro from around £12/month
Deployment
Cloud

Xero

Market-leading cloud accounting software for UK SMEs, freelancers and accounting practices

Best for UK small and medium businesses, accountants and bookkeepers wanting cloud-first double-entry accounting with full HMRC MTD coverage and a deep app ecosystem

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£15 /month (Ignite plan, excl. VAT)
Deployment
Cloud

Zoho Books

HMRC-recognised cloud bookkeeping with a genuinely free plan for sole traders under £35k turnover

Best for Sole traders, micro-businesses and growing SMEs that want deep accounting features at a low price, especially businesses already inside the wider Zoho ecosystem

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
Free , then from £10/month
Deployment
Cloud

Practice management software

AccountancyManager

UK-built cloud practice management with strong AML and automated client chasing

Best for Small and mid-sized UK accounting and bookkeeping practices that need automated client onboarding, AML checks and deadline tracking without buying a full compliance suite

  • Practice management
  • Cloud
From
£33.60 +VAT per user/month (annual)
Deployment
Cloud

Capium

All-in-one cloud practice suite built for UK accountants

Best for UK accounting practices wanting one platform for bookkeeping, accounts production, tax and practice management

  • All-in-one
  • Practice management
  • Core accounting
From
£20 /month per module (small tier)
Deployment
Cloud

CCH iFirm

Wolters Kluwer's modular cloud practice and compliance suite for UK accountants

Best for Mid-sized to large UK accounting firms invested in the CCH ecosystem and wanting a modular cloud suite covering personal tax, accounts production, AML, document workflow and practice management

  • Practice management
  • Enterprise
  • Cloud
From
Pricing on request (modular, contact sales)
Deployment
Cloud

IRIS Practice Management

Established desktop practice suite for mid and large UK accounting firms

Best for Mid-sized and large UK accounting firms running on-premise infrastructure that already use the wider IRIS compliance suite for tax and accounts production

  • Practice management
  • Enterprise
  • Desktop
From
Pricing on request
Deployment
Desktop

Karbon

Cloud practice management with email triage and workflow automation

Best for Mid-sized and growing UK accounting firms of 5+ users wanting unified email, workflow, client and team collaboration in one cloud platform

  • Practice management
  • Cloud
From
From $59/user/month (Team, billed annually)
Deployment
Cloud

OfficeTools

US-built practice management platform with limited UK adoption

Best for UK firms with US clients, US offices, or transatlantic operations needing a single practice management platform across both jurisdictions

  • Practice management
  • Cloud
From
From around $59 per user per month (USD, no published GBP pricing)
Deployment
Cloud

Senta (IRIS Elements)

UK-built cloud practice management for accountants and bookkeepers

Best for UK accounting and bookkeeping practices wanting cloud-based CRM, workflow automation, AML checks and a client portal in one platform

  • Practice management
  • Cloud
From
£27.20 /user/month (Essentials, billed annually)
Deployment
Cloud

TaxCalc Practice Manager

UK-built practice management bundled with TaxCalc's tax and accounts suite

Best for Small to mid-sized UK accounting practices already running TaxCalc tax and accounts production who want integrated client management without paying extra

  • Practice management
  • Desktop
From
free with any TaxCalc product purchase
Deployment
Desktop

Bookkeeping software

ANNA Money

UK business bank account with built-in bookkeeping, VAT and Corporation Tax filing for sole traders and micro-Ltds

Best for Sole traders and micro-limited company directors who want a single mobile app combining a UK business current account, expense tracking, MTD VAT submission and Corporation Tax filing

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
Free Pay As You Go account, paid tiers from £14.90/month
Deployment
Mobile

Bokio

Free cloud bookkeeping with HMRC-recognised MTD VAT for UK micro-businesses and sole traders

Best for Cost-conscious sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses that need genuinely free bookkeeping with MTD-compliant VAT submissions and AI-assisted transaction categorisation

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Free tier
From
Free , Premium from £8/month
Deployment
Cloud

Clear Books

UK-built cloud accounting software for sole traders, landlords and small limited companies

Best for Sole traders, landlords and small UK limited companies that want HMRC-recognised MTD filing from a British developer at a lower price point than the market leaders

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
Free for sole traders; paid plans from £5/month
Deployment
Cloud

Coconut

UK mobile-first bookkeeping and tax app for sole traders, landlords and the self-employed prepping for MTD ITSA

Best for Sole traders, freelancers, CIS subcontractors and individual landlords who want a phone-first way to do day-to-day bookkeeping and file Self Assessment or MTD for Income Tax direct to HMRC

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
£99.99 per year (Bookkeeping plan), or £16.99 per month
Deployment
Mobile

Countingup

UK business current account with built-in bookkeeping for sole traders

Best for Sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses who want a single app that combines a UK business bank account, automatic bookkeeping and MTD VAT filing

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
£3 per month
Deployment
Mobile

Crunch

Online accounting software bundled with a qualified UK accountant for one monthly fee

Best for Single-director limited companies, contractors and freelancers who want cloud bookkeeping software plus a qualified UK accountant included in the monthly fee

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£27 + VAT per month (sole trader) or £90 + VAT per month (limited company)
Deployment
Cloud

Ember

All-in-one accounting and in-app accountant for UK limited company directors

Best for Single-director UK limited companies and contractors who want bookkeeping, payroll, Corporation Tax and Self Assessment in one app with an accountant on chat

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£39 + VAT per month
Deployment
Cloud

FreeAgent

UK-built cloud accounting for freelancers and contractors, free with a NatWest group bank account

Best for UK freelancers, contractors and single-director limited companies who want HMRC-direct Self Assessment and Corporation Tax filing, especially NatWest group bank customers

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£10 /month (Landlord plan, excl. VAT) or free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account
Deployment
Cloud

FreshBooks

Canadian-built cloud invoicing and accounting platform aimed at service businesses, freelancers and small agencies

Best for UK freelancers, consultants, agencies and service-based businesses that bill by time or project and want polished invoicing, retainers and client portal as the centre of their workflow

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Freelancer
From
£8 /month (Lite, intro price) or £16/month standard, excl. VAT
Deployment
Cloud

Hammock

Mobile-first property finance and MTD ITSA software for UK landlords

Best for UK landlords with one or more buy-to-let properties who want automated rent reconciliation, Section 24 reporting and MTD ITSA filing in a single mobile-first app

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Landlord
From
£8 plus VAT per month
Deployment
Mobile

KashFlow

UK-built cloud bookkeeping owned by IRIS, aimed at sole traders and small limited companies

Best for Sole traders, contractors and small UK limited companies who want straightforward cloud bookkeeping with built-in MTD VAT and optional payroll, backed by the IRIS practice ecosystem

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£13.50 per month plus VAT (Starter), RRP
Deployment
Cloud

Pandle

UK-built cloud bookkeeping software with a genuinely free tier and a low-cost Pro plan for small businesses

Best for Cost-conscious UK sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses that want HMRC-recognised cloud bookkeeping without the Xero or QuickBooks price tag

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Free tier
From
Free , with Pro from £5 per month plus VAT
Deployment
Cloud

QuickBooks Online

Cloud bookkeeping with strong MTD support and a deep app ecosystem for UK SMEs

Best for UK sole traders, limited companies and small accounting practices wanting MTD-recognised cloud bookkeeping with a deep third-party app marketplace

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£10 /month plus VAT (Sole Trader plan)
Deployment
Cloud

Sage 50

Mature UK desktop accounting product with deep stock, multi-company and project costing for established SMEs

Best for Established UK SMEs and accountants supporting clients with stock control, multi-company consolidation, project costing or batch processing needs that outgrow cloud-only ledgers

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£92 per month plus VAT
Deployment
Desktop

Sage Accounting

Cloud bookkeeping from a long-established UK accounting brand with bundled payroll and CIS

Best for UK sole traders, limited companies and CIS contractors who want cloud bookkeeping with bundled payroll, native CIS support and UK phone support

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£15 per month plus VAT
Deployment
Cloud

Starling Business Toolkit

Banking-led bookkeeping add-on for Starling Bank business account holders

Best for Existing Starling business account holders who want light-touch bookkeeping, MTD VAT filing and, from 2026, integrated MTD ITSA compliance through the bundled Ember platform

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
Free Essentials tier; Accounting Plus from £7 plus VAT per month
Deployment
Cloud

Tide Accounting

UK business bank account with built-in bookkeeping, invoicing and MTD filing

Best for UK sole traders, freelancers and small limited companies who want a single app combining a business current account, bookkeeping, invoicing and MTD VAT and Income Tax filing

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Sole trader
From
Free MTD tools; Tide Accounting from £13.99 plus VAT per month
Deployment
Mobile

Wave

Free invoicing and basic bookkeeping built for North American micro-businesses

Best for UK sole traders below the VAT threshold who only need free invoicing, expense tracking and simple income reporting

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • Free
From
Free (Starter); Pro from around £12/month
Deployment
Cloud

Xero

Market-leading cloud accounting software for UK SMEs, freelancers and accounting practices

Best for UK small and medium businesses, accountants and bookkeepers wanting cloud-first double-entry accounting with full HMRC MTD coverage and a deep app ecosystem

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
£15 /month (Ignite plan, excl. VAT)
Deployment
Cloud

Zoho Books

HMRC-recognised cloud bookkeeping with a genuinely free plan for sole traders under £35k turnover

Best for Sole traders, micro-businesses and growing SMEs that want deep accounting features at a low price, especially businesses already inside the wider Zoho ecosystem

  • Core accounting
  • Bookkeeping
  • MTD
From
Free , then from £10/month
Deployment
Cloud