Accounting software for running more than one business

If you run more than one business, you will usually need one accounting subscription per business, especially if each is a separate limited company. The main exception is a sole trader with a trade and a rental property, who can often keep both in one subscription. Most cloud packages let you switch between businesses with one login.

Prices and policies were checked on each provider’s own website on 6 November 2026. Providers are listed alphabetically; we do not rank them.

Do you need a separate subscription for each business?

You need a separate subscription for each separate legal entity. A limited company, partnership, LLP or charity keeps its own books, files its own returns and needs its own ledger.

Xero says this directly in its guide to managing multiple MTD businesses: “If you have more than one limited company, you’ll need separate Xero subscriptions for each.” QuickBooks says that each company you create “requires its own separate paid subscription”.

Sole traders are different: all your trades and rental income belong to you as one taxpayer.

How do the main providers handle more than one business?

Each provider treats extra businesses slightly differently, according to its own pages.

FreeAgent prices by business type: £33 a month for a limited company, £27 for a partnership or LLP, £19 for a sole trader and £10 for an unincorporated landlord, excluding VAT, according to its pricing page. It is free with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account, or with Mettle if you make at least one transaction a month.

QuickBooks lets you add multiple companies under one QuickBooks Online account and switch between them without logging out. Its UK pricing page did not show live prices when we checked.

Sage Accounting gives each business its own row and subscription when set up by an accountant, according to its Partner Edition help. Your client logs in once with the same email and uses the business switch menu.

Xero lets you hold several organisations under one login, each with its own plan. Xero’s UK plans cost £18 (Ignite), £39 (Grow), £55 (Comprehensive) and £70 (Ultimate) a month excluding VAT. Its 90% six-month discount applies only to the first organisation you buy.

Can one subscription cover a trade and a rental property?

Yes, in Xero, if you are a sole trader and set it up carefully. Xero says one organisation can hold the records for “a self-employment business and a property business”, with each transaction tagged by tracking category. Several taxpayers can also send MTD updates from one organisation, which suits jointly owned property.

Xero lists these limits before you start:

1. Tracking categories: a maximum of four, with only two active at one time.
2. Tagging is optional: Xero will not force you to assign a category, so untagged transactions can distort each business’s figures.
3. VAT: do not add another business to a VAT-registered subscription unless it shares the same VAT registration number.
4. Access: anyone with access to the organisation sees all its financial data.
5. Volume: for a business with many transactions, a separate subscription may be easier.
6. Reports: standard reports may need filtering to show each business correctly.

Why does Making Tax Digital matter here?

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax requires a separate digital record and quarterly update for each self-employment and property business. Xero’s guide notes that you must send updates for each business “separately”, even from one subscription.

HMRC measures qualifying income as your total self-employment and property turnover before expenses, added together. HMRC’s example is £25,000 of rent plus £27,000 of self-employment income, giving £52,000.

Our MTD for Income Tax hub and the MTD checker explain whether you are in scope.

Which setup applies to you?

• If you own two or more limited companies, budget for one subscription per company. Two companies on Xero Grow cost £78 a month, or two on FreeAgent cost £66 a month, at list price excluding VAT.
• If you are a sole trader with one rental property, consider one subscription with the property tracked separately, or a landlord-only plan. See accounting software for landlords.
• If one business is VAT registered and the other is not, keep them in separate subscriptions.
• If you own a group of companies that needs consolidated accounts, look at software built for groups. See our guide to mid-market accounting software.

What to do now

1. List each business and whether it is a company, partnership or sole trade.
2. Check VAT registration for each one.
3. Work out your MTD qualifying income across all trades and property.
4. Compare total cost for the number of subscriptions you need. Our accounting software prices page lists current plans.
5. Ask about multi-business discounts before you buy; we could not confirm any from the providers’ pages.

Frequently asked questions

Can I run two limited companies on one Xero subscription?

No. Xero says each limited company needs its own subscription. You can switch between organisations with one login.

Does QuickBooks charge for each company?

Yes. QuickBooks says each company you create requires its own separate paid subscription.

Can a sole trader and landlord use one accounting subscription?

Often, yes. Xero lets one organisation hold a self-employment business and a property business, separated by tracking categories, as long as VAT rules allow.

Do I need separate MTD updates for each business?

Yes. Under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax you keep digital records and send quarterly updates for each self-employment and property business separately.

Is FreeAgent free for more than one business?

FreeAgent is free for a business with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account, or Mettle with monthly activity. Its pricing page does not say how this works for several businesses, so check with FreeAgent.