Key takeaways
- Xero's UK plans cost £18, £39, £55 and £70 a month excluding VAT for Ignite, Grow, Comprehensive and Ultimate, checked on 6 November 2026.
- FreeAgent costs £19 a month for sole traders, £27 for partnerships and £33 for limited companies, excluding VAT, and is free with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account.
- Pandle, Zoho Books and Clear Books all offer a free plan; Pandle Pro is £5 a month plus VAT.
- Zoho Books paid plans start at £12 a month billed monthly, or £10 billed annually.
- KashFlow Starter lists at £13.50 a month and Business at £27.50, with 90% off for six months for new customers.
- Headline offers such as Xero's 90% off for six months apply to the base plan only, not add-ons or payment fees.
- QuickBooks and Sage pricing pages did not display prices when checked on 6 November 2026, so confirm their prices directly.
UK accounting software ranges from free to about £70 a month for a mainstream small business plan in November 2026. Xero runs from £18 to £70 a month, FreeAgent from £19 to £33, and Pandle, Zoho Books and Clear Books all have free plans. All prices here come from each provider’s own pricing page, checked on 6 November 2026, and exclude VAT unless stated.
Prices for every plan, lowest first
The table lists standard monthly list prices after any introductory offer ends. Plans with the same price are listed alphabetically. This is a price list, not a ranking.
| Plan | Monthly list price | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Books Sole Trader Free | £0 | Sole traders |
| Pandle | £0 | Free plan |
| Zoho Books Free | £0 | 1 user, 1,000 invoices a year |
| Clear Books Sole Trader | £5 | Not VAT-registered |
| Pandle Pro | £5 | Unlimited users |
| Zoho Books Standard | £12 | 3 users |
| KashFlow Starter | £13.50 | 1 user, 10 invoices |
| Clear Books Sole Trader Plus | £15 | VAT-registered sole traders |
| Clear Books Small | £16 | Companies, partnerships, charities |
| Xero Ignite | £18 | 20 invoices, 10 bills |
| FreeAgent sole trader | £19 | Sole traders |
| Zoho Books Professional | £24 | 5 users |
| FreeAgent partnership or LLP | £27 | Partnerships |
| KashFlow Business | £27.50 | Multi-user, unlimited invoices |
| Zoho Books Premium | £30 | 10 users |
| FreeAgent limited company | £33 | Limited companies |
| Clear Books Medium | £34 | VAT and CIS |
| Xero Grow | £39 | No invoice cap listed |
| Clear Books Large | £44 | Complex needs |
| Xero Comprehensive | £55 | Multi-currency, 5 payroll staff |
| Xero Ultimate | £70 | 10 payroll staff, projects |
| Zoho Books Elite | £99 | 100,000 invoices a year |
| Zoho Books Ultimate | £199 | 15 users |
Zoho says its prices exclude local taxes. KashFlow states that its annual prices exclude VAT but does not say so for monthly prices.
What do the big providers charge?
Xero. Xero’s UK plans are Ignite £18, Grow £39, Comprehensive £55 and Ultimate £70 a month. Payroll is £1.50 per extra person on most plans, CIS returns are £5 a month, and company accounts and tax is £120 a year. See our Xero review.
FreeAgent. FreeAgent charges by business type. It is free while you keep a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business current account, or a Mettle account with at least one transaction a month (sole traders and companies only). See our FreeAgent review.
QuickBooks. QuickBooks UK lists five plans: Sole Trader Plus, Simple Start, Essentials, Plus and Advanced. Its pricing page showed placeholders instead of prices when we checked, so we have not printed figures. Intuit’s sales line is 0808 168 9533.
Sage. Sage’s UK pricing pages blocked our checks on 6 November 2026. Its main small business plans are Sage Accounting Start, Standard and Plus. Check sage.com before you compare.
Which free accounting software is there?
Three providers offer a permanent free plan:
- Pandle says it “will be free forever”; Pandle Pro is £5 a month plus VAT on a rolling monthly basis.
- Zoho Books Free covers 1 user plus an accountant and up to 1,000 invoices a year.
- Clear Books has free plans for sole traders, landlords and one overseas property.
Introductory offers and hidden costs
Most providers discount the first months heavily. On 6 November 2026:
- Xero: 90% off the base plan for six months for new UK customers.
- FreeAgent: 50% off for six months on monthly billing, or 50% off the first year on annual billing.
- KashFlow: 90% off for six months on monthly plans.
Offers usually exclude add-ons. Xero says its discount covers base plan subscriptions only, not add-ons, usage or payment fees. Budget for the full price from month seven.
Also check:
- Payroll. Often charged per employee per month.
- Users. Extra users can cost more on lower tiers.
- Transaction limits. Xero Ignite allows 20 invoices and 10 bills; KashFlow Starter allows 10 invoices.
- Annual billing. Clear Books, KashFlow and Zoho Books are cheaper billed yearly.
- Making Tax Digital. Check the plan supports MTD for Income Tax if you need it.
Which plan applies to you?
- If you are a sole trader not registered for VAT, compare the free plans and the £5 to £19 plans.
- If you bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle, check whether FreeAgent is free for you.
- If you run a limited company with payroll, compare plans that include payroll staff, such as Xero Grow and above.
- If you need multi-currency, Xero offers it from Comprehensive (£55) upwards.
For a feature-led comparison, see the best accounting software for small businesses or browse all accounting software.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Xero cost per month in the UK?
Xero costs £18 (Ignite), £39 (Grow), £55 (Comprehensive) or £70 (Ultimate) a month excluding VAT, as listed on 6 November 2026.
Is there free accounting software in the UK?
Yes. Pandle, Zoho Books and Clear Books offer free plans, and FreeAgent is free with some bank accounts.
How much is FreeAgent for a limited company?
FreeAgent costs £33 a month excluding VAT for a limited company, or £330 a year. It is free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or qualifying Mettle account.
Do accounting software prices include VAT?
Mostly not. Xero, FreeAgent, Clear Books and Pandle quote prices excluding VAT, so add 20% if you are not VAT-registered.
Why are QuickBooks and Sage prices missing?
Their pricing pages did not display prices when we checked on 6 November 2026. We only print prices we can confirm on the provider’s own site.
Sources
Rates, thresholds and rules in this guide were checked against HMRC and GOV.UK guidance on 6 November 2026. Tax rules change, so check the current position on GOV.UK or with a qualified adviser before acting. This guide is general information, not personal advice.