Core accounting software is the system a business runs its books on day-to-day. It records sales and purchases, reconciles the bank, files VAT under MTD, and produces the reports an accountant needs at year-end. The 21 platforms below cover that ground for sole traders, freelancers, SMEs and growing companies.
How we picked these: every product carrying the core tag is included automatically. The list is not curated by hand and there are no editor's picks.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 customisable invoicing, retainers and client portal as the centre of their workflow
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
A platform is included if it can record income and expenses, reconcile a bank feed, and either file VAT directly through MTD or pair with bridging software to do so. Banking-first apps that include light bookkeeping (Tide, Starling, ANNA, Countingup) are listed because UK sole traders use them as their primary system.
Most do, either directly with HMRC recognition or via bridging. Each individual review has an MTD section that confirms the current status, including ITSA pilot readiness where applicable.
Wave is free for invoicing and basic bookkeeping. Pandle and Bokio offer free tiers. Pricing is shown on every card and broken down plan-by-plan inside each review.