FreeAgent Reviews

“Straightforward online accounting software

Pros

I appreciate how easy it is to create new invoices and provide a clear VAT breakdown for clients. I can easily download the invoice as a PDF and email it manually or send it through FreeAgent.

Cons

As a new user, I've found it challenging to change the status of an invoice, particularly the 'paid' status.

“Great cloud-based accounting

Pros

FreeAgent is an extremely supportive and practical tool for someone like me who isn't great with accounting and has a busy job that makes accounting time-consuming. I can rely on the software to explain transactions, calculate income and expenses, and file taxes without worrying about a lot of jargon. The support has been invaluable when I need help with explanations or more.

Cons

A while back, they announced they could no longer offer accounting support and always recommend hiring your own accountant. However, when I first signed up for FreeAgent, I was sure they advertised not requiring an accountant.

“My accounting tool from day one

Pros

Since registering my company, I've been using FreeAgent. It meets all my accounting needs and saves me so much time.

Cons

Categorizing expenses could be improved. It works so far, but I wish they had simpler names.

“From my reviews and trials, FreeAgent came out tops.

Pros

From the start, FreeAgent felt so easy to use. The support and help pages were simple to follow, making it feel like they are there to support me.

Cons

Nothing so far. All my support partners use FreeAgent, which is a bonus.

“Free Agent review

Pros

It's simple to manage and links with my bank account.

Cons

Nothing really. It's all pretty easy to navigate.

“Freeagent is my choice for Accounting

Pros

It saves me loads of time and is easy to navigate as a business owner without needing a bookkeeper or accountant. I love the bank imports and ease of reconciliations. RTI and VAT submissions are sent directly to HMRC from the software. I could go on, but having had a business since 1999, the importance of excellent financial management as a small business can't be overstated!

Cons

Right now, I can scan or photograph expenses, and it can complete the data entry using AI. I can't wait until this can happen for bills too!

“Better than I expected

Pros

I think FreeAgent performs its tasks well. I've never encountered technical faults or found anything I needed to do that it couldn't handle. My favorite feature is that my accountant can access the platform and see everything I can, making it incredibly smooth to share information and ask questions.

Cons

I moved to FreeAgent from Xero because it's what my accountant knew how to use. I think Xero has slightly better tech and integrations, so I don't find FreeAgent as engaging. It's hard to criticize for that, though, because although it's nice to integrate with other systems, I haven't had any major issues getting information into FreeAgent as required.

“FreeAgent is perfect for small businesses

Pros

The best thing about FreeAgent is getting it for free if I use their offer to set up and use a "Mettle" bank account. Also, their menu is perfectly minimalistic, making it fully functional for my purposes without being overwhelming.

Cons

Bank reconciliation lacks automation. There's a "guess" rules function, but you can't modify how it works, and it often makes mistakes.

“Really solid accounting product

Pros

I've been using FreeAgent for years and always found it to be a solid and dependable accounting product. It handles everything from sending invoices to clients to reconciling payments and assisting with taxes.

Cons

It could be better at reconciling bank transactions, and uploading the same receipts every month could be easier. It's a lot of manual labor.

“Excellent option for sole traders who bank with Natwest or Mettle

Pros

FreeAgent has a fantastic invoice design. I like that for a small business, I can get this software and an online bank account at a reasonable price. I've used the accounts filing option, and it worked perfectly, saving me a lot of time!

Cons

Sometimes, I think it's a bit clunky and could be smoother. It does things I don't like, for example, when a sum is received and is paying two invoices. I don't like the way it splits payments. I think the chart of accounts could be more intuitive, but for a sole trader with simple books, it does the job nicely.

“Great Product

Pros

It has made invoicing and tracking payments very simple. I like that I can create categories to record payments against.

Cons

I haven't found anything yet that I don't like. I'm still trying to figure out how to track work done on a job that I do weekly and invoice monthly.

“Great for non- accountants and accountants alike

Pros

It is nicely laid out and easy to navigate. The automatic filling is easy, recurring invoices and bills save so much time, and the time-tracking features are useful in some cases. I started using the software many years ago when I began as a freelancer, but it was pretty expensive then, so I moved on. I returned when it was offered for free through my bank, making it a no-brainer.

Cons

The integration with other tools is very lacking. Yes, it has Zapier, but with only a couple of integration points, it's basically useless with the tech stacks most of us operate now. From memory (as I can't find the customer forums anymore), users have been requesting improvements to this for at least six years, so it's not going to be improved basically.

“Been using for over ten years

Pros

I always know my financial and tax situation. I'm never in the dark. By entering the information as I generate it, I always have a clear picture of my financial health.

Cons

I know Xero has lots of bells and whistles, but FreeAgent is simple to use, predictable, and the support comes from UK or US-based specialists who really know what they're talking about.

“All the bells and whistles!

Pros

FreeAgent covers all my needs. I'm not an accountant and don't have a big business, so it might be missing some features, but it's great for me. (For transparency, I get it for free as I'm with NatWest). Being able to use it on my phone or desktop is fantastic. It picks up all my NatWest transactions and automatically categorizes them into different types of expenses or income (e.g., advertising, web hosting, office equipment) and applies standard VAT and adds descriptions. I just go through the list and approve them to ensure they're filled in correctly (most are accurate).

Cons

Again, for me, it does meet all of my needs. I suppose one thing I didn't quite understand is it uses many accounting terminologies. However, they do have a breakdown of what certain things mean; it just means having to read up on it.

“FreeAgent, not using anymore. Software is Pathetic

Pros

It automates invoicing, making it prone to fewer errors.

Cons

I do not like FreeAgent. FreeAgent does not give options. It is very closely connected.

“Everyday User b

Pros

I like how simple the site is. I mainly use it on the web and, although I'm unsure if there's an app, I found it easy to navigate and get to work without training.

Cons

I miss the ability to export data into a spreadsheet. Trailing through pages of invoices to highlight and copy so I can paste into a spreadsheet is tiresome. I would love for this to be changed.

“it is an excellent software for accounting and books of accounts

Pros

This online software is relatively simple to install (settings, configuration, customization, etc.) and shouldn't require the use of an integrator.

Cons

It's a bit difficult to use, but it's better software.

“A very good accounting software for small businesses

Pros

The customer service is one of the best in the industry, with a great user interface.

Cons

There is a lack of features such as reports and third-party integrations.

“So much better than other bookkeeping and accounting products

Pros

It's simple, easy to set up, and use. Everything I need to manage my accounts is in plain sight, rather than needing to know there's a different process somewhere else. The processes are quick and easy to understand.

Cons

Nothing much, to be honest. It would be better if it was easier to link to other programs that I use, but this can be overcome with a bit of thought.

“Great for small starters and contractors

Pros

British-owned, it has everything needed to get going for a small business, with lots of additional features.

Cons

Weirdly, I find the expense reporting a bit tricky to set up.

“Using FreeAgent for club accounting

Pros

We get free access to FreeAgent as part of our bank account package. It makes accounting for our club much easier than using previous Excel sheets.

Cons

It's not quite as good as Xero, but it's a fraction of the price. For a non-profit, it's a winner.

“Perfect for small businesses

Pros

It's very easy to use with an intuitive interface. It does everything I need as a small business and allows me to easily send information to my accountant at the end of the year.

Cons

The bank feed seems a bit temperamental at times.