TradeTally vs FreeAgent
FreeAgent is a UK-built accounting platform popular with freelancers, contractors, and small businesses. Now owned by NatWest (available free to NatWest business banking customers), it offers comprehensive accounting with good UK tax support. It is more feature-rich than TradeTally but also more complex.
FreeAgent
Free (NatWest)–£29/month
Founded 2007 · UK freelancers, contractors, small businesses
TradeTally
£12/mo
Built for UK sole trader tradespeople
Feature comparison
| Feature | FreeAgent | TradeTally |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Included | ✓ |
| Quoting | Included | ✓ |
| Expense tracking | Included | ✓ |
| Receipt scanning | Included | ✓ |
| SA103F export | Included | ✓ |
| Mobile app | Included | ✓ |
| MTD compatible | Included | In progress |
| Bank reconciliation | Included | ✓ |
| Payroll | Not included | ✓ |
| Multi-currency | Included | ✓ |
| Inventory management | Not included | ✓ |
| Time tracking | Included | ✓ |
Where FreeAgent wins
- Free for NatWest/RBS business banking customers
- Strong UK tax compliance including Self Assessment
- Good project tracking and time-based billing
- Automatic tax timeline and reminders
Where TradeTally wins
- Not designed for tradespeople working on site: desk-first UX
- No trade-specific expense categories for materials and tools
- Quoting workflow is not optimised for trade estimates
- Receipt scanning is secondary to bank feed reconciliation
- Learning curve is steeper than necessary for invoice-and-expense needs
FAQs
FreeAgent is free with NatWest: why pay for TradeTally?
If you bank with NatWest, FreeAgent is a solid free option. But if you do not, it costs £29/month: 50% more than TradeTally. TradeTally is also simpler and purpose-built for tradespeople rather than desk-based freelancers.
Does FreeAgent work well for tradespeople?
FreeAgent can work for tradespeople but it is designed for freelancers and contractors who bill by the hour. TradeTally is built for the trade workflow: quick invoicing from site, snapping receipts, and categorising materials and fuel.
Which has better SA103F support: FreeAgent or TradeTally?
Both support SA103F. FreeAgent integrates it into a broader tax dashboard alongside Corporation Tax and dividends (features tradespeople do not need). TradeTally gives you a focused one-click SA103F export without the noise.