Quits vs FreeAgent: which one do you actually need?
Last updated 28 September 2026
Most freelancers who go looking for FreeAgent actually just want to send an invoice and get paid, which Quits does for free. FreeAgent is full accounting software: bookkeeping, VAT returns, Self Assessment and payroll, with invoicing bundled in at £19 a month plus VAT. Unless you need that accounting side too, you don't need to pay a monthly accounting subscription just to invoice a client.
Side by side
| Quits | FreeAgent | |
|---|---|---|
| What it actually is | Invoicing only: send invoices, get paid, chase what's overdue. | Full accounting software: bookkeeping, tax, payroll and invoicing. |
| Starting price | Free for 5 invoices a month, forever. | £19/month + VAT for sole traders (often £9.50/month + VAT for the first 6 months, then £19/month + VAT indefinitely unless you qualify for the free banking route below). |
| Bank transfer fees | Always zero, on every plan. | No bank transfer option built in; invoices get paid via its own card/payment integrations only. |
| Card / Apple Pay | Yes, on Pro and Max, via Stripe. Small card fee applies. | Yes, via its own payment integrations. |
| VAT on invoices | Yes, free on every plan: switch on VAT registration and issue HMRC-compliant VAT invoices with the right rate per line. | Yes, included. |
| VAT returns (MTD) | Not built in. Use an accountant or dedicated software. | Included, filed directly to HMRC from the dashboard. |
| Self Assessment / Corporation Tax | Not built in. | Included for sole traders and limited companies. |
| Payroll | Not built in. | Included for limited companies and partnerships. |
| Free plan | Yes, forever, no card, bank account or trial required. | Only if you switch to a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account. Otherwise, 30-day trial only, then paid. |
FreeAgent pricing and features as published on freeagent.com; check their site for current terms, since accounting software pricing changes more often than this page does.
When Quits makes more sense
If you just need to get an invoice out and get paid, Quits does it in two minutes, for free, with bank transfer at zero fees on every plan. You're not learning a full accounting platform, and you're not switching your business banking to unlock a free plan. For most freelancers, especially early on, this is the whole job done, for nothing.
Send your first invoice freeFree for 5 invoices a month, no card required.
When FreeAgent makes more sense
Only if you actually need to file VAT returns, run payroll, or want your Self Assessment or Corporation Tax handled inside the same tool you invoice from. FreeAgent covers all of it, for £19 a month plus VAT, or free for life if you're willing to switch your business banking to a qualifying NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or Mettle account. If you don't need the accounting side, that's a lot of tool, and possibly a bank switch, for a feature set you're not using.
Questions
- Is Quits a replacement for FreeAgent?
- Only if invoicing is the only part you actually use. Quits sends invoices, takes payments and chases the ones that go overdue, for free. It doesn't do bookkeeping, VAT returns, Self Assessment or payroll. If you genuinely need those, keep FreeAgent or an accountant for that side, and let Quits handle the invoice for free instead of paying FreeAgent to do it too.
- Why not just use FreeAgent for invoicing too, since I'd already be paying for it?
- You can, but you'd be paying a monthly accounting-suite subscription to do a job Quits does for free. If bookkeeping, VAT and payroll are the reason you're on FreeAgent, use it for those; there's no need to also route your invoices through it just because it's already open. Quits sends the invoice, gets you paid by bank transfer with zero fees, and costs nothing to try.
- Which is cheaper?
- Quits, unless you already qualify for FreeAgent's free route. Quits is free for up to 5 invoices a month, forever, with bank transfer always free on every plan, and nothing to switch. FreeAgent starts at £19 a month plus VAT for sole traders, or it's free for life, but only if you switch your business banking to NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle to get it. If you're not already switching banks for other reasons, that's a lot to take on just to get free invoicing software.
- Does Quits file my VAT return or tax return?
- No, and it's not trying to. Quits does one job, invoicing, and does it free with zero-fee bank transfer. If you're VAT-registered, it can add VAT to your invoices and issue a proper VAT invoice; it just doesn't prepare or file the return itself. For VAT returns or Self Assessment prep, that's what FreeAgent or an accountant is for; there's no reason to pay a full accounting subscription just to also get your invoices sent.
- Can I use Quits and FreeAgent at the same time?
- Yes, and it's often the cheaper setup: Quits for the invoice a client actually sees and pays, free, and FreeAgent (or an accountant) only for the bookkeeping, VAT and payroll side you can't get elsewhere for free. Neither locks you into the other.
- Why doesn't Quits just add bookkeeping and tax features?
- Because most freelancers who just need to invoice a client don't want to learn accounting software, or pay a monthly subscription, to do it. Quits is built to be the invoicing part done well and free, not a smaller, worse version of FreeAgent.