F The Hours or FreeAgent for a UK freelancer
FreeAgent is full accounting software with bank feeds, VAT and direct filing to HMRC. F The Hours is the log you keep as you work, with the invoice and the tax estimate built on it. Which one fits depends on how much accounting you want to do yourself.
Where FreeAgent is stronger
- It files your Self Assessment and MTD VAT returns directly to HMRC.
- Bank feeds import your transactions and match them to invoices and bills.
- Receipt capture reads receipts from a photo, and there is a mobile app.
- Automated invoice reminders and online payment on invoices.
- It is free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account.
Where F The Hours differs
- F The Hours starts from the hours. Every entry carries a client, a project and a rate, so the day shows what it came to and the invoice and the tax estimate read from the same log.
- It is built for one self-employed person, not a company with staff. There is less to set up and less to learn.
- It is free while the beta is open, and the paid plans that follow are a fraction of the price.
- It does not file anything to HMRC: it prepares the SA103 figures for you to enter.
Side by side
What each does today, in its own words where they are quoted. Checked on 8 September 2026.
| F The Hours | FreeAgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Time tracking | Yes. By client, project and task type; each entry carries its rate. | Yes. "Track the time you spend on projects, add this to invoices and generate timesheet reports." |
| Invoicing | Yes. A branded PDF from the hours you logged. No online card payment yet. | Yes. "Create automated invoices and reminders and set up easy online payments." |
| Expenses | Yes, under the categories HMRC recognises. No receipt photo capture yet. | Yes, with receipt capture from a photo. |
| Mileage | Yes, at the HMRC approved rates. | Yes. "Log mileage expenses quickly and easily using HMRC’s allowable rates." |
| Home office allowance | Yes, the flat-rate allowance and the actual-cost method. | Not stated on the pages checked. |
| Tax estimate through the year | Yes. Income tax and National Insurance from what you have logged, all year, by year, month and week. | Not stated on the pricing page checked. |
| Self Assessment figures | Yes. The SA103 boxes filled from your records, a readiness check, and a spreadsheet export. | Not stated separately on the pricing page checked. |
| Files the return to HMRC | No. You enter the figures in your HMRC account yourself. | Yes. "File it directly to HMRC." |
| Bank feeds | Not yet. On the roadmap. | Yes. |
| VAT | Not yet. On the roadmap. | Yes. "Generate MTD-compatible VAT returns automatically and file them directly to HMRC." |
| Making Tax Digital for Income Tax | Not yet. On the roadmap. | Not stated on the pricing page checked. |
| Working with an accountant | Exports only: CSV and a full JSON export you run yourself. | Yes, built for working with an accountant or bookkeeper. |
| Phone | In a browser on any device. No app. | Yes, a mobile app. |
| Price | Free while the beta is open. Starter £3.99 and Pro £8.99 a month when billing starts. | £19 a month plus VAT for a sole trader (£9.50 a month for the first six months), or £190 a year. Free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account. 30-day trial. |
Read from FreeAgent pricing and FreeAgent expenses and mileage on 8 September 2026. Prices and plans change; check their site before you decide, and tell us if something here is out of date.
Try the part that is free either way
The tax calculator uses the same rates as the app and needs no account. The beta is free while it is open, with nothing to cancel.
Also compared: QuickBooks · Xero · a spreadsheet