FreeAgent UK pricing: paid plans, bank access and add-ons
Compare FreeAgent’s UK monthly and annual prices, bank-funded conditions and paid add-ons. Follow a worked first-year payment example and download a quote-review worksheet.
In this guide
- How much does FreeAgent cost in the UK?
- Choose the business type before comparing prices
- Separate the introductory offer from annual renewal
- When is FreeAgent free through a bank?
- What can still be charged on a funded licence?
- A worked first-year example: one company, three alternatives
- Read the payment schedule as well as the year total
- Already subscribed? Review the existing account before switching
- Ask for a complete written price review
- Choose the next accounting question
How much does FreeAgent cost in the UK?
FreeAgent’s UK fee depends on the business type and payment schedule. Regular base subscriptions range from £10 to £33 per month excluding VAT. Eligible business-bank customers can receive a funded base licence; paid add-ons remain separate.
This guide reviews public UK terms on 16 October 2026. Start with the business type, then establish who pays, when payments are due and the conditions behind any offer. A monthly equivalent, a monthly payment and a bank-funded licence answer different questions.
The worked example below is an editorial illustration using stated assumptions. It is not a customer invoice, a bank recommendation or a completed subscription change.
Choose the business type before comparing prices
The official UK pricing page lists these standard base rates, before offers and optional services.
| Business type | Paid monthly | Twelve monthly payments | Paid annually, upfront |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited company | £33.00 | £396.00 | £330.00 |
| Partnership or LLP | £27.00 | £324.00 | £270.00 |
| Sole trader | £19.00 | £228.00 | £190.00 |
| Landlord | £10.00 | £120.00 | £100.00 |
These are business-type options with different workflows, rather than four interchangeable feature tiers. Keep your required accounting work in the brief before considering the lowest figure. If an accountant supplies the licence, ask for that arrangement’s actual software and service breakdown.
Separate the introductory offer from annual renewal
The reviewed limited-company offer is £16.50 monthly for six months, then £33 monthly, or £165 for the first annual period, then the regular £330 annual price. A 30-day trial is advertised. Check eligibility and current terms before subscribing; do not stack an assumed referral reduction onto this model.
For a budget, lay out actual payment periods rather than multiplying the most prominent introductory number by twelve. An annual payment can reduce the modelled year total while requiring more money at the start. Retain the standard-price comparison for the period after the introduction.
Our example starts at the paid subscription, after any trial. It assumes the stated offer applies and does not forecast changes to the published prices.
When is FreeAgent free through a bank?
The bank-funded access page describes a base licence supported by eligible NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank business current accounts while the qualifying account is retained. Optional extras can still cost money. This is conditional access, rather than a free plan open to every business.
Mettle’s FreeAgent instructions distinguish the direct route from using a FreeAgent partner accountant or bookkeeper:
| Route | Condition to confirm | Detail to keep with the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible NatWest / Royal Bank of Scotland / Ulster Bank business current account | Retain the qualifying business current account | Account eligibility, continuing terms and any bank fees |
| Mettle: direct FreeAgent customer | At least one transaction a month from the Mettle account | The direct-customer route and ongoing account-use condition |
| Mettle: FreeAgent partner accountant or bookkeeper | Make Mettle the primary bank account in FreeAgent | Confirm the partner-managed route with the practice; changing the primary account or closing Mettle can trigger a software subscription charge |
Do not apply the direct Mettle transaction wording to every partner-managed account. Establish the actual route first. A base licence being funded does not decide which bank account suits the business or what the bank itself charges.
What can still be charged on a funded licence?
FreeAgent’s UK Smart Capture explanation includes automatic extraction from ten files per month. Smart Capture Unlimited is £5 per month plus VAT. A bank-funded customer needs a payment method for that add-on; an accountant may instead agree to pay and include it in their services.
After the allowance is used, files can still be uploaded, but the documented automatic extraction and associated conversion or matching behaviour is restricted without the add-on. Manual file storage and automatic extraction are different capabilities. Test the document work you actually need rather than assuming every uploaded receipt is processed in the same way.
The pricing page separately lists the Amazon UK connection at £6 monthly excluding VAT. These optional services are billed monthly, including alongside an annual base subscription. Bank charges, payment processors, professional services and implementation belong in their own lines.
For example, ask who will review extracted values and handle unsupported files. The add-on price establishes access to a feature, not the accuracy of your documents or a measured saving in staff time.
A worked first-year example: one company, three alternatives
Assume a fictional UK limited company needs Smart Capture Unlimited for all twelve paid subscription months, on an aligned monthly cycle. For the two paid routes, assume the reviewed introduction applies. For the bank-funded alternative, assume eligibility has independently been confirmed and remains valid for all twelve months.
| Alternative | Base in year one | Capture in year one | First modelled payment | Year-one subtotal | Following standard year, rates held fixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly offer | £297.00 | £60.00 | £21.50 | £357.00 | £456.00 |
| Annual offer | £165.00 | £60.00 | £170.00 | £225.00 | £390.00 |
| Bank-funded | £0.00 | £60.00 | £5.00 | £60.00 | £60.00 |
The monthly example adds six base payments at £16.50 and six at £33, then twelve capture payments at £5: £357. The annual alternative has one £165 base payment plus the same twelve capture payments: £225. The difference is £132 for the assumed first year, not a universal saving.
With the base fully funded, twelve assumed £5 capture payments still total £60. The three rows are alternatives for the same fictional brief, not three simultaneous subscriptions. VAT, Amazon, bank fees, payment processing, migration and accountant services are excluded. Later-year figures hold reviewed rates and eligibility unchanged; they are scenarios, not future quotes.
Read the payment schedule as well as the year total
| Alternative | Subscription month 1 | Each month 2–6 | Each month 7–12 | Modelled next-year first month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly offer | £21.50 | £21.50 | £38.00 | £38.00 |
| Annual offer | £170.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 | £335.00 |
| Bank-funded | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 | £5.00 |
The annual route’s first modelled payment includes the base paid upfront and one month of capture. Its other first-year rows contain capture only. At the next assumed annual renewal, £330 base plus £5 capture produces £335. That single payment is not the whole following-year total.
Subscription months are relative periods, not a claim about your calendar billing dates. Starting an add-on partway through a cycle can change the first charge through proration or alignment. Verify those details in the actual account. The downloadable schedule exposes all 36 fictional rows so the totals can be checked.
Already subscribed? Review the existing account before switching
The bank-funding switch guidance says an existing account keeps its data. Future monthly base payments stop on confirmation; for an annual subscription, the unused portion is calculated and shown before the switch is confirmed. That process-specific refund does not establish a general cancellation refund. Personal bank accounts do not qualify for the business-account offer.
If an accountant supplies FreeAgent, discuss the funding change with the practice; the guidance says that customer cannot take the direct switching action. Keep the existing subscription, billing owner and unused-period question together. Avoid opening another software account merely because the payer or funding arrangement is changing.
The separate subscription editing instructions require full level-8 access to edit billing. A change from monthly to annual takes the next payment immediately; annual to monthly applies at renewal. Before an authorised change, establish the effective date and resulting payment. This article did not operate a subscription, bank account, refund or accountant transfer.
Ask for a complete written price review
Give the supplier or accountant one brief with the business type, required workflows, payer and retained arrangement. Record the base payment schedule, offer end, renewal, funding route and required extras. Keep bank and professional charges visible even when another party funds the software.
Use the eight-item worksheet to collect confirmed details and evidence. Its actual-detail, reviewer and date fields are blank: it does not certify eligibility or a quoted price. If a required detail is unresolved, leave it open rather than silently entering zero.
Download the blank quote-review worksheet ↓
Read the example assumptions and instructions ↓
Separate the first payment from the year total and the normal later-year arrangement. Review the figures when business structure, usage, payer or bank conditions change. A current dated quote is more useful than relying on an old promotional screenshot.
Choose the next accounting question
Use the FreeAgent software profile for its wider positioning. The UK accounting cost comparison includes a calculator for paid monthly, annual and confirmed bank-funded FreeAgent scenarios alongside Xero and QuickBooks. Enter actual paid extras separately.
For a different free-access model, read Pandle versus FreeAgent. The software total-cost guide adds implementation and internal time to the supplier bill. Browse the accounting directory when the required workflow is clear.
Frequently asked questions
How much does FreeAgent cost in the UK?
The reviewed regular UK base prices range from £10 to £33 monthly excluding VAT, depending on business type. Annual payments and introductory offers differ. Eligible business-bank funding can cover the base; required add-ons and other costs remain separate.
Is FreeAgent free for everyone?
No. The funded base depends on a qualifying business-bank arrangement and continuing eligibility. Optional add-ons, bank fees and professional services can still be charged. A personal bank account is not enough for the business-account offer.
Does an annual subscription make every add-on annual too?
No. The reviewed capture and Amazon add-ons are billed monthly even alongside an annual base subscription. Confirm actual cycle alignment and any first-charge proration rather than treating the displayed annual equivalent as the invoice schedule.
Does Mettle always use the same FreeAgent condition?
The reviewed instructions distinguish direct customers, who need at least one Mettle transaction monthly, from the FreeAgent partner-accountant route, which requires Mettle as the primary bank account in FreeAgent. Confirm which arrangement applies to the actual account.
Does a funded base licence include unlimited Smart Capture?
No. Standard Smart Capture has a monthly extraction allowance. Unlimited capture is a separate paid add-on. In the fictional example, the base is zero but twelve assumed capture payments still total £60 excluding VAT and other charges.
Can I switch an existing annual FreeAgent subscription to bank funding?
The official switch process describes a refund for the unused annual portion, calculated and shown before confirmation. Accountant-supplied accounts need the practice involved. This does not establish a general cancellation refund, an individual refund amount or eligibility for any particular account.
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