FreeAgent
Edinburgh bookkeeping for UK sole traders, landlords and limited companies, free with a NatWest-group account
Quick Overview
| Company | FreeAgent Central Ltd (NatWest Group) |
|---|---|
| Category | Accounting Software |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2007 |
| EU Presence | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Data Location | No single location stated: the sub-processor list names AWS (US, UK, EU/Ireland), Google Cloud (US, EU) and DigitalOcean (US, EU) for hosting |
| Open Source | No |
| Pricing | Landlords £10 / sole traders £19 / partnerships and LLPs £27 / limited companies £33 per month, excl. 20% VAT; free with a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account |
| Free Option | 30-day free trial |
| Replaces | QuickBooks, Xero |
Detailed Review
FreeAgent prices by what kind of business you are rather than by feature tier: £10 a month for landlords, £19 for sole traders, £27 for partnerships and LLPs and £33 for limited companies, all excluding 20% VAT, with a 30-day trial and a 50% discount over the first six months.
Hold a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account and the software costs nothing at all, which is how a large share of its users arrive; accountants get a practice dashboard free. Priced by legal form, it is the rare package where a landlord is not paying for a limited company's features.
FreeAgent Central Ltd was incorporated in Edinburgh on 19 February 2007, company number SC316774, and has belonged to NatWest Group since 2018, operationally independent by its own account. That ownership is also the explanation for the free tier: this is a retention product for a bank, and the bank is the owner rather than a partner.
The hosting is why FreeAgent ranks last here. Its own sub-processor page names AWS in the US, the UK and EU/Ireland, Google Cloud in the US and the EU, and DigitalOcean in the US and the EU, without saying which region actually holds customer data — so no single location can be stated, and the United States is listed for all three providers.
The UK itself sits outside the EEA under an adequacy decision. No certification is published, the code is closed, and the product files to HMRC and nowhere else.
What FreeAgent does well
- Prices published per business type, £10 to £33 per month
- Free with a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account
- 50% off the first six months, plus a 30-day trial
- Free practice dashboard for accountants
- Edinburgh company, on the register since 2007
Where FreeAgent falls short
- No single data location stated anywhere
- AWS, Google Cloud and DigitalOcean all listed with US regions
- Owned by NatWest Group, a bank
- No independent certification published
- UK only, and outside the EEA
Standout feature. Free if you bank with the owner: a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account removes the subscription entirely — the strongest offer in this list, and the reason to read the sub-processor page before accepting it.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Prices published per business type, £10 to £33 per month
- Free with a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account
- 50% off the first six months, plus a 30-day trial
- Free practice dashboard for accountants
- Edinburgh company, on the register since 2007
Cons
- No single data location stated anywhere
- AWS, Google Cloud and DigitalOcean all listed with US regions
- Owned by NatWest Group, a bank
- No independent certification published
- UK only, and outside the EEA
Alternatives to FreeAgent
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FreeAgent?
FreeAgent prices by what kind of business you are rather than by feature tier: £10 a month for landlords, £19 for sole traders, £27 for partnerships and LLPs and £33 for limited companies, all excluding 20% VAT, with a 30-day trial and a 50% discount over the first six months.
Hold a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account and the software costs nothing at all, which is how a large share of its users arrive; accountants get a practice dashboard free. Priced by legal form, it is the rare package where a landlord is not paying for a limited company's features.
Where is FreeAgent based?
FreeAgent operates from Edinburgh, United Kingdom, which places it under United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA).
What does FreeAgent cost?
Landlords £10 / sole traders £19 / partnerships and LLPs £27 / limited companies £33 per month, excl. 20% VAT; free with a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account. 30-day free trial.
Who is FreeAgent best for?
UK sole traders, landlords and limited companies, especially NatWest-group customers. Free if you bank with the owner: a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account removes the subscription entirely — the strongest offer in this list, and the reason to read the sub-processor page before accepting it.
What are the drawbacks of FreeAgent?
No single data location stated anywhere. AWS, Google Cloud and DigitalOcean all listed with US regions. Owned by NatWest Group, a bank. No independent certification published. UK only, and outside the EEA.