Keepr vs FreeAgent for UK sole traders
Price, free plans, MTD scope, and who each one suits.
Keepr files MTD for Income Tax on its free plan. No subscription, no trial clock, no conditions. FreeAgent costs £19 a month plus VAT (£22.80), or nothing at all while you hold a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account. For a sole trader whose income is self-employment, that is the same quarterly filing for £0 against £228 a year paid annually, £273 paid monthly, and less in year one while their introductory discount runs. Here is where that gap matters, and where it does not.
Price compared
| Keepr | FreeAgent (sole trader) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to file MTD | £0. It is on the free plan. | £19 + VAT = £22.80 a month, or £0 while you hold an eligible NatWest group account |
| Free plan | Yes, with no conditions. Not a trial. | Their pricing page lists no free plan. Free only while the bank account stays open, so switching bank costs you the software |
| Paid plan | Pro £9/month or £84/year | £19 + VAT monthly, £190 + VAT yearly = £228 |
| Introductory offer | 14-day Pro trial, no card. The free plan never expires. | 50% off for the first six months, then £22.80 |
Feature by feature
| Keepr | FreeAgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan £0. Pro £9/month or £84/year. | £19/month + VAT, or the bank-tied free route above. |
| Free tier | Yes - unlimited invoices, expenses, time tracking, projects and clients, permanently free. | Their pricing page lists no free plan. |
| MTD for Income Tax | Yes, for sole trader self-employment income. Included on the free plan. | Self-employment and property income, per their published plans. |
| Invoicing | Unlimited, on both plans. | Unlimited. |
| Expenses | Yes, with receipt capture. | Yes, with receipt capture. |
| Time tracking | Yes, included free. | Yes. |
| Project profitability | Yes, included free. | Project tracking; profitability reporting not listed on the sole trader plan. |
| Mileage | Yes, free. Enter from and to, it works out the miles and the claimable amount at HMRC rates. | Yes. |
| Mobile apps | No native app yet - the web app works on a phone. | Yes, iOS and Android. |
| Bank feeds | No automatic feeds. Upload a PDF bank statement to reconcile. | Yes, automatic bank feeds. |
| VAT on top | None added. £9 is £9. | Add 20%. £19 is £22.80. |
| Built for | Sole traders and freelancers only. Nothing to switch off. | Also partnerships, limited companies and landlords, so more of it is aimed elsewhere. |
Where Keepr is stronger
Filing MTD costs nothing and stays that way. The free plan carries unlimited invoices, expenses, clients and time tracking. The quarterly updates sit on it rather than behind the paid tier, so meeting a legal obligation does not require a subscription. The bank-tied free route is real, but it lasts exactly as long as the bank account does. If you bill by the hour, time tracking, project profitability and mileage are all on the free plan. Project profitability is not listed on the FreeAgent sole trader plan. The price also has no VAT to add on top.
Who each one is for
FreeAgent fits a landlord, and anyone already banking with NatWest, RBS, Ulster or Mettle who is happy to tie their software to their bank.
Keepr fits a sole trader with self-employment income who wants MTD handled without a subscription and bills by time or by project. Signing up is free and takes a minute, so trying it costs nothing but the minute.
Common questions
Prices checked against freeagent.com/pricing on 5 September 2026. Software pricing changes often, so treat anything older than a few months as indicative.
No card needed. The free plan is permanent, not a trial.