Keepr vs QuickBooks for UK sole traders
What each covers for MTD, and which is the cheaper way to file.
Keepr files MTD for Income Tax on its free plan. No subscription, no trial clock. QuickBooks files it on Sole Trader Plus, at £10 a month plus VAT, so £12 in practice. It is advertised at £1, but that is 90% off for six months and the account moves to the standard rate automatically. Over two years that is £0 against about £223, taking the discount into account.
Price compared
| Keepr | QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to file MTD | £0. It is on the free plan. | £10 + VAT = £12 a month on Sole Trader Plus |
| Free plan | Yes, with no conditions. Not a trial. | Their pricing page lists a 30-day trial and no free plan; the trial and the discount are alternatives |
| Paid plan | Pro £9/month or £84/year. MTD is on the free plan either way. | 12 months at £12 = £144 from year two. About £79 in year one with the discount |
| Introductory offer | 14-day Pro trial, no card. The free plan never expires. | 90% off for six months (£1 + VAT), then £10 + VAT |
QuickBooks sells four larger plans above this one, from £16 to £123 a month plus VAT. They are business accounting products, and their pricing page lists Simple Start, the next one up, under Making Tax Digital for VAT rather than Income Tax. Read the plan names carefully.
Feature by feature
| Keepr | QuickBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan £0. Pro £9/month or £84/year. | Sole Trader Plus £10/month + VAT. 90% off for the first six months. |
| Free tier | Yes - unlimited invoices, expenses, time tracking, projects and clients, permanently free. | Their pricing page lists a 30-day trial and no free plan; the trial and the discount are alternatives. |
| MTD for Income Tax | Yes, for sole trader self-employment income. Included on the free plan. | Sole Trader Plus lists MTD for Income Tax submission checks. |
| Invoicing | Unlimited, on both plans. | Unlimited on the sole trader plans. |
| Expenses | Yes, with receipt capture. | Yes, with receipt capture. |
| Time tracking | Yes, included free. | Not listed on Sole Trader Plus; their larger plans and add-ons cover it. |
| Project profitability | Yes, included free. | Not listed on Sole Trader Plus. |
| Mileage | Yes, free. Enter from and to, it works out the miles and the claimable amount at HMRC rates. | Yes. Their page lists receipt capture and mileage tracking on Sole Trader Plus. |
| 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%. £10 is £12. |
| Built for | Sole traders and freelancers only. Nothing to switch off. | Sole traders through to 25-user limited companies, so most of it is aimed elsewhere. |
Where Keepr is stronger
Cost, clarity and scope. Keepr has a permanently free plan that includes MTD quarterly updates, so filing does not require a subscription at all. Pricing is one number with no VAT added and no introductory rate that jumps tenfold in month seven. Time tracking, project profitability and mileage are all on that free plan. QuickBooks lists mileage on Sole Trader Plus, but not time tracking or project profitability. And because Keepr only serves sole traders, there is far less in the interface you will never use.
Who each one is for
QuickBooks fits someone who expects to incorporate, take on payroll or register for VAT and wants one system that already does all of it, and anyone whose accountant asks for it by name.
Keepr fits someone who is, and intends to stay, a sole trader with self-employment income, and would rather not pay a monthly subscription to meet a legal obligation.
Common questions
Prices checked against quickbooks.intuit.com/uk/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.