Crunch vs FreeAgent
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Tax Software fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
· ⭐ Ratings from G2 (real user reviews)
76/100
$35 starting
UK freelancers, contractors, and small limited companies who want online accounting software plus a real UK accountant f
★ Best
💰 Pricing
Starting at $35 (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Monthly prices are in GBP and exclude VAT at 20% (shown as base).
- Yearly plan is equivalent to 10 months' cost, saving two months' fees.
- Crunch is known to charge £28+VAT per month for Core, rising to £38+VAT for Core with payroll, and £48+VAT for Complete.
- Additional services: Self-assessment filing for additional people (e.g., partner) available at £49 per return.
- Payroll for more than 10 employees: additional £5 per employee per month (approximately).
⚠ Watch for:
- VAT (currently 20%) is added to all subscription fees.
- On the yearly plan, if you cancel early, you may be charged the full year's fees.
- There is a setup fee of £99 for new limited company registration or conversion (if you need it) — though sometimes waived.
- Additional self-assessment filings for other individuals (e.g., spouse) are not included and cost extra.
🔧 Features
✓ Uk Focus✓ Freelancer Sme✓ Self Assessment✓ Vat✓ Accountant Included
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Crunch bundles a dedicated accountant with its software, which is a rare and valuable feature. You get a named UK-based accountant who can answer questions via phone or email, which is incredibly useful for tax planning, understanding dividends, or filing compliance. This is a huge benefit for business owners who lack accounting knowledge and would otherwise need to hire a separate accountant, saving time and potentially reducing errors.
- It's built specifically for UK tax rules, which is a major advantage. Crunch handles MTD-compliant VAT, self assessment, corporation tax, and dividend tracking natively, meaning you don't have to manually work out your tax liabilities. The software calculates your corporation tax and even helps with payroll, which is a boon for limited company directors who need to manage their salary and dividends efficiently.
- Real-time bank feeds and automatic reconciliation make bookkeeping less tedious. You connect your UK bank accounts via Open Banking, and Crunch pulls in transactions automatically. You can then categorize expenses quickly, and the software matches them to invoices and bills. This feature cuts down on manual data entry and ensures your financials are always up to date, which is great for businesses with high transaction volumes.
- Transparent monthly pricing is a plus, even if you have to ask for a quote. Once you know the rate (starting at $30/mo), it's a predictable subscription that includes everything: software plus accountant support. Compare this to paying for software (e.g., FreeAgent at ~$30/mo) and then separately paying an accountant (~$100/mo+), and Crunch can be a more cost-effective solution for many small businesses.
- The platform offers a mobile app for on-the-go expense tracking and banking. You can snap a photo of a receipt and it syncs to your account, which is handy for contractors and freelancers who incur expenses while away from their desk. This small feature keeps your records accurate and reduces the pile of paper receipts at year-end.
⚠ Watch out for
- Pricing is opaque — you have to book a demo or call Crunch to get a quote. This is a significant friction point for buyers who are comparing software online. Competitors like FreeAgent and Xero publish their rates clearly, so you know what you're getting into without sales calls. Crunch's hiding of pricing feels outdated and can put off potential customers who prefer self-serve onboarding.
- Crunch is not well-suited for unincorporated sole traders who don't need corporation tax or payroll features. The plans for freelancers (sole traders) are more limited, and the add-ons like payroll are geared toward limited companies. If you're a sole trader, you might be paying for features you don't need, making cheaper alternatives like QuickBooks Self-Employed more appealing.
- Integrations are sparse. Unlike Xero or QuickBooks, which have hundreds of third-party apps, Crunch only offers a handful of native integrations (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, and some banking). If you rely on custom tools or want to sync with a CRM or inventory system, you won't find them easily. This is a major drawback for growing businesses that need connected tools.
- The software's interface feels dated compared to rivals. While it's functional, some users report that the dashboard and navigation are not as intuitive as FreeAgent's. This can make the initial learning curve steeper, and it may feel less polished to tech-savvy users.
- Customer support, while included, can be slow to respond during peak tax season. Some users have reported waiting longer for email responses, which is frustrating when you have urgent questions. In contrast, other platforms offer instant chat support, though Crunch's phone support is generally reliable.
🎯 Best for
UK freelancers, contractors, and small limited companies who want online accounting software plus a real UK accountant for help with taxes and compliance.
🚫 Who should skip
Sole traders with simple finances who want free or low-cost DIY software, or larger businesses needing advanced inventory, multi-currency, or a large app ecosystem.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — if you've used any double-entry accounting software, the core features are easy; you'll need a bit of time to learn Crunch's own navigation and where accountant messages sit.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Crunch is a solid choice for UK limited company owners and contractors who want an all-in-one accounting service with built-in human expertise, especially if you prefer the reassurance of an accountant without the separate cost. It's not the best fit for sole traders who need minimal features or tho
42/100
$38 starting
Freelancers, contractors, and micro-businesses in the UK who want an all-in-one, HMRC-integrated accounting tool and pre
💰 Pricing
Starting at $38 (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Pricing in GBP; 20% VAT charged on subscriptions in UK.
- Annual billing offers no discount (flat annual fee)
- No per-filing costs for Self Assessment, VAT, or Corporation Tax (included in plan)
- Payroll (RTI) is included at no extra cost
- Some bank partners offer free access for first year; e.g., NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, and others.
⚠ Watch for:
- VAT tax charged on subscriptions
- No free trial unless via partner bank
- Limited company plan requires a registered company; no option for partnerships or LLPs
- Upgrade fees may apply when switching plans (e.g., from Self-employed to Limited Company)
🔧 Features
✓ Uk Focus✓ Self Assessment✓ Vat Filing✓ Natwest Owned✓ Payroll
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Direct HMRC filing: FreeAgent is one of the few platforms that lets you file Self Assessment, VAT (under MTD), and RTI payroll reports directly from the app. This eliminates the need to manually re-enter figures into government portals, saving time and reducing errors. For someone with a small business, this integration is the core value—it automates the most tedious compliance tasks.
- Free with certain bank accounts: If you have a business account with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, or M&S Bank, you get FreeAgent free. That's a substantial saving—up to £240 per year—which makes it a no-brainer for those eligible. Even if you're not, the pricing is reasonable, but the free tier is a major draw.
- User-friendly for non-accountants: The dashboard is clean and intuitive, with a timeline that shows upcoming tax deadlines. The system explains accounting concepts in plain English, so you don't need to be a bookkeeper to understand your profit and loss. The contextual help and the quarterly tax summary are particularly helpful for freelancers who want to avoid surprises.
- App for capturing expenses: While many accounting apps have mobile expense tracking, FreeAgent's app is particularly well-designed. You can snap a photo of a receipt, and it will automatically extract the details and categorize it. This saves time and ensures you capture every deductible expense, which is critical for reducing your tax bill.
- Strong bank feed integration: FreeAgent automatically pulls in bank transactions and categorizes them. It learns your patterns over time, making reconciliation faster. For micro-businesses that rely on a simple bank feed, this is a reliable timesaver.
⚠ Watch out for
- Limited to one company and one currency: FreeAgent's standard plan covers only a single business and only British pounds. If you have multiple ventures or work with clients abroad, you'll quickly hit a wall. You'd need to pay for multiple subscriptions or use separate tools—neither is ideal. This makes it unsuitable for international freelancers or growing businesses with overseas operations.
- Reporting is inflexible: While FreeAgent covers standard reports like profit and loss and balance sheet, you can't customize them to the same degree as Xero or QuickBooks. If you need bespoke dashboards or complex financial analysis, you'll feel constrained. For most micro-businesses, the built-in reports are sufficient, but it's a limitation to note.
- No free plan (unless banked with NatWest): Unlike some competitors that offer a free tier for small turnovers, FreeAgent requires a paid subscription unless you hold one of the eligible bank accounts. For a freelancer just starting out, the £12/month fee might feel like a burden, especially when free alternatives exist (though they may lack the same HMRC integrations).
- Payroll is basic: FreeAgent's RTI payroll works for a few employees, but it lacks advanced features like auto-enrolment pension management or detailed payroll reporting. If you have more than a handful of staff, you'll likely outgrow it. It's fine for a sole trader with a couple of part-time workers, but not for a growing business.
- No live support on weekends: Customer support is available via email and live chat during weekdays, but phone support is limited. Response times can be slow during peak periods, which is frustrating when you hit a tax deadline issue. The knowledge base is helpful, but it's not a substitute for immediate help.
🎯 Best for
Freelancers, contractors, and micro-businesses in the UK who want an all-in-one, HMRC-integrated accounting tool and preferably are eligible for the free NatWest/RBS offer.
🚫 Who should skip
UK businesses that need multi-currency support, advanced inventory, multiple companies in one portal, or a deep ecosystem of integrations — those are served better by Xero or QuickBooks.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — setup takes less than a day and most tasks are guided; novice owners can file their first tax return without an accountant.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
FreeAgent is an excellent choice for UK sole traders and micro-businesses that want an all-in-one accounting and tax filing solution. If you bank with NatWest Group, it's a no-brainer given the free subscription. However, if you need multi-currency, complex reporting, or multi-company support, look
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseCrunchFreeAgent
Managing a UK limited company's day-to-day bookkeeping90—
Full ledger, bank reconciliation, expense tracking, and accountant oversight bui
Filing personal self-assessment tax returns85—
Crunch calculates your tax liability from your income and expenses and lets you
VAT compliance for a small e-commerce or services business82—
MTD-compliant VAT submission with automated calculations and digital links to HM
Getting accountant advice on tax planning without hiring a separate firm94—
The included accountant support means you can ask questions about dividends, sal
Running a large or growing business with complex inventory or payroll35—
Crunch targets freelancers and small businesses, not mid-sized companies with mu
Filing Self Assessment tax returns for sole traders—95
FreeAgent's entire workflow is built around UK tax returns, pulling data from ba
VAT return preparation and filing under MTD—95
Supports the main VAT schemes and files digitally with HMRC, making Making Tax D
Running payroll for a micro business with a few employees—90
RTI payroll, pension auto-enrolment, and payslips are included with no per-emplo
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Crunch if...
- You are: UK freelancers, contractors, and small limited companies who want online accounting software plus a real UK accountant f
- 👍 Bundled human accountant support at a transparent monthly subscription — rare among online accountin
- 👍 Built specifically for UK tax rules: MTD-compliant VAT, corporation tax, self-assessment, and divide
- 👍 Real-time bank feeds from major UK banks simplify reconciliation and keep financials up to date with
- 💰 From $35.28/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Pricing is opaque; you have to book a demo or call to get a quote, unlike FreeAg
Choose FreeAgent if...
- You are: Freelancers, contractors, and micro-businesses in the UK who want an all-in-one, HMRC-integrated accounting tool and pre
- 👍 Free subscription for NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, and M&S Bank business account ho
- 👍 Native HMRC integrations: Self Assessment, MTD VAT, and RTI payroll all file from within the app wit
- 👍 Very user-friendly for non-accountants: clean dashboard, plain-English tax explanations, and context
- 💰 From $38/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Limited to one company per standard subscription; multi-business owners must buy
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Crunch cost?
Crunch doesn't publish upfront pricing; you need to request a quote or contact their sales team. Pricing typically varies based on your business structure (sole trader vs limited company) and the level of service you need.
Is Crunch a good FreeAgent alternative?
Yes, for UK users who want accountancy support bundled in. Crunch includes human accountant access, which FreeAgent alone doesn't. But FreeAgent has a slightly polished UX and a larger third-party ecosystem, so it depends on your preference for software vs. service.
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