Head to head
Sage Accounting (formerly Sage Business Cloud Accounting) vs FreeAgent
Both platforms are scored with the same methodology and the same category rubric. Nothing on this page is influenced by advertising.
49/100 | 52/100Higher score | |
|---|---|---|
| Category rank | #8 | #6 |
| Confidence | High confidence | High confidence |
| External Reputation | 76 | 75 |
| AI Authority | 16 | 24 |
| Web Authority | 48 | 44 |
| Expert Assessment | 50 | 65 |
| TOP10 User Score | — | — |
| Pricing | £20/month + VAT (Start) — promotional £2/month for first 6 months · free tier: No free plan; alternative to the promotional discount is 1 month free on any tier | £10/month excl. VAT (unincorporated landlord); £19/month excl. VAT for sole traders · free tier: £0.00 plan for holders of a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business current account (for as long as the account is retained), or a Mettle account with at least one transaction a month; plus a 30-day free trial, cancel at any time |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Best for | UK-based VAT-registered sole traders and small businesses with 1–5 employees that want accounting plus payroll from one vendor at a low monthly price, with Making Tax Digital and CIS handled out of the box; those with inventory or foreign-currency trading should start on Plus. | UK limited companies, sole traders and contractors banking with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle — that combination makes a full-featured, MTD-ready, payroll-capable package free indefinitely — and UK service businesses that bill by project or by time and value reachable UK phone support. |
| Avoid if | You are a US business (the product is retired and unsupported — Sage directs you to Sage 50), you need multiple users but are tempted by the single-user £20 Start tier, you have a large headcount relative to the bundled employees, or you need certainty on subscription admin and refunds. | You operate outside the UK, trade significantly in foreign currencies given reviewer-reported currency and balance-accuracy bugs, run a stock/product business (Stock is excluded on cash basis), need deep inventory or multi-entity features, or want a tier ladder to scale through. |
| Markets | SMB, Sole traders, Micro-businesses | SMB, Freelancers and contractors, Sole traders, Landlords, Accountants and bookkeepers |
| Founded | 1981 | — |
| Headquarters | Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom | — |
A higher TOP SCORE means more of the evidence favours that platform on this methodology — it is not a recommendation, and it does not account for your specific requirements. Advertisers are never declared the winner of a comparison.