ac-co vs FreeAgent — which books-and-filing route fits you?
FreeAgent is an established bookkeeping platform — invoicing, expenses, bank feeds — that also files Self Assessment, VAT and MTD Income Tax updates direct to HMRC, and comes free with several UK business bank accounts. ac-co pairs its own always-on books product with SA100 filing from your connected accounts.
ac-co vs FreeAgent, row by row.
Where we're weaker, we say so. Every ac-co fact comes from our own product pages; every competitor fact comes from their public site, cited below.
| What you get | ac-coBooks + SA100 | FreeAgentfrom £5/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From £9/month (ac-co.books, beta) — SA100 filing separately from £29/return | From £5/month (Landlords) to £16.50/month (Ltd companies) — 50% off first 6 months, then up to 2× |
| Free to start | Start free, no card — you pay only when you file | Free for the life of the account with a qualifying NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account |
| Files direct to HMRC | Yes | Yes — Self Assessment, VAT and MTD Income Tax final declarations |
| Who reviews before filing | You review and approve — not an accountant | You — no accountant review mentioned |
| Supplementary pages | 11 supported — SA102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 108 (shares & crypto), 109 + more | Not stated |
| MTD Income Tax quarterly updates | Beta — quarterly updates drafted from your ledger, on the waitlist | Yes — quarterly updates and final declaration direct to HMRC |
| File it from ChatGPT or Claude | Yes — file from ChatGPT, Claude or Codex (MCP) | Not offered |
| Bookkeeping includedFreeAgent's bookkeeping has been in the market for years; ac-co.books is in beta. If day-to-day bookkeeping depth is what matters most today, that's FreeAgent's strongest point over us. | Yes — auto-categorised and reconciled to the penny (beta) | Yes — invoicing, expenses, bank feeds, smart categorisation (mature, not beta) |
| Mobile app | No — web app only (works fine in a mobile browser) | Yes — record expenses, track time and manage invoices on the go |
| Best for | You want your books and your HMRC filings — SA100, VAT, CT600, MTD ITSA — pre-filled from the same ledger, in one product. | You already run your books in FreeAgent, or qualify for it free with your business bank account, and want a mature, established platform. |
Competitor details for FreeAgent are from freeagent.com/pricing (opens in a new tab), checked on 2026-09-10 — check their site for anything that may have changed since. FreeAgent is a trademark of its owner; ac-co.ai is not affiliated.
Neither is wrong — it depends what you need.
Pick ac-co if you want one ledger that also pre-fills every return you'll ever file with HMRC — SA100, VAT, Corporation Tax, MTD ITSA, payroll — rather than exporting figures to a separate tax product.
Pick FreeAgent if you already have (or qualify free for) a FreeAgent-linked business bank account, or want bookkeeping software with several years of maturity behind it and a dedicated mobile app today.
No sign-up — see what you'd owe.
The same income tax engine that drafts your SA100 runs here. Nothing is saved unless you start a return.
An estimate from the figures you enter — not a tax calculation or advice. Your final figure comes from your filed Self Assessment return.
What moves across, and what it costs.
From FreeAgent
- ✓Bank feed history
- ✓Chart of accounts
- ✓Contacts
- ✓Open invoices
ac-co vs FreeAgent — why would I move?
I get FreeAgent free with my business bank account — why pay for anything else?
If that free-with-your-bank-account tier already covers everything you need, there's no reason to move. ac-co's own books product starts from £9/month and adds Corporation Tax and MCP filing FreeAgent doesn't offer — a reason to switch only if you need those.
FreeAgent's bookkeeping has years of maturity — isn't ac-co.books risky by comparison?
Fairly said — ac-co.books is in beta while FreeAgent's bookkeeping is established. If mature day-to-day bookkeeping is what matters most right now, that's a genuine point in FreeAgent's favour.
Will I lose the FreeAgent mobile app?
Yes — ac-co is a web app today with no dedicated iOS/Android app. FreeAgent's mobile app for expenses, time and invoices on the go is a real capability you'd give up.
Does ac-co file Corporation Tax the way FreeAgent files Self Assessment?
Yes — CT600 with iXBRL accounts is included from the Limited company plan, alongside SA100, VAT and MTD ITSA from the same ledger. FreeAgent files Self Assessment, VAT and MTD Income Tax, but not Corporation Tax.
Is switching my books across risky mid-year?
Bank feed history, chart of accounts, contacts and open invoices move across at no cost, and we do the move with you rather than dropping you into a self-serve import.