Xero vs Sage vs QuickBooks vs FreeAgent for UK small businesses
Xero suits small and growing companies that want strong reporting and a large choice of add-on apps, at roughly £15 to £65 + VAT a month. Sage suits businesses that want a long-established, traditionally structured platform, at roughly £15 to £60. QuickBooks suits businesses that sell online or hold stock, and FreeAgent suits sole traders, freelancers, landlords and small limited companies and comes included in every Buzz package.
- Xero
- FreeAgent
- QuickBooks
- Sage
What every platform covers
Invoicing, bank feeds, VAT returns, expense tracking — every platform below covers the fundamentals of Making Tax Digital-compliant bookkeeping. The main differences are who each one is built for, how the pricing scales as you grow, and which extras you will use. Note that software providers change their pricing and plans regularly, so treat the figures below as a general guide and check the provider's own site for exact current pricing before you commit.
The four platforms compared
| Xero | FreeAgent | QuickBooks | Sage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small businesses and growing companies that want strong reporting and a huge choice of add-on apps. | Sole traders, freelancers, small limited companies and landlords who want something simple to live in day to day. | Sole traders through to established small-medium businesses, especially those selling online or holding stock. | Sole traders wanting a straightforward start, up to small-medium businesses that want a long-established, traditionally structured platform. |
| Price a month | £15–£65Several plans, roughly £15–£65+VAT/month depending on tier and add-ons | £10–£33Standard pricing broadly £10–£33+VAT/month depending on business type | £16–£50Tiered plans, roughly £16 up to £50+VAT/month depending on features | £15–£60Three main tiers, roughly £15 up to £60+VAT/month |
| Strengths |
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| With Buzz | Xero setup, migration and ongoing support from a Gold Partner, on partner pricing bundled into your fee | Included free as standard in every Buzz package, saving up to £330 a year | Happy to work with QuickBooks if that's what fits | Happy to work with Sage if that's what fits |
Up to £330 a year
saved with FreeAgent, included free in every Buzz package
Software included with Buzz
Buzz is a Xero Gold Partner, and every Buzz package comes with FreeAgent included free as standard, saving you up to £330 a year on software you'd otherwise pay for separately. Between the two, most sole traders, freelancers, landlords and small businesses are properly covered.
If you're already set up and settled on QuickBooks or Sage, or there's a genuine reason one of those suits your business better, we can work with that too.
Talk to us about which platform suits your business
Talk to us before you commit to anything. We'll walk through what you actually need and set you up properly, whichever platform that turns out to be.
Accreditations and partnerships
