Software
The cheapest MTD software, compared.
If you need Making Tax Digital software for Income Tax and you'd rather not pay much for it, here's what the main options cost over a year, and what you get for the money.
Checked against HMRC guidance on
Monthly prices hide the real cost, so we've put everything on a yearly basis. These are starting prices for the plan a single landlord or sole trader would use, before VAT where it applies, as listed in October 2026.
| Software | Starting price | Per year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartax | £39 a year | £39 | Bank statement in, update out |
| GoSimpleTax | about £49 a year | about £49 | Tax return software |
| Coconut (bridge) | £49.99 a year | £49.99 | Bridging and bookkeeping |
| Hammock | £8 a month | about £96 | Landlord bookkeeping |
| Xero (Simple) | £7 a month | about £84 | Full bookkeeping |
| QuickBooks | £10 a month | about £120 | Full bookkeeping |
| FreeAgent | Free with some banks | £0 with NatWest, RBS, Ulster, Mettle | Full bookkeeping |
| Clear Books | Free plan | £0 within limits | Bookkeeping |
| QuickFile | Free plan | £0 up to 1,000 ledger entries | Bookkeeping |
Cheapest isn't the only cost
Three things change the real price:
- Your time. A free spreadsheet-and-bridge setup costs nothing, then costs you an evening every quarter. Software that does the categorising for you is usually cheaper once you count that.
- The final declaration. Check that the price covers the year-end step as well as the four quarterly updates.
- Price after year one. Lots of monthly plans start with a discount. Look at the full price.
Which one for whom
- Landlords and simple sole traders who just want it done: Quartax. Upload your bank statement, check the categories, send. Your first quarter is free and you don't need a card to start.
- You already bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle: look at FreeAgent first, as long as you're happy learning bookkeeping software.
- You send invoices, have staff or an accountant who uses it: Xero or QuickBooks are worth the monthly fee.
- You love spreadsheets and have a small number of transactions: a free bridge or a free tier will do.
We make Quartax, so we're not neutral. We've tried to list prices fairly; tell us at team@quartax.co.uk if something here is out of date.