What FreeAgent Does Well
FreeAgent is a strong accounting platform for sole traders. It genuinely excels at:
- Bank feed integration — automatically imports and categorises your transactions
- Self Assessment tax estimates — shows you how much to save throughout the year
- MTD-compatible VAT returns — file your VAT return directly from FreeAgent
- Expense tracking with receipt photos
- Time tracking for billing by the hour
Where FreeAgent Falls Short for Plumbers
No voice invoicing
Every invoice requires manual entry. On a busy day with 4 jobs, that is 10–20 minutes of form-filling. TraderInvoice cuts this to under 4 minutes total via voice.
No CIS-specific workflow
FreeAgent does not have built-in CIS invoice formatting. You need to manually create line items for labour and materials and add a UTR note manually every time.
Not designed for on-site use
FreeAgent is a desktop-first platform. The mobile app works but is not optimised for creating invoices quickly while standing at a job site.
Slower invoice creation
Creating an invoice in FreeAgent takes 3–5 minutes with manual field entry. For a plumber sending 3–5 invoices a day, this compounds to 15–25 minutes of admin that could be under 5 minutes with voice invoicing.
The Best Setup: Use Both
For plumbers who have FreeAgent free through their bank, the best approach is not to choose between them but to use each for what it does best:
| Use TraderInvoice for | Use FreeAgent for |
|---|---|
| Fast on-site voice invoicing | Bank reconciliation and categorisation |
| Professional quote with customer acceptance | Self Assessment tax estimates |
| CIS-structured invoices with UTR | MTD VAT return filing |
| Invoice history export for accountant | Receipt scanning and expense tracking |
If you are paying for FreeAgent separately (£19/month) and finding the invoicing too slow, switching to TraderInvoice Starter at £29/month and using a free bank account with automatic categorisation (Starling, Monzo Business) covers the same ground for a similar price — with faster invoicing.
Invoice by voice — before FreeAgent even loads
TraderInvoice free tier: 5 invoices/month with no expiry. Starter: £29/month unlimited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FreeAgent free for plumbers with NatWest or RBS accounts?
- Yes — FreeAgent is currently included free for NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Ulster Bank business account holders. If you already have a business account with these banks, you can use FreeAgent at no additional cost. In this case, FreeAgent is a reasonable choice for accounting and bookkeeping — though TraderInvoice still offers faster voice invoicing that you would not get through FreeAgent.
How much does FreeAgent cost for a plumber who pays for it?
- FreeAgent costs £19/month for sole traders (£228/year) if you pay for it without a bank bundle. The invoicing within FreeAgent is functional but not specialised for tradespeople — there is no voice invoicing, no CIS-specific invoice formatting, and the interface requires manual entry of each invoice. By comparison, TraderInvoice Starter at £29/month includes voice invoicing, faster invoice creation, and CIS-ready formatting.
Can FreeAgent handle CIS invoicing for plumbers?
- FreeAgent can create invoices with line items that you manually separate into labour and materials, but it does not have specific CIS workflows or automatic UTR inclusion. For plumbers doing significant CIS subcontract work, manually structuring each invoice in FreeAgent is more cumbersome than using TraderInvoice where you simply mention labour and materials separately in your voice recording and the CIS formatting is handled automatically.