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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    FreeAgent

    Score6.4 out of 10
    N/AFreeAgent is an cloud-based accounting system designed for small businesses and freelancers. FreeAgent supports many core accounting features and bank reconciliation, payroll, tax management, project level accounting, and multiple currency support. It is mobile-accessible, and integrates with many apps.

    $13.50

    per month

    QuickBooks Online

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/AQuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.

    $38

    per month

    Pricing
    FreeAgentQuickBooks Online
    Editions & Modules
    FreeAgent
    $13.50
    per month
    FreeAgent
    $135
    per year
    Simple Start
    $38
    per month
    Essentials
    $75
    per month
    Plus
    $115
    per month
    Advanced
    $275
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    FreeAgentQuickBooks Online
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    FreeAgentQuickBooks Online
    Considered Both Products
    FreeAgent
    Chose FreeAgent
    Our clients use all of the above software providers, some of them using Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, QuickFile, Kashflow, Wave App etc. FreeAgent is best one for me among the free software available as it does everything and we would not even need additional software for …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreeAgent
    As a free software for Mettle users it is excellent choice and great value for money especially for micro businesses. It does the needed bank imports and reconciliations, however compared to more advanced products like Xero or QuickBooks it lacks the flexibility of those …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreeAgent
    I have used and tested out many other systems. I was looking at Xero for my accounting system but at the time I chose FreeAgent because of the way it handles the recording of dividends and the inbuilt time recording. The others I trialed were good and many of them cheaper. …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreeAgent
    I found FreeAgent to be more user friendly and since I have no accounting background much more easy to use than QuickBooks.
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    81%
    Would buy again
    89 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    84%
    Delivers good value for the price
    85 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    80%
    Happy with the feature set
    88 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    80%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    70 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Implementation went as expected
    83 Answers
    Features
    FreeAgentQuickBooks Online
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    FreeAgent
    8.6
    13 Ratings
    11% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.5
    81 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Pay calculation8.012 Ratings7.872 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.56 Ratings7.033 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.92 Ratings9.067 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.86 Ratings9.046 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.78 Ratings9.548 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    FreeAgent
    6.7
    13 Ratings
    13% below category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.3
    71 Ratings
    8% above category average
    API for custom integration4.59 Ratings8.757 Ratings
    Plug-ins8.912 Ratings8.058 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    FreeAgent
    8.5
    14 Ratings
    2% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    9.7
    112 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Single sign-on capability9.013 Ratings9.684 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions8.013 Ratings9.7106 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    FreeAgent
    6.4
    23 Ratings
    21% below category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.1
    136 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Dashboards7.121 Ratings8.6128 Ratings
    Standard reports7.621 Ratings8.1132 Ratings
    Custom reports4.410 Ratings7.5120 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    FreeAgent
    8.7
    25 Ratings
    11% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.5
    147 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Accounts payable8.020 Ratings9.1125 Ratings
    Accounts receivable8.522 Ratings9.4135 Ratings
    Cash management8.520 Ratings8.7123 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation9.020 Ratings9.1141 Ratings
    Expense management8.924 Ratings8.7125 Ratings
    Time tracking9.018 Ratings7.057 Ratings
    Fixed asset management8.611 Ratings8.055 Ratings
    Multi-currency support8.110 Ratings7.024 Ratings
    Multi-division support9.05 Ratings9.145 Ratings
    Regulations compliance8.78 Ratings9.241 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing9.120 Ratings9.368 Ratings
    Self-service portal9.011 Ratings8.869 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations8.01 Ratings9.376 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings8.018 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.737 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.731 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings8.027 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings7.740 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings8.326 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.452 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    FreeAgent
    7.4
    4 Ratings
    1% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    7.5
    49 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Inventory tracking7.72 Ratings8.046 Ratings
    Automatic reordering8.21 Ratings7.023 Ratings
    Location management4.51 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Manufacturing module9.11 Ratings7.018 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of FreeAgent and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    FreeAgent
    8.1
    13 Ratings
    5% above category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.4
    90 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Pricing8.19 Ratings8.056 Ratings
    Order entry6.82 Ratings8.054 Ratings
    Credit card processing8.25 Ratings8.566 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold9.13 Ratings9.370 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings8.022 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings9.021 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings8.019 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    FreeAgentQuickBooks Online
    Small Businesses
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FreeAgentQuickBooks Online
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.1
    (25 ratings)
    8.7
    (165 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    1.8
    (24 ratings)
    Usability
    8.5
    (6 ratings)
    8.7
    (80 ratings)
    Availability
    8.9
    (5 ratings)
    2.0
    (5 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    1.0
    (4 ratings)
    Support Rating
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    1.1
    (68 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    3.0
    (6 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    7.4
    (18 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.3
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FreeAgentQuickBooks Online
    Likelihood to Recommend
    FreeAgent
    For micro and small business it is a great solution. The new requirements for MTD for landlords could also be met with this software. Groups and more complex businesses could not use the accounts and tax returns features, however they still could use it for bookkeeping and then export the data to other tax and accounts production software.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I appreciate the ability to auto-generate invoices for recurring transactions, which saves time, as well as the option to set up auto-generated transactions. The report option is super helpful when reviewing information, as you can click to view the details in the report without having to go back and forth.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    FreeAgent
    • Accounting! As you'd expect. Makes it much simpler andmore cost effective. In-coming and out-goings are recorded and assigned to projects and accounts. My accountant can access my books and reconcile so much more easily than trawling through spreadsheets.
    • Time billing - time spent on projects/client work is recorded and is ready to be invoiced as required. Saves so much time and prevents inaccuracies.
    • Invoicing - again, it should do this well and it does. Non payment reminders are automatic and clients have no excuses for not knowing the status of their account.
    • Account dashboard - gives me an instant overview of the health of the business (am I on track to meet my yearly targets) and my accounts.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • Workflows for accounts payable invoice review are terrific.
    • Bill payment allows you to pay vendors online via ACH or check without having to write a physical check, which reduces admin time.
    • The cloud based login lends well to a remote or hybrid work environment for staff.
    • QuickBooks Online allows you to pre-configure vendors' general ledger expense accounts. This helps with general ledger coding accuracy and consistency.
    • QuickBooks Online integrates with Rippling HRIS, Coast, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, etc., which lends well to an efficient month-end closing and reduced administrative time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    FreeAgent
    • Reporting on financials, time tracking and project status is a little poor. It's adequate for what what we need, but would be great to see more advanced features.
    • API is quite closed so cannot integrate with our other project management tools.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • The upsells have gotten worse over time and are on every screen in the most awkward positions. I don't need a constant reminder to upgrade, especially on a very old account that's paid thousands over the years.
    • The interface has never been especially intuitive, but I was an old Quicken user and it was somewhat familiar. Over time, it's gotten worse, and in the last 2 years, the program seems to move things more often than I would expect.
    • The software constantly adds features that I don't want and want to turn off, but the interface is so difficult to use that I find myself skipping it. Imagine seeing a message that the system recognized invoices that hadn't been paid so it prepared reminder notices for you that can be sent at the click of a button. Who thinks using canned reminders that you've never seen is a good thing?
    • A lot of functionality seems to derive from connecting your bank accounts to QBO. I don't want Intuit to have an always-on connection to any bank accounts, even checking.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    FreeAgent
    We have used Freeagent for many years now and it serves us well for our needs. To change it would mean a lot of work, and this would most likely only happen if the cost became prohibitive to us.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    It like the product 'right out of the box' and I trust Intuit will continually improve it over the years based on my experience with their desktop products. The large providers of Apps makes customizing the entire package relatively easy and seamless for a wide variety of business types.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    FreeAgent
    It is a great software that does everything we need for small business clients. It allows to keep the books in a cloud from bookkeeping to accounts production and tax returns, all in one software. There are no major drawbacks and I would highly recommend it for most of our clients.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I had very little trouble setting up the program and migrating from our old accounting system. The daily usage is also very intuitive and easy. Anytime we run into minor trouble with the program, there are always tons of help available on YouTube, so we don't even look up the online manual anymore.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    FreeAgent
    Based in a cloud and never had any issues with down time. I can access from any device
    Read full review
    Intuit
    We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    FreeAgent
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    Everything process has its bugs lately with the new interface. Nothing has worked smoothly since this all began last month.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    FreeAgent
    I have never personally used support
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    In my experience, most representatives keep me on the phone for hours, literally, for a single issue and then usually cannot resolve it satisfactorily. I have 10 open cases that need resolution and, in my experience, there has been NO follow-up communication on any of them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    FreeAgent
    Did not participate
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    FreeAgent
    I have used and tested out many other systems. I was looking at Xero for my accounting system but at the time I chose FreeAgent because of the way it handles the recording of dividends and the inbuilt time recording. The others I trialed were good and many of them cheaper. FreeAgent best suited my requirements at the time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    As a freelance bookkeeper, the Desktop version of QuickBooks Online doesn't allow for ease of access from any device. Having to be on a computer with the software downloaded creates additional work to gain access to all required filings etc. Also, I personally find the linking functionality on the Online version to be much more streamlined and user friendly.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    FreeAgent
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    FreeAgent
    • Professional and uniform offering providing great confident customer service. My clients love it, whether they use it a little or a lot. It's a great piece of software - while sophisticated, it's straightforward to use.
    • Time saving and efficient use of my team's time. Being able to easily share and compare work / tasks.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • QuickBooks has given us a useful portal by which to get an overview of our financials.
    • QuickBooks has given us a relatively easy way to send out invoices quickly and efficiently.
    • Due to the customization limitations on QuickBooks, we've had to get creative in third-party implementations to better represent our brand and to track financials.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    QuickBooks Online Screenshots

    Screenshot of the accounting and bank transactions interfaceScreenshot of an overview of the accounting inventoryScreenshot of book marksScreenshot of the business tax overviewScreenshot of the customer hubScreenshot of the dashboard