FreeAgent Reviews

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170 Reviews

- Industry: Broadcast Media
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Daily for 6-12 months
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10
it is an excellent software for accounting and books of accounts
Reviewed on 2023/04/14
It helps me manage day-to-day administration: from expenses and time tracking to estimates and...
It helps me manage day-to-day administration: from expenses and time tracking to estimates and invoices.
Pros
This online software is relatively simple to install (settings, configuration, customization, etc.) and should not require the use of an integrator.
Cons
a bit difficult to use but it's a better software
- Industry: Marketing & Advertising
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Daily for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Been using for over ten years
Reviewed on 2023/09/20
Freeagent has been the heart of my business for over ten years.
Freeagent has been the heart of my business for over ten years.
Pros
I always know my financial and tax situation. I'm never in the dark. You put in the info as you generate it and you'll never be in any doubt about your financial health.
Cons
I know Xero has lots of bells and whistles but Freeagent is simple to use, predictable and the support is from UK or US based specialists who really know what they're talking about.
- Industry: Accounting
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Daily for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 0.0 /10
Painful to use, Clunky and not great
Reviewed on 2019/03/11
Using the software was very awkward and restrictive. I lost confidence in it very early on.
My...
Using the software was very awkward and restrictive. I lost confidence in it very early on.
My experience has been years of utter frustration.
Regular promises of fixes and upgrades never materialised over the last 3 years and despite sticking with it, and getting the software for free, I ended up having to opt for better software.
Customer services are quick to respond but they tend to misinterpret your issue. Their idea of helping is sending you a link to a long drawn out document that frustrates you even more than the original issue. Most of the issues can't be resolved by sympathetic customer support reps because they are hard-coded into the software as basic incapabilities.
Pros
It's a Scottish company, albeit taken over by an anti-Scottish UK bank.
Customer services are relatively quick to respond but don't often understand or resolve your issue.
They do send you a Monday motivator which is useful.
It's now free if you bank with RBS/Nat West, but I'd rather not bank with either and even at £0 it's not worth it. I'd rather pay for a decent software and save the cost of hours of inefficiency and extra accountancy fees later.
Cons
It is very clunky and awkward to use.
It is very expensive for what it is and definitely not even worth using for free.
Several essential basic functions are missing and it is very restrictive/prescriptive forcing you to work their way or not at all.
Customer services regularly have to fudge "workarounds" to fill the gaps in FreeAgent's basic functionality and often these "workarounds" make more mess than doing nothing, leaving you with more to pay your accountant to fix it.
FreeAgent does several things in very unusual ways and then doesn't allow you to fix them.
Payroll does post journals into your ledgers but even the best accountants can't make any sense of them.
This software tries to be all things to small businesses giving tools that quite frankly are dangerous to unqualified accountants. It allows you to do your own VAT, Corporation Tax and Self Assessment wrongly, without any tax planning advice which could cost you tens of thousands of pounds in VAT/tax that isn't due, not to mention HMRC penalties etc. I know of several clients who have overpaid an absolute fortune and had seriously damaging run-ins with HMRC as a direct result of trying to DIY using this software.
Buyer BEWARE!!!
Response from FreeAgent Central
Hi there,
We¿re really sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and frustrations. If there's anything we can do to help improve your experience, or any additional feedback you'd like to share with us, please contact us at @[email protected].
Warm regards,
The FreeAgent Team
- Industry: Education Management
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 6-12 months
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
So much better than other bookkeeping and accounting products
Reviewed on 2023/03/06
Very positive and reliable. It's reassuring to know the accounts are in order.
Very positive and reliable. It's reassuring to know the accounts are in order.
Pros
It's straight forward, easy to set up and use. Everything you need to manage your accounts is in plain sight rather then you needing to know there is a completely different process somewhere else that actually needs to be completed. The processes are quick and easy to work out.
Cons
Nothing much to be honest. It would be better if it was easier to link to other programs that you use but this can be overcome with a bit of thought.
Reasons for Choosing FreeAgent
To use a more reliable and efficient product.Switched From
QuickBooks OnlineReasons for Switching to FreeAgent
Options, costs, connections and ease of use- Industry: Marketing & Advertising
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Perfect for small businesses
Reviewed on 2023/02/14
Very good, makes sending invoices very easy. I do not use the bills section, so the budgeting and...
Very good, makes sending invoices very easy. I do not use the bills section, so the budgeting and forecasting tools are not relevant to me, however this is no fault of freeagent
Pros
Very easy to use as it is an intuitive userface. Does everything I need as a small business, and can easily send information to the accountant at the end of the year.
Cons
The bank feed seems a bit tempermental at times.
Alternatives Considered
XeroReasons for Switching to FreeAgent
Came free with Natwest bank account, but now I would not change to an alternative even though I pay- Industry: Sports
- Company size: 51–200 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
Using FreeAgent for club accounting
Reviewed on 2023/02/19
Learning the terminology that FreeAgent uses to a while, particularly as a Xero user in the...
Learning the terminology that FreeAgent uses to a while, particularly as a Xero user in the workplace. For cost vs functionality it can’t be beaten
Pros
We receive free access to FreeAgent as part of our bank account package. It makes accounting for our club so much easier than the previous excel sheets
Cons
It’s not quite as good as Xero, but it’sa fraction of the price. For a non-profit it’s a winner
Alternatives Considered
XeroReasons for Switching to FreeAgent
Ultimately cost, as a free to us package, it can’t be rivalled- Industry: Design
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Monthly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Ease of Use
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Easy To Use Cloud Accounting Software
Reviewed on 2023/01/13
Nice and easy to use, makes dreaded bookkeeping a breeze. Highly recommend for small businesses or...
Nice and easy to use, makes dreaded bookkeeping a breeze. Highly recommend for small businesses or sole traders - it would save you a lot of accountancy fee.
Pros
Having switched from Xero, which I used for a decade, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to use FreeAgent. I would say the user interface and functionality are more intuitive than Xero. The best thing is, the software is free if you have a business account with NatWest or Mettle.
Cons
It isn't able to split the actual income and fees when reconciling Stripe transactions. I use the DoubleAgent plug-in as a workaround.
Reasons for Choosing FreeAgent
Xero was a bit expensive, whereas FreeAgent comes free with my business bank account.Switched From
Xero- Industry: Leisure, Travel & Tourism
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10
Accounting Simple & Affordable
Reviewed on 2022/10/26
Great experience, would definitely recommend to small businesses and freelancers!
Great experience, would definitely recommend to small businesses and freelancers!
Pros
It's very user friendly. It's great for freelancers or small businesses that do a lot of their own bookkeeping and accounting. It simplifies things in a way to make it easy.
Cons
The simplified software is great for basic transactions, but sometimes it would be better to have more customisation. There are fixed categories of expenses, so you can't create a custom one.
Reasons for Switching to FreeAgent
It was recommended by my accountant, and I've really enjoyed using it.- Industry: Information Technology & Services
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Monthly for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Free for NatWest Business customers, very straightforward accounting software for small...
Reviewed on 2021/04/15
All positive - occasionally have to try and work out how to do something, but customer support are...
All positive - occasionally have to try and work out how to do something, but customer support are very good and responsive if you get really stuck. For someone who would struggle with the accounting side of running a child's piggy bank, FreeAgent is worth its weight in gold!
Pros
It basically does all the required accounting without having to pay for an accountant to do it for you. The biggest benefit when it comes to tracking business tax and completing a tax return as it pretty much does it all for you.
Cons
Sometimes it's tricky to work out how something works and you have to go and get help from customer support, but this may be more user incompetence than anything wrong with the software!
Alternatives Considered
XeroReasons for Choosing FreeAgent
I was getting to the point of needing to pay for some of the options (I honestly can't remember the name of the software used previously and don't want to put the wrong one in!)Reasons for Switching to FreeAgent
NatWest provided the service free and it appeared to have everything needed.- Industry: Facilities Services
- Company size: 11–50 Employees
- Used Daily for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Highly recommended
Reviewed on 2019/08/08
Pros
I got access to this software FREE of charge through banking with RBS. Having previously used Xero for our book-keeping, I found it had the same great functionality but a much slicker design. It's simplicity and ease of use is the best thing going for it.
Cons
Had some issues at the beginning with connecting our bank feeds but this was sorted out quickly by the team at FreeAgent - can't think of any real faults with the software.
- Industry: Marketing & Advertising
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Weekly for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Ease of Use
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
Straightforward online accounting software
Reviewed on 2024/06/15
Pros
I enjoy the simplicity in creating new invoices and the VAT breakdown being provided so it is clear to the client. It is easy to either download the invoice as a PDF and email it manually or do so via FreeAgent itself.
Cons
As a new user I have found it difficult to change the status of an invoice ('paid' status in particular).
- Industry: Design
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
Great for small starters and contractors
Reviewed on 2023/02/26
Positive for my needs. My accountants (used through FreeAgent) don’t like using this software so...
Positive for my needs. My accountants (used through FreeAgent) don’t like using this software so there must be some more advanced features I’m missing.
Pros
British-owned, everything you need to get going for a small business with lots of additional features
Cons
Weirdly, I find the expense reporting a bit tricky to set up
- Industry: Information Technology & Services
- Company size: 51–200 Employees
- Used Daily for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10
Overall
Reviewed on 2018/02/19
Pros
Overall experience is good. It allows to better organised both my bookeeping but as well my employee work due to its usability. Love as well the API integration that allow me to create custom analysis.
Cons
Too much focus on UK client. We are an Italian company and some of the functionality available for UK are really complex to achieve for us and required workaround.
Billing only in 1 currency is crazy, why do you have invoice in multiple currency but billing cannot be done? It should be a simple addition to make but it has been year that people asked for this and still not implementation.
Country specific payroll. Although I am aware it will be impossible to enable payroll for every country out of the box why don't allow customer to customized the payroll functionality to meet payroll requirements or add important deadline for taxing purpose.
Even the export functionality can be improve and should be added to every areas from timesheet to bill, from invoice to expense with filter that allow you to specify the data you want to export.
VAT calculation for Intrastat - due to the internationalisation of business should be easier to export only bill and invoice that are related to country outside your normal business area.
What about language package? Again if not possibile provide an LDK that allow client to customize the interface.
- Industry: Information Technology & Services
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
Exceptionally Poor Customer Support
Reviewed on 2015/09/18
I originally found Freeagent around three years ago. I was very excited when I found I could use...
I originally found Freeagent around three years ago. I was very excited when I found I could use Freeagent through "My Business Works", a service offered by Barclays, at a reduced rate - except nobody decided to make it clear support is outsourced to "My Business Works" - perhaps the most key feature of freeagent.
For around three years I have always been in contact with friendly, kind and lovely staff at Freeagent who have always been happy to provide us with support - I have always avoided "My Business Works Support" as their staff are especially unhelpful, condescending and rude.
That was until today. A stubborn, although polite lady refused to give us support despite my explanation of the poor support "My Business Works" offers.
Quite simply her unkind, unfriendly action has lost a customer, we are moving to a far more powerful and equally easy to use software called Xilo, with much better support in January.
I used to think Freeagent was an actual service whereby one might not be bound to the selfish red-rape rules of the world, and was instead a friendly platform with every customer's interest at heart.
I would recommend all to consider Xilo over Freeagent. That is of course unless you want a kick in the teeth for being a long-term loyal customer!
Response from FreeAgent Central
Hello Oscar,
Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.
My name is Kevin McCallum and I am Business Development Director at FreeAgent and directly responsible for managing our relationship with MyBusinessWorks.
I'm really sorry that you've not had a good experience with MyBusinessWorks support and I wanted to let you know that we take these kind of issues very seriously and I am currently discussing this matter with MyBusinessWorks.
As you know from your previous discussions with our support team, we do take all our customer support obligations very seriously and pride ourselves on the support we provide to our customers. It is worth pointing out that MBW provide support on a number of the products you have access to through their package, whereas at FreeAgent we focus solely on our own software.
The only way to receive full unlimited support from our support team would be if you were a direct subscriber to FreeAgent. As we’ve said previously, if you wanted to transfer your account over to become a direct subscriber then we would be more than happy to help you do this. If you'd like to do this please email me on [email protected] and I can arrange it for you
To reiterate, I'm sorry that you are not happy with the support you have received from MBW but I am now dealing with this personally.
Kind regards,
Kevin
- Industry: Design
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Daily for 1-5 months
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10
Magnificent Customer Support, Good Accounting System
Reviewed on 2018/02/08
Pros
FreeAgent is more advanced than my previous service provider, Freshbooks. It allows me to handle the split between personal/business bank accounts and their expenses better and even submits my tax return to HMRC for me. The few times I've contacted their support, they have responded quickly, actually understood what I've asked and provided a detailed response, specific to my issue.
Cons
As a sole trader working on various contracts for 7.5 hours per day, I need to be able to track my time and bill my clients based on it. This is the only area where I found Freshbooks to have the edge—it provided a daily timeline where I could click on my start time, enter the duration, client and project and track my time visually. This meant that I could tell at a glance where there were gaps in my day and correct them accordingly.
FreeAgent allows me to add Timeslip entries, however it can get confusing quite quickly as there is no start time and no visual timeline. I have to rely on the running total of hours shown per day and try to work out the amount of hours to submit per task. So the interface isn't as intuitive as I would like, but the wealth of other extra features I have access to with FreeAgent does go some way to making up for it.
FreeAgent does also work out at around double the monthly subscription price of Freshbooks, which isn't ideal in my circumstances, but I do feel I am getting a better all-round product for the money.
- Industry: Hospital & Health Care
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
Perfect Companion for Accounting
Reviewed on 2015/08/31
I was introduced to Freeagent by my accountant, Balance Accountants. My business needs are met...
I was introduced to Freeagent by my accountant, Balance Accountants. My business needs are met very easily with Freeagent, I have a small company which is Residential Care and Home Care business. The cloud base system allows my accountant to access my work and I'm able to have meetings with bank managers etc without having to lug lots of paperwork about, everything is at my fingertips. Also im based in the South and my business and accountant are in the North, so logistically it works very well for me. The system I have found very easy to use and if I have ever got stuck, my accountant can sign in and talk me through it. Once you get yourself set up and familiarised, you won't believe how much simpler accounting gets. I use for all bookkeeping and invoicing. I would use it for payroll but hey....my payroll lady would be out of a job! But I reckon she uses it as she's always smiling never stressed.
Pros
Live bank feeds, easy to use, perfect for invoicing, accounting for small businesses, keeping the accountant and bank manager happy with the efficiency! It does everything (for me and my business needs) apart from making me coffee :-) Always a pleasure using freeagent, it's really fun to use!
Cons
Ive been using it for nearly two years....
Can't fault it!
Not sure if I could add a further business to the platform, for example: using same login details but be able to switch between businesses?? That would be really good.
- Used Weekly for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10
No longer fully trust Freeagent
Reviewed on 2018/02/08
Pros
It's useful to be able to see the state of my business finances at a glance and it's great to be able to send professional invoices - but it's a lot of money for an invoice template.
Cons
I no longer fully trust Freeagent, especially around banking, after I spotted that not all transactions are not being imported. When I raised it with customer services they basically just agreed that no, not all transactions are being imported, but couldn't give me a reason why or suggest how they would fix this, just said that I should check all transactions manually. What's the point of having an import feature if you then have to repeat everything manually? Meant I had to spend hours checking transactions and VAT returns to pick up transactions that Freeagent had missed. I certainly would no longer trust it with my tax return, so I have to employ an accountant as well. Also, when recognising transactions, Freeagent seems unable to recognise transfers between accounts, meaning they all have to be approved manually, despite the fact they happen time after time.
- Used Weekly for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Love it
Reviewed on 2018/02/08
Pros
Exceptionally easy to use and easy to learn. I keep the tab open every day. It's easy to "undo" if you make a mistake in an invoice. There's basically nothing that can't be undone by reverting to draft. The recurring invoices tool is really helpful. I don't use the feature where it'll email invoices/reminders. I prefer to do that myself and it's really easy — nothing to really keep track of since I invoice all clients on the same day each month. They make it easy to label bank transactions so as long as I remember to do that once a month or so, all my accounting reports are always current. I don't have to spend too much time on accounting and I don't really have any complaints. The customer service is always fantastic.
Cons
I wish the time tracking feature were just a little slicker. I use Toggl for time tracking, and then I import hours for each client each month. Not a big deal, but one of those little things that would put it over the top.
- Used Daily for 6-12 months
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10
Great when everything is simple and goes smoothly, difficult to customise or correct
Reviewed on 2018/02/09
Pros
the mobile app is great for tracking time or updating expenses while on the road
Like the time reporting features to report by contact or project
Tax Timeline also really helpful for getting a quick understand of what's owed
Cons
It's difficult to make corrections on invoices, especially if an expense or time item is labeled wrong, requires deleting/creating a new invoice rather than being able to unlock the items associated with it and fix them.
Layout options for invoices are very limiting unless you create your own CSS file.
Can't change account type without contacting admin - ie I mistakenly set up as a sole trader instead of private ltd company and says I have to contact customer service to change it.
- Industry: Leisure, Travel & Tourism
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Daily for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10
FreeAgent - Great and Gets Better
Reviewed on 2018/02/12
Pros
FreeAgent is a fantastic product. I have only needed to use support a couple of times and they were more unusual questions.
As a freelancer, keeping an eye on income and expenditure, billing and chasing invoices and recording expenses with my phone is really important. Add to that the easy submission of my tax return and it really is a great piece of software.
Cons
I am a little disappointed that I could not receive any of the discounts offered to new customers. (e.g. 6 months half price).
- Industry: Information Services
- Company size: 11–50 Employees
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
Reviewed lots of options made the decision to go with FreeAgent and never looked back, great...
Reviewed on 2017/12/12
Peace of mind, credible management information, easy ways of doing my quotations and billing,...
Peace of mind, credible management information, easy ways of doing my quotations and billing, streamlined data capture of receipts and mileage, reduced my back office admin costs and made our lives easier
Pros
Easy to use, intuitive, provides high quality information about the state of play of my business and my ongoing liabilities for tax and keeps easy track of who owes us money and how to send reminders. Quotation system works well, bank integration excellent and shared access for my back office book keepers means a lot less hassle. Love the App for capturing expenses and mileage
Cons
Worry about their inability to let me download copies of all scanned images I have added. I really cannot find anything else to say
- Industry: Executive Office
- Company size: Self Employed
- Used Daily for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Ease of Use
- Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10
Make life easier
Reviewed on 2018/02/08
Pros
It makes my life easier. I was spending at least half a day totting up time spent and billing clients but Freeagent does it all for me at the touch of a button. That has been the absolute stand out time saving feature for me. Plus it's not complicated, easy to use and displays everything clearly.
Cons
Every month I have to re-input the tasks for clients. I wish it would hold onto those so that I could re-use them for my ongoing clients.
- Industry: Human Resources
- Company size: 11–50 Employees
- Used Weekly for 2+ years
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
As an event planner, it makes me happy to use FreeAgent because of easy access.
Reviewed on 2017/10/23
Estimates and proposals
Invoice templates
Simple payroll and automatic back feeds
Tax timelines...
Estimates and proposals
Invoice templates
Simple payroll and automatic back feeds
Tax timelines (you'll never miss a deadline again!)
Self-assessment tax return filing
Unlimited users and transactions
Support accountants are available to answer any questions
First 30 days are free, I was excited about this and I was very happy about this.
Pros
Cheap depending on your business needs or the size of the business.
Famous for its incredible invoice templates
Shows your real-time profit position and it automatically updates your accounts.
Cloud-based, so there is no software to download or install
The interface is very friendly and lovely.
Cons
Online help, known as My Business Works Support has been known to be rather unhelpful and excessively rude
Tends to receive bugs or glitches that often take time to repair, if fixable at all
Even though this program offers Multiple Currency options, the proper support for this feature is seriously lacking
Not very quick with software updates (some have been waiting years for new and desired features)
- Used Daily for 1+ year
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
Like the product
Reviewed on 2018/03/07
Pros
Easy assess and works great for tracking my time and billing clients. The bank feed works well. I like the overview information of the home screen dash board.
Cons
I have an accounting background and am a bit frustrated with how to pay bills and reconciling an account. It has not been very easy for me to understand how some of the functions work - relative to other software that I have used. Some one with out my background might find it easy to understand.
Response from FreeAgent Central
Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. It's great to hear about the features you like using. Regarding the parts you are frustrated with, could you please contact our support team on 0800 288 8691 and explain this to them in more detail? They may be able to help you, and they can pass on any specific feedback for improving the product to our engineering team.
Thanks
- Industry: Sports
- Company size: 2–10 Employees
- Used Daily for 6-12 months
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Review Source
Overall rating
- Value for Money
- Ease of Use
- Customer Support
- Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10
Freeagent comments
Reviewed on 2021/09/09
Freeagent has provided my new company with a free, user-friendly and generally effective business...
Freeagent has provided my new company with a free, user-friendly and generally effective business accounting system
Pros
It came free linked to my sign-up to my online business banking account. Customer support is quick and comprehensive. It's reasonably user-friendly for the non-accountant to use.
Cons
It can sometimes confuse as to where administration input linked to an expense transaction should be applied - through the bank account app or Freeagent