Clear Books is UK cloud accounting software for sole traders, landlords and small businesses. It supports bookkeeping, invoicing, bank feeds and HMRC submissions.
Feature and price assessments reflect current vendor documentation and pricing. User sentiment is informed by public G2 and Capterra aggregate ratings, not hands-on testing or analysis of all reviews.
This profile combines documented product information and independent evidence where available. It is not a hands-on test unless TechZella explicitly identifies one.
A quick way to understand who this product may suit, where its limits matter, and which facts are most relevant before you compare alternatives.
UK sole traders, landlords and small organisations seeking cloud bookkeeping, invoicing, bank feeds and HMRC-related filings, with accountant collaboration.
Organisations requiring a verified desktop or self-hosted edition, or extensive multi-currency/project accounting on entry plans, should check plan limits before choosing, and should evaluate alternatives such as Xero u2014 compare when a buyer needs its separate UK accounting plans and app ecosystem; Clear Books offers dedicated free MTD plans and defined sole-trader options. or FreeAgent u2014 compare for eligible bank-linked free access and its small-business accounting offer; Clear Books offers separate landlord and overseas-property plan options. instead.
Android, iOS, REST API, SaaS, Web
8.1/10
These are the product-specific differences that may matter when deciding whether the software fits your workflow. They are based on documented evidence rather than a universal ranking.
These are documented constraints or practical friction points that may matter before you adopt the product.
Users who work without reliable connectivity can capture selected transactions, but should not expect full offline access to the accounting service.
Evidence source ↗Confirm the needed filing regime and accounting features before comparing the headline subscription price.
Evidence source ↗Businesses planning an exit should confirm export and retention arrangements before cancelling.
Evidence source ↗MTD Income Tax quarterly updates, income and expense records, basic reports and accountant invitation; no transaction limits are listed.
Check current pricing →Plus VAT, billed monthly. Adds bill and receipt scanning, bank feeds, invoicing, business reports and accountant tools.
Check current pricing →Plus VAT, billed monthly. Adds MTD VAT reporting, flat-rate scheme and VAT Domestic Reverse Charge features.
Check current pricing →Free MTD Income Tax bookkeeping for one property or grouped properties, with no transaction limits listed.
Check current pricing →Free MTD Income Tax bookkeeping for one overseas property, with no transaction limits listed.
Check current pricing →Plus VAT, billed monthly. Paid plans add multi-property tracking, bank feeds, scanning, reporting and accountant tools.
Check current pricing →Plus VAT, billed monthly. Includes bank feeds, invoicing, reporting, integrations, API and user permissions.
Check current pricing →Plus VAT, billed monthly. Adds MTD VAT, purchase orders, CIS reporting and unlimited budgets.
Check current pricing →Plus VAT, billed monthly. Adds project accounting, multi-currency, employee expense claims and fixed assets.
Check current pricing →Pricing may change. Verify current plans on the vendor's website.
Compare the product with documented alternatives across the factors that can change a buying decision. Each row is evidence-backed rather than a generic feature checklist.
| Decision factor | ClearBooks | Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Core scope | Cloud bookkeeping, invoicing, bank feeds, reporting and UK filing features; plan availability varies. | UK cloud accounting plans include reconciliation, invoicing, reporting and an app ecosystem; features and limits vary by plan. Source ↗ |
| Pricing model | Small starts at £16/month plus VAT, billed monthly; annual and two-year billing discounts are shown. | UK subscriptions are tiered; Ignite is listed at £18/month excluding VAT after the introductory offer. Source ↗ |
| Feature limits and upgrades | Clear Books lists unlimited users on the paid sole-trader plan; Large adds multi-currency and project accounting. | Xero advertises no per-user licence fees, while certain plan features have user, payment or usage limits and extra charges may apply. Source ↗ |
| Decision factor | ClearBooks | FreeAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Clear Books Small is listed at £16/month plus VAT, billed monthly. | FreeAgent lists a regular monthly price of £19 excluding VAT for its small-business plan, with eligible bank customers able to qualify for a free account. Source ↗ |
| Free access conditions | Sole Trader Free and Property Free are presented as forever-free plans for stated MTD bookkeeping needs. | FreeAgent says its free account requires a qualifying NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or Mettle account, subject to stated account conditions. Source ↗ |
Only factors supported by the available research are shown. The comparison is descriptive, not a ranking.
Clear Books is UK cloud accounting software for sole traders, landlords and small organisations. Its plans cover bookkeeping, invoicing, bank feeds, reporting and selected HMRC submissions. The company says it began in 2008 and is UK-based.
It offers browser access and linked iOS and Android apps. The mobile app supports offline entry of selected records, which sync after connectivity returns. MTD, VAT, CIS and advanced accounting features depend on the plan.
| Deployment | Cloud-hosted SaaS |
|---|---|
| Browser access | Web browser; no installation required for browser use |
| Mobile apps | iOS and Android |
| API | Documented REST API; OAuth 2 authorization-code flow |
| Free trial | 30 days on paid plans |
| Pricing currency | GBP, plus VAT on paid plans |
| User access | Unlimited users listed for paid sole trader plans |
| Data backup | Vendor FAQ describes daily backups and retention of 30 days of backups |
| Data after account closure | Archived after three months; permanently deleted seven years after closure, according to the FAQ |
Verified installation, hosting, administration, or environment details that can affect implementation.
| Hosting | Cloud service accessed through a browser; no installation is required for browser use. Source ↗ |
|---|---|
| Mobile | Official mobile apps are linked for iPhone and Android; selected records can be entered offline and synced when online. Source ↗ |
| API | Documented REST API using OAuth 2 authorization-code flow; documentation notes confidential clients and supports PKCE. Source ↗ |
Xero may suit buyers who prioritize its UK plan range, ecosystem and included capabilities, while Clear Books has dedicated free MTD plans and offers unlimited users on its paid sole-trader plan. FreeAgent may suit eligible customers seeking an account included with a qualifying bank relationship; Clear Books is relevant when its dedicated landlord and sole-trader plan structure or organisation-tier features fit better.
Documented portability, standards, export, or switching considerations. No switching-cost score is shown unless the evidence supports one.
The public FAQ describes account closure, archiving and possible charges for restoring archived data, but the reviewed pages did not establish a complete export format or migration service.
Evidence source ↗A proprietary editorial score based on product capabilities, usability, value, performance, support and user sentiment evidence.
Feature and price assessments reflect current vendor documentation and pricing. User sentiment is informed by public G2 and Capterra aggregate ratings, not hands-on testing or analysis of all reviews.
Methodology v1.0. The assessment weighs feature coverage (25%), ease of use (15%), value for money (20%), performance (15%), support (10%) and user sentiment (15%), using researched product evidence and verified review evidence where available. It is a TechZella editorial assessment, not a direct user-review average.
Key claims are linked to the sources used to verify them. This evidence record is separate from third-party user ratings.
TechZella evaluates software using documented product capabilities, pricing information, usability and value considerations, independent user evidence where available, and competitive context. The assessment is an editorial review, not a hands-on test unless one is explicitly identified. Our editorial assessment is based on 5 documented sources.
The company history identifies 2008 as its start year and names founder Tim Fouracre.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-18The pricing page describes Sole Trader Free and Property Free as forever-free plans with stated MTD Income Tax features.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-18The vendor API page and developer documentation describe a REST API, OAuth 2 authentication and API endpoints.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-18The integrations page lists AutoEntry, Companies House, HMRC, XE, Plaid, Stripe, GoCardless, PayPal, iPages, Revolut Business, Capitalise and TRIVER.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-18The official mobile page links to both app stores and describes mobile invoicing and receipt capture.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-18The current pricing page lists both features under the Large plan.
View source ↗Verified 2026-10-18Is Clear Books free? It offers free Sole Trader, Property and Foreign Property plans with defined bookkeeping and MTD Income Tax functions.
Does it offer a free trial? The pricing page lists a 30-day trial for paid plans.
Does it have an API? Yes. Clear Books publishes REST API documentation and OAuth 2 authentication details.
Which platforms are supported? It is accessed through a web browser, with official iOS and Android mobile apps.
Can it file VAT and CIS? The pricing page lists MTD VAT and CIS features on specified paid plans; confirm the relevant tier before subscribing.
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