Softwr

Accounting · head to head

FreeAgent vs insightsoftware

FreeAgent logo

FreeAgent

Accounting

Accounting software for small businesses and freelancers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
insightsoftware logo

insightsoftware

Accounting

A private-equity roll-up of financial reporting and EPM tools for the office of the CFO

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FreeAgent has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FreeAgent introductory pricing shown is 50% off the regular rates; insightsoftware you are buying one acquired product rather than a platform, and its roadmap depends on portfolio strategy decisions made after your contract is signed.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreeAgent and insightsoftware actually diverge.

Attributes where FreeAgent and insightsoftware differ
AttributeFreeAgentinsightsoftware
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in FreeAgent

Nothing recorded that insightsoftware does not also cover.

Only in insightsoftware

  • Excel-native reporting
  • ERP connectors
  • Financial close and consolidation
  • Budgeting and planning
  • Embedded analytics
  • Lease and equity management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

FreeAgent

  • Submitting VAT and Self Assessment tax returns to HMRC directlynot insightsoftware
  • Splitting rental income and expenses across multiple properties automaticallynot insightsoftware
  • Collecting invoice payments faster through one-click payments and remindersnot insightsoftware
  • Capturing bills and receipts via AI to auto-categorize expensesnot insightsoftware
  • Filing Real Time Information payroll directly to HMRC for employeesnot insightsoftware

insightsoftware

  • A Dynamics or NetSuite finance team that needs live ERP data in Excel without an IT-built data warehousenot FreeAgent
  • Month-end close reporting where the current process is exporting to Excel and manually rekeying figuresnot FreeAgent
  • Statutory consolidation and disclosure management across several legal entities and currenciesnot FreeAgent
  • A software vendor embedding dashboards into its own application using Logi Analyticsnot FreeAgent

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

FreeAgent

  • Introductory pricing shown is 50% off the regular rates
  • All prices exclude 20% VAT
  • Add-ons required for some features (Smart Capture Unlimited £5/month, Amazon integration £6/month)

insightsoftware

  • You are buying one acquired product rather than a platform, and its roadmap depends on portfolio strategy decisions made after your contract is signed.
  • The acquisition pace, roughly twenty-five companies, has produced overlapping products in the same category, and customers of the loser in an internal overlap face a migration they did not plan.
  • Renewal price increases are a recurring complaint across the portfolio, which is a normal consequence of private-equity ownership and should be negotiated into the initial contract rather than discovered later.
  • Support quality varies sharply by product depending on how recently it was acquired and how integrated the support organisation is, so reference checks need to be product-specific rather than vendor-level.
  • Nothing is priced publicly, and because each product is priced separately a finance stack assembled from three insightsoftware products can cost far more than the platform framing implies.

Pricing, plan by plan

FreeAgent

Free
  • Sole Traders$9.5/month
    • Introductory rate (regular price £19/month)
    • Annual option at £95/year (regular £190)
  • Landlords$5/month
    • Introductory rate (regular price £10/month)
    • Annual option at £50/year (regular £100)
  • UK Partnerships/LLPs$13.5/month
    • Introductory rate (regular price £27/month)
    • Annual option at £135/year (regular £270)
  • UK Limited Companies$16.5/month
    • Introductory rate (regular price £33/month)
    • Annual option at £330/year (regular £330)

insightsoftware

On request
  • insightsoftware products$undefined/year
    • Priced per product, not as one platform
    • Annual subscription or perpetual licence depending on the product
    • Named user and server-based metrics vary by product

Which should you pick?

Choose FreeAgent if

  • You want to start without paying.
FreeAgent review

Choose insightsoftware if

  • You need excel-native reporting.
  • You work on Web, Windows.
  • You also want erp connectors.
insightsoftware review

Questions people ask

Is FreeAgent or insightsoftware better?
Neither clearly leads. FreeAgent starts at Free and insightsoftware at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreeAgent or insightsoftware?
FreeAgent has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FreeAgent and On request for insightsoftware.
Does FreeAgent or insightsoftware run on more platforms?
FreeAgent runs on Web. insightsoftware runs on Web, Windows.
Can I use FreeAgent for free?
Yes. FreeAgent has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. insightsoftware starts at On request.
What is FreeAgent best used for?
FreeAgent is most often used for submitting vat and self assessment tax returns to hmrc directly, splitting rental income and expenses across multiple properties automatically, collecting invoice payments faster through one-click payments and reminders, capturing bills and receipts via ai to auto-categorize expenses. Of those, submitting vat and self assessment tax returns to hmrc directly and splitting rental income and expenses across multiple properties automatically are not what insightsoftware is typically brought in for.
What can FreeAgent do that insightsoftware cannot?
insightsoftware covers Excel-native reporting, ERP connectors, Financial close and consolidation, Budgeting and planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FreeAgent: Does FreeAgent offer a free option?

FreeAgent is free for qualifying customers maintaining business accounts with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, or certain Mettle accounts.

Source
insightsoftware: Is insightsoftware one product?

No. It is a portfolio of roughly twenty-five acquired products including Jet Reports, Spreadsheet Server, Longview, Certent and Logi Analytics.

FreeAgent: What is FreeAgent's pricing for sole traders?

Sole traders pay £9.50/month (50% introductory rate; regular £19/month), or £95/year annually (regular £190/year), excluding 20% VAT.

Source
insightsoftware: Who owns it?

TA Associates, with Hg investing around one billion US dollars for joint control at a valuation near four billion.

FreeAgent: What add-ons does FreeAgent offer?

Optional add-ons include Smart Capture Unlimited at £5/month and Amazon integration at £6/month, allowing customers to extend base plan functionality.

Source
insightsoftware: Does it publish pricing?

No. Each product is quoted separately.

FreeAgent: Does FreeAgent offer a trial?

FreeAgent provides a 30-day free trial with no commitment, and customers can cancel at any time during or after the trial period.

Source
insightsoftware: What should I check before buying?

Where your specific product sits in the portfolio strategy, and whether it overlaps with another acquired product.

Share

Related pages

More on FreeAgent

More on insightsoftware

Keep looking

Other head to heads