Softwr

Accounting · head to head

FreeAgent vs Zuora

FreeAgent logo

FreeAgent

Accounting

Accounting software for small businesses and freelancers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zuora logo

Zuora

Accounting

Subscription billing and revenue recognition for companies whose pricing is too complex for a payments platform

From
$29/month
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; Zuora pricing includes a component tied to the volume you bill, so the fee rises with your own commercial success in a way a flat platform charge does not, and the renewal conversation after a strong year is a different negotiation from the original one.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreeAgent and Zuora actually diverge.

Attributes where FreeAgent and Zuora differ
AttributeFreeAgentZuora
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
FoundedUnknown2007

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Zuora does not also cover.

Only in Zuora

  • Product catalogue
  • Amendment engine
  • Usage rating
  • Recurring invoicing
  • Payments and collections
  • Revenue recognition
  • Quoting and CPQ
  • Multi entity and multi currency

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

Zuora

  • A software company whose contracts routinely change mid term and whose current billing tool cannot prorate an amendment correctlynot FreeAgent
  • A business moving from perpetual licences to subscriptions that needs both the billing and the revenue recognition to hold up under auditnot FreeAgent
  • A usage based product where metered consumption has to be rated against tiers and commitments before it can be invoicednot FreeAgent
  • A group billing across several legal entities and currencies that has been reconciling invoices in spreadsheetsnot 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)

Zuora

  • Pricing includes a component tied to the volume you bill, so the fee rises with your own commercial success in a way a flat platform charge does not, and the renewal conversation after a strong year is a different negotiation from the original one.
  • Implementation is a multi quarter project that normally requires a systems integrator, so the first year cost is dominated by services rather than subscription, and the internal cost of finance and engineering time on catalogue and process design is larger still.
  • Product catalogue decisions made during implementation constrain what you can price and report for years, and changing them later means reworking live subscriptions and the revenue history attached to them rather than editing a configuration.
  • It is a subsidiary system rather than the general ledger, so someone has to own the reconciliation between billing, revenue and the accounts every period, and a mapping error surfaces as an unexplained variance in the close rather than as an obvious failure.
  • Billing and revenue are separate products with separate implementations, so a company that buys billing first and adds revenue later runs a second project against data models that were not designed together in the first place.

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)

Zuora

$29/month
  • LaunchFree
    • Up to $100K revenue
    • Core billing
    • Basic reporting
  • ScaleFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Advanced billing
    • Revenue automation

Which should you pick?

Choose FreeAgent if

  • You want to start without paying.
FreeAgent review

Choose Zuora if

  • You need product catalogue.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want amendment engine.
Zuora review

Questions people ask

Is FreeAgent or Zuora better?
Neither clearly leads. FreeAgent starts at Free and Zuora at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreeAgent or Zuora?
FreeAgent has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FreeAgent and $29/month for Zuora.
Does FreeAgent or Zuora run on more platforms?
FreeAgent runs on Web. Zuora runs on Web, Api.
Can I use FreeAgent for free?
Yes. FreeAgent has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zuora starts at $29/month.
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 Zuora is typically brought in for.
What can FreeAgent do that Zuora cannot?
Zuora covers Product catalogue, Amendment engine, Usage rating, Recurring invoicing.

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
Zuora: When is a company ready for Zuora rather than a simpler billing tool?

When the pricing model breaks the simpler tool: mid term amendments, ramps, usage tiers, multi entity billing or a revenue recognition requirement. Companies with flat monthly plans and few changes do not need it and will not enjoy paying for it.

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
Zuora: Does Zuora replace our accounting system?

No. It is a billing and revenue subledger that posts journals to your general ledger. You still need the ledger and someone owning the reconciliation between them.

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
Zuora: How long does an implementation take?

Plan in quarters. Catalogue design, order to cash process definition, data migration of existing subscriptions and ledger mapping each take real time, and the migration of live contracts is usually the hardest part.

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
Zuora: Does it calculate sales tax and VAT?

It integrates with third party tax engines rather than maintaining rates itself. Budget for that engine as a separate subscription and a separate integration.

Zuora: What changed when the company was taken private in 2025?

Ownership, not the product. As with any private equity owned platform, pay attention to renewal pricing behaviour and to roadmap commitments made verbally rather than contractually.

Zuora: Can we migrate our existing subscriptions in?

Yes, and it is the part of the project people underestimate. Every live contract has to arrive with its amendment history intact if the revenue schedules are to be right, so the migration is an accounting exercise as much as a data one.

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