Best accounting apps for UK gas engineers and plumbers (2026)
Bookkeeping, Making Tax Digital, CIS and business banking. Many show big first-months discounts, so we list the regular price.
Quick answer: The lowest paid starting price we verified is Countingup (from £5/mo). Free plans: Pandle, Tide. Cheapest isn't always best. Check the points below before you pick.
Side by side
| Tool | Starting price | Free trial | Suits | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pandle | Free plan | 14 days on Pro, no card | sole trader | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Tide | Free plan | Free plan available | sole trader, small firm | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Countingup | from £5/mo | 3 months | sole trader | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Coconut | from £12.99/mo | 14 days, no card | sole trader | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Xero | from £18/mo | Offer instead of trial at time of check | sole trader, small firm | 20 Oct 2026 |
| FreeAgent | from £19/mo | 30 days | sole trader, small firm | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Sage Accounting | from £20/mo | Offer instead of trial at time of check | sole trader, small firm | 20 Oct 2026 |
| QuickBooks Online | Price not verified | 30 days | sole trader, small firm | Not verified |
How to choose
- From 6 April 2026 sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep records with MTD-compatible software (see GOV.UK). Check the app is HMRC-recognised.
- If you do CIS work, check CIS is supported.
- Look at the price after the introductory offer ends.
Good starting points for sole traders
- Pandle: Free plan. Free bookkeeping plan.
- Tide: Free plan. Business bank account.
- Countingup: from £5/mo. Business current account with built-in bookkeeping.
- Coconut: from £12.99/mo. Self Assessment and MTD for Income Tax.
- Xero: from £18/mo. Bank feeds and reconciliation.
Prices are as shown on each vendor's own pricing page on the date in the table, usually excluding VAT. "Not verified" means we couldn't confirm the price on the vendor's site. Spotted a change? Report it.
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