FreeAgent vs Ember: Which Is Better Accounting Software?

We compare them based on real user reviews, prices and what features they both offer.

FreeAgent vs Ember Basics

	FreeAgent	Ember
Software Website	FreeAgent Website	Ember Website
HMRC MTD Status	Approved	Not Included
Who Can Use It?	Agents and businesses	Businesses and Self-employed
HMRC Listed Features	Digital record keeping, Updates to HMRC for self-employment, Updates to HMRC for UK property, Tax estimates from HMRC based on provided updates, Free version available	None
Platforms	Web-based application, Android, iOS, Windows phone	Web-based application, Android, and iOS

Note data for this section comes from HMRC here and here

Wondering if FreeAgent or Ember has better user reviews. We compared them below.

	FreeAgent	Ember
Trustpilot Rating	4.6	4.8
Number of Trustpilot Reviews	2180	213
iPhone App Rating	4.8	4.3
Number of iPhone Reviews	9600	37
Android App Rating	4.8	2.9
Number of Android Reviews	1130	42

Please note ratings we’re accurate at the time of writing but may have since changed

Which is cheaper FreeAgent or Ember? Here are their prices compared.

Data taken from each company’s website at the time of writing but may have since changed.

Data taken from each company’s website at the time of writing but may have since changed.

Dashboard – See the big picture for your business at a glance with cashflow, profit and loss, invoice timelines and more.
Business Insights with Radar – Get intelligent insights, tailored trend-spotting and personalised tips all in one place.
Estimates – Win more work with professional estimate templates ready to be converted to invoices.
Invoicing – Get paid faster with easy invoicing tools. Send customised invoices, reminders and thank-you emails.
Expenses – Track business costs quickly and easily. Snap receipts and record out-of-pocket expenses on the go.
Projects – Keep tabs on your project income, expenses and profitability – all in one place.
Time Tracking – Track the time you spend on projects, add this to invoices and generate timesheet reports.
Payroll – Run monthly payroll and file auto-calculated PAYE and National Insurance directly to HMRC.
Banking – Set up a bank feed and let all of your transactions flow into FreeAgent automatically.
VAT filing – Generate MTD-compliant VAT returns automatically and file them directly to HMRC in minutes.
Self Assessment – Get a real-time view of how much you owe for your tax return and file it directly to HMRC.

	FreeAgent	Ember
Payroll Software Integration	Yes	Yes
Track VAT	Yes	Yes
VAT Filing	Yes	Yes
Real-Time Financial Reports	Yes	Yes
Prepare Self Assessment	Yes	Yes
Income Tax Estimates	Yes	Yes
Manage Income & Expenses	Yes	Yes
Create Invoices	Yes	Yes
Forecast Cash Flow	Yes	Yes
Accept and Make Payments In Different Currencies	Yes	Yes
Employee Time Tracking	Yes	No
Projects	Yes	No
Bank Feed Integration	Yes	Yes
End of Year Filings	Yes	Yes
Capture Bills And Receipts	Yes	Yes
Bulk Reconcile Transactions	Yes	Yes
Track Inventory & Stock Levels	Yes	Yes

	FreeAgent	Ember
Pros	User Interface User Friendly Saves Time Customer Service Meets Business Needs	Ember offers its free account to both sole traders and limited companies. Emberâ€™s Pro plan for sole traders is one of the cheaper paid accounts on the market. The Pro and Unlimited plans are Making Tax Digital-compliant. Ability to submit VAT tax returns directly to HMRC with the Pro and Unlimited plans. Every Ember plan comes with discounts on other business tools and services.
Cons	Pay As You Earn (PAYE) software More bespoke accounting categories based on particular industries Quicker updating of tax return info	The free Starter plans are not MTD-compliant, and you will not be able to sign up for that plan if your business is VAT-registered. This means you cannot submit your VAT returns directly to HMRC if you are on a free plan. There is currently no multi-user access, regardless of which plan you are on. Emberâ€™s full payroll function is only available to limited companies paying for the Unlimited plan and as a paid extra There is no built-in cash-flow forecasting function, regardless of your plan.