Clear Books

Overview

Clear Books is accounting software for UK sole traders, landlords and organisations, with bookkeeping, invoicing and tax tools. It suits people whose work fits one of its distinct sole-trader, property or business plans. Its UK tax features and accountant access are strong reasons to consider it; the free plans are deliberately narrow, and paid plans start at £5 per month plus VAT.

Key features

Branded invoices, recurring invoices and automated late-payment reminders make Clear Books a sensible fit for businesses that bill clients regularly. Receipt capture and inventory tracking support routine record-keeping, while sales and purchase tracking and a full reporting suite are included in Small.

Small, Medium and Large include bank feeds with automated matching, which can reduce manual reconciliation. HMRC recognition, VAT submissions, MTD Income Tax and quarterly updates give Clear Books a distinct UK compliance focus.

Paid plans include unlimited users, accountant invitations and accountant tools, so a business can share access with an adviser without a stated seat cap. Small, Medium and Large also include integrations and an API; Stripe and GoCardless are built in. Support ranges from self-service and email to phone and email, with UK-based support.

Pricing

There are two forever-free options for UK users and additional paid plans billed monthly plus VAT. Paid plans include a full-access 30-day free trial; trials can be cancelled anytime without payment, and subscriptions can be cancelled anytime. Annual billing saves 10%, while two-year billing saves 20% on All Organisations plans.

• Sole Trader Free — free forever: MTD-ready bookkeeping for sole traders with no transaction limit. It is the lowest-cost fit for a sole trader who does not need the paid plan’s added scope.
• Sole Trader — £5 per month plus VAT: For self-employed people without VAT, with unlimited users. It costs little, but is not the VAT-registered option.
• Sole Trader Plus — £15 per month plus VAT: Adds MTD VAT reporting, the flat-rate scheme and VAT Domestic Reverse Charge to Sole Trader, making it the relevant sole-trader tier for VAT obligations.
• Property Free — free forever: MTD-ready landlord bookkeeping for one property or grouped properties, with no transaction limit. The property scope, rather than transaction volume, is the constraint.
• Property — £5 per month plus VAT: For landlords managing multiple properties, with unlimited users.
• Foreign Property Free — free forever: For one overseas property, with no transaction limit.
• Foreign Property — £5 per month plus VAT: For landlords with multiple overseas properties, with unlimited users.
• Small — £16 per month plus VAT: For limited companies, sole traders, partnerships and charities. It adds bank feeds with automated matching, sales and purchase tracking, invoice creation and email, full reporting, integrations, an API and user permissions. This is the clearest fit for an organisation needing broader bookkeeping than the specialist £5 plans provide.
• Medium — £34 per month plus VAT: For businesses filing VAT and CIS, with unlimited budgets. It is aimed at more involved compliance needs than Small.
• Large — custom pricing: For growing businesses with complex needs. Monthly billing is offered, or yearly at £39.60 per month and every two years at £35.20 per month, plus VAT.

The free plans have no transaction caps, but their stated property scopes matter: one property or grouped properties for Property Free, and one overseas property for Foreign Property Free. Clear Books also accepts direct debit, credit card and debit card payments.

Platforms

Clear Books runs in a browser and has Android and iOS apps, so it can suit people who need both desktop access and mobile bookkeeping.

Who it's for

Clear Books is best matched to UK sole traders, landlords and organisations that want plan choices tied to their business or property situation, alongside HMRC-recognised, MTD-ready accounting. Landlords with more properties can move from the free property options to paid plans, while VAT-registered sole traders have a specific £15 tier. It is less compelling for anyone who needs a single broad free plan or whose work falls outside those UK-focused plan categories.

Pros and cons

• Pro: The free sole-trader and property plans have no transaction limits, avoiding a volume cap for users whose work fits their defined scope.
• Pro: UK tax support spans VAT submissions, MTD Income Tax and quarterly updates, with HMRC recognition and MTD readiness.
• Pro: Unlimited users and accountant tools on paid plans help businesses share accounting access with an adviser.
• Con: Free property plans are limited by property scope, so landlords with multiple properties need a paid plan.
• Con: The £5 Sole Trader plan is for people without VAT; VAT-registered sole traders need the £15 Sole Trader Plus tier.
• Con: Bank feeds with automated matching are specified for Small, Medium and Large, not the lower-cost specialist paid plans.

Alternatives

For a wider category comparison, see Bookkeeping Software; Gym Accounting Software and Salon Accounting Software are more targeted lists for those industries.

FreeAgent is another freemium option with web, Android and iOS access, and its sole-trader plan costs £10 per month; it may suit readers comparing a different paid sole-trader price point.

Odoo Accounting offers a free plan and web, mobile and self-hosted platforms, making it worth considering for readers who specifically want a self-hosted option.

Wave has a free Starter plan with unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, but online card payments carry a 2.9% + $0.60 fee per transaction; consider it when those free record and invoicing allowances matter more than Clear Books' UK tax focus.

Zoho Books has a free plan for solopreneurs and micro businesses while annual revenue stays below $50K; it is an option for readers who fit that revenue threshold.

Akaunting offers web-based freemium plans, including Standard Cloud at $12.00 USD per month for one company, one user and one accountant; it is an alternative for readers comparing a separate cloud bookkeeping plan.

BUSY has a free Express plan for billing and accounting with multiple companies and financial years, so it is worth considering where those specific needs apply.

Dolibarr is a free option for web, Windows, macOS and Linux.

Vyapar offers Android and iOS plans, including Silver at $79.99 USD per year for three companies and Gold at $99.99 USD per year for five firms.

Verdict

Choose Clear Books if you are a UK sole trader, landlord or organisation that values MTD and VAT support, accountant access and a plan shaped around your work. Its most persuasive advantage is the combination of focused free entry plans and stronger UK tax tools on paid tiers. Look elsewhere if you need bank feeds on a £5 plan, a free plan without the stated property scope, or software not oriented around UK tax requirements.