FreeAgent vs SnelStart: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of FreeAgent and SnelStart to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
FreeAgent
6.4/10
FreeAgent is UK cloud accounting software for sole traders, limited companies, partnerships, and landlords. It covers invoicing, banking, payroll, and Making Tax Digital filing.
SnelStart
6.5/10
Dutch online bookkeeping software for small and medium businesses and their accountants, covering invoicing, VAT returns, bank links, inventory and business banking.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.4/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | £10/mo Landlord | €10/mo inOrde |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | £10/mo Landlord | €10/mo inOrde |
| Features | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Financial Reporting | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Online Payments | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Inventory Accounting | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
FreeAgent vs SnelStart cost by team size
| Team size | FreeAgent | SnelStart |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | £10/moLandlord | €10/moinOrde |
| 5 users | £10/moLandlord | €10/moinOrde |
| 10 users | £10/moLandlord | €10/moinOrde |
| 25 users | £10/moLandlord | €10/moinOrde |
| 50 users | £10/moLandlord | €10/moinOrde |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose FreeAgent
- Higher Compliance score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (10/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Multi-currency, which SnelStart lacks
Why choose SnelStart
- Higher Scalability score (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
FreeAgent
Pros
- Free for customers with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, or qualifying Mettle business account.
- Built-in HMRC filing covers MTD VAT, Self Assessment, and MTD for Income Tax, and the limited company plan adds end-of-year filing.
- Reviewers often praise its UK-based phone and chat support.
- Every plan includes time tracking, projects, and invoicing, which suits freelancers who bill by the hour.
- Multi-currency invoicing and foreign-currency bank accounts are supported, with realised and unrealised gains and losses calculated automatically.
Cons
- Reviewers describe invoice templates as basic and say custom reporting is limited.
- Payroll suits only director-only setups or very small teams.
- Its integration ecosystem is smaller than those of Xero or QuickBooks.
- It has no multi-entity consolidation or advanced controls, so it does not scale to larger firms.
- Some users report out-of-date help articles.
SnelStart
Pros
- Plans run from receipt submission up to full inventory and trade, so a growing business can stay on the same system without migrating.
- Large Dutch integration directory, covering Shopify, WooCommerce, Bol.com, Mollie, Stripe, Adyen, payroll tools such as Nmbrs, and Power BI.
- Widely used by Dutch accountants, and there are dedicated accountant packages that include tax, payroll and annual accounts.
- Business banking is included from the inKaart plan, with five payment accounts and a card.
- Reviewers praise the support channels, which include phone, live chat, remote assistance and email. Trustpilot shows 4.1 out of 5 from more than 2,200 reviews.
Cons
- Reviewers report no support for multiple currencies.
- Filing your own VAT return requires at least the 22 euro inKaart plan.
- Extra users (2.50 to 13.50 euro each) and extra administrations add to the monthly cost.
- Automatic bank feeds cover only five Dutch banks. Other banks need manual statement imports.
- The desktop version looks dated and does not have the same features as the web version. Time and mileage tracking need third-party add-ons.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
SnelStart scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.5/10 against 6.4/10 for FreeAgent. The largest gap is in Scalability: 3/10 for FreeAgent and 6/10 for SnelStart.
No, neither FreeAgent nor SnelStart lists a free plan.
FreeAgent is the better fit for freelancers: we rate it 10/10 for them, against 6/10 for SnelStart.
FreeAgent has Multi-currency, which SnelStart lacks.
