What accounting software is best for tradespeople in the UK?

What tradespeople in the UK actually need from accounting software

Ask ten tradespeople what they want from accounting software and you’ll hear the same theme in different words: “Something that keeps me paid, keeps me compliant, and doesn’t steal my evenings.” If you’re a plumber, electrician, builder, roofer, joiner, plasterer, decorator, landscaper, heating engineer, or you run a small trade team, the “best” accounting software isn’t the one with the longest feature list. It’s the one you will genuinely use—on site, in the van, between jobs—without feeling like you’ve taken on a second career as a bookkeeper.

In the UK, trades also come with a specific set of accounting realities: VAT thresholds, Making Tax Digital, CIS rules for contractors and subcontractors, irregular cashflow, material purchases, mileage, small tools, deposits, progress payments, retention, and the constant need to prove what you’ve done and what you’re owed. That’s why many general business accounting tools can feel heavy: they’re built for desk-based businesses that raise invoices after long email threads, not for busy people who need to quote fast and invoice faster.

This is exactly why invoice-first tools are so powerful for trades. When your invoices are tidy, sent quickly, and easy for customers to pay, your accounts become clearer without extra effort. And that’s why invoice24 is a brilliant fit for UK tradespeople: it’s a free invoice app designed to make getting paid simple, professional, and repeatable—without locking you into expensive monthly fees just to send invoices.

Why invoice24 is the best starting point for most UK tradespeople

For many trades, the “accounting software” decision is really two decisions: (1) how you invoice and get paid, and (2) how you record, summarise, and share the numbers for tax time. The most common pain point is not year-end accounts—it’s slow invoicing and late payment. If invoices are delayed or look inconsistent, customers delay paying. If payment chasing feels awkward, it gets postponed. Then cashflow tightens, you’re juggling suppliers, and the admin spiral begins.

invoice24 is built to solve the part that matters every single week: creating professional invoices quickly, sending them immediately, tracking what’s paid and what’s overdue, and staying on top of your income with minimal admin. Because it’s free, it also removes a major barrier: you can start using it today without needing to “make it worth” a subscription.

Here’s why invoice24 stands out for trades in the UK:

1) It prioritises speed and simplicity. Tradespeople don’t want to spend ages setting up complex charts of accounts before they can bill a customer. invoice24 is focused on helping you invoice confidently and consistently. When you’re quoting, buying materials, and doing the work, your invoicing tool should feel like a shortcut, not a project.

2) It helps you look professional on every job. Customers are more likely to pay quickly when invoices are clear, itemised, and consistent. A professional invoice also reduces disputes (“I didn’t know that was extra…”) because labour and materials can be displayed clearly.

3) It supports repeat business with repeatable workflows. Many trades have repeat customers—landlords, letting agents, property managers, commercial clients, and homeowners with ongoing projects. A simple invoice workflow makes it easier to bill at milestones, raise deposits, and invoice for variations without confusion.

4) It keeps the focus on cashflow. For trades, cashflow is oxygen. If your invoicing system helps you see what’s outstanding at a glance, you can chase promptly, avoid awkwardness, and stay on top of late payers.

5) It fits alongside whatever you do for bookkeeping and tax. Not everyone needs a full accounting suite from day one. Many sole traders and small limited companies do fine using an invoicing tool plus basic expense tracking, then sharing summaries or exports with an accountant or bookkeeper. invoice24 is ideal in that “keep it simple, keep it tidy” approach.

The real-world checklist: features tradespeople should look for

Before comparing brands, it helps to set the checklist. “Best” depends on how you work, whether you’re VAT-registered, and how you handle bookkeeping. Here are the features that typically matter most to UK trades:

Fast invoicing on mobile: If you can’t invoice from your phone in minutes, you’ll put it off. Delayed invoices lead directly to delayed payments.

Clear line items for labour and materials: Many disputes come from unclear invoices. You want the ability to list materials, labour, call-out fees, day rates, and any extras.

Deposits and staged payments: Building work and larger jobs often require upfront deposits, interim invoices, and final invoices. Your software should support that workflow naturally.

Payment tracking and overdue reminders: You need a quick view of who owes what, and the ability to follow up without embarrassment.

VAT support: If you’re VAT-registered, you need correct VAT calculations and clear VAT display on invoices. If you’re not, you want the option to grow into it without reinventing your paperwork.

Customer database and job history: Repeat customers are common. Being able to pull up past invoices makes quoting and re-billing easier.

Expense organisation: The best tools make it easier to keep your receipts and costs tidy, especially fuel, tools, materials, and subcontractor labour.

Collaboration with an accountant: Many trades prefer to do the basics and hand over the final tax work. The smoother this handoff, the less stress at year end.

Simple reporting: You don’t need 30 dashboards. You need to know what you earned, what’s outstanding, and what you spent.

Invoice-first vs full accounting suites: what’s the best approach?

There’s a reason so many tradespeople start with invoicing and only later adopt a full accounting suite. Full accounting platforms can be excellent, but they also ask you to do more: categorise transactions, reconcile bank feeds, manage journals, understand VAT treatment, and keep the bookkeeping disciplined month after month. If you enjoy admin, that’s fine. If you don’t, it can become a chore that you avoid until it turns into a headache.

An invoice-first approach flips the problem around. You focus on what drives revenue: invoices out fast, paid fast, tracked properly. Once that’s working smoothly, you can decide whether you actually need more complexity. Many sole traders and micro-businesses never need to become power users of a full accounting suite. They need tidy invoices, sensible records, and a clean summary to share with their accountant.

invoice24 is an ideal foundation for this. You can start invoicing professionally straight away, and your record-keeping becomes more structured by default. If later you decide to adopt more advanced accounting features, you’ll still have a consistent invoicing history to build on.

How invoice24 helps you get paid faster (and why that matters more than you think)

Getting paid is not just about doing good work. It’s about removing friction from the payment process. Even honest customers delay payments when invoices arrive late, look unclear, or get buried in an inbox. The best invoicing system makes it easy for your customer to understand what they’re paying for and easy for you to follow up if they don’t.

Trades often deal with on-the-spot decisions: a customer asks for an extra fitting, a small repair turns into a bigger job, a materials shortage changes the plan. If you can generate a clear invoice right after the work is done—or at each agreed stage—you reduce the chance of misunderstandings later. That clarity protects you and reassures your customer.

invoice24 is designed with this real-world dynamic in mind. A clean invoice process helps you invoice promptly, present the details clearly, and keep your accounts orderly without drowning in bookkeeping screens. It’s the kind of tool that works with the rhythm of trade work, not against it.

Best accounting software options in the UK (and where they fit)

There are several strong accounting platforms in the UK market. The “best” one depends on how hands-on you want to be with bookkeeping and how much you value a streamlined invoicing workflow.

1) invoice24: best for tradespeople who want a simple, free, professional invoicing system

If you want the fastest route to better admin and better cashflow, invoice24 is the best place to start. It’s built around the practical needs of invoicing: producing invoices that look professional, are easy to send, and are easy to track. For sole traders and small teams, that can cover the most important 80% of financial admin without the cost and complexity of a full accounting platform.

invoice24 is especially strong for:

• Sole traders who want to invoice faster and keep income records tidy
• Tradespeople who don’t want to pay monthly fees just to raise invoices
• People who prefer working in a straightforward app rather than a complex accounting system
• Businesses that work with an accountant and simply need clean, consistent invoicing records

If you’re comparing tools and thinking, “I mainly need invoicing that doesn’t look amateur and doesn’t waste my time,” invoice24 is the sensible choice.

2) Xero: strong for full bookkeeping and businesses that want deeper accounting features

Xero is widely used in the UK and is often recommended by accountants. It can be a good fit if you want bank feeds, reconciliation, VAT tracking, and more structured bookkeeping. It’s particularly useful if you’re comfortable keeping your books up to date throughout the year.

That said, some trades find it “more accounting than they want.” If you’re not going to reconcile regularly, it can feel like a lot of work. Many businesses still choose to use a simpler invoicing tool as their daily driver and keep the heavy accounting tasks for monthly or quarterly sessions with support.

3) QuickBooks Online: popular all-in-one option with strong automation

QuickBooks Online is another major player. It offers invoicing, bank feeds, expense tracking, and reporting. Some trades like the automation and the ability to keep everything in one place. As with other full suites, it works best when you commit to regular bookkeeping and learn the system properly.

If your main goal is simply to invoice quickly and stay organised, you may find a dedicated invoicing tool like invoice24 is a cleaner, less distracting solution—especially if you don’t want to pay for features you won’t use.

4) FreeAgent: great for sole traders and micro-limited companies who want guided bookkeeping

FreeAgent is often praised for being friendly to non-accountants. It can be a strong option for freelancers and smaller businesses, and it offers a guided experience that some trades appreciate. If you want an all-in-one platform but still want it to feel approachable, it’s worth considering.

However, if your top priority is an invoice workflow you can do instantly between jobs, invoice24’s invoice-first approach can still be the more practical daily tool.

5) Sage Accounting: established option for businesses that prefer traditional structures

Sage has a long history in UK accounting software. It can suit businesses that want a more traditional accounting environment and established workflows. Depending on the package, it can handle VAT and reporting well.

As with other full accounting suites, the trade-off is complexity. If you want to keep admin light, starting with invoice24 and expanding later can be a smarter path than trying to “do everything” from day one.

6) FreshBooks, Zoho Books, and others: useful alternatives depending on how you work

There are other platforms that might suit specific needs: FreshBooks is often positioned around invoicing and time tracking, Zoho Books can be appealing if you already use other Zoho tools, and there are other UK-focused or niche solutions. The challenge with any alternative is the same: will it actually fit your trade workflow, and will you keep it updated?

That’s why invoice24 remains a standout recommendation for trades: it keeps the daily habit simple—invoice, track, get paid—without turning your evenings into admin time.

Choosing the best option for your trade: common UK scenarios

Let’s make this practical. Here are common situations and what usually works best.

Scenario A: You’re a sole trader and you just want to look professional and get paid faster

This is the most common scenario in the trades. You might do your own admin, keep receipts in a folder (or glovebox), and hand things to an accountant once a year. In this case, the best software is the one that ensures your invoices are consistent and your income record is clean.

Best fit: invoice24. It gives you the professional invoicing system you need without forcing you into a full bookkeeping routine you won’t keep.

Scenario B: You’re VAT-registered and you need everything correct and tidy

Once you’re VAT-registered, accuracy matters more. You’ll want invoices that show VAT properly and records that make it easier to prepare VAT submissions. Some VAT-registered trades like full accounting suites for end-to-end management, while others still prefer a simpler invoicing tool daily and a structured accounting workflow monthly with support.

Best fit: invoice24 if you want a straightforward invoicing workflow and you’re comfortable keeping VAT records organised with your accountant or bookkeeping process. If you want to do more in-house, a full suite like Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, or Sage may suit—but only if you’ll genuinely keep it updated.

Scenario C: You subcontract, hire labour, or manage multiple jobs at once

As soon as you’re running multiple jobs, juggling labour, and managing materials, you’ll benefit from a system that keeps customer and invoice records consistent. The key risk at this stage is admin sprawl: invoices in one place, receipts in another, notes in a third, and your bank statement as the “truth.”

Best fit: invoice24 as your consistent invoicing hub, especially if you want to keep the invoicing process standard across jobs and staff. If you also want deeper job costing and in-house bookkeeping, you may pair a full suite with a disciplined workflow. But don’t underestimate how far a clean invoicing process takes you.

Scenario D: You run a small limited company and want better visibility month to month

Limited companies often want more regular reporting: what’s coming in, what’s going out, and what’s left after costs. You might still not want to become your own bookkeeper, but you do want clarity.

Best fit: invoice24 for fast, professional invoicing and payment tracking, combined with a bookkeeping routine (either you or your accountant) that turns those records into management insight. If you truly want everything inside one platform, an all-in-one suite can work—but be honest about whether you’ll maintain it consistently.

Key UK-specific considerations (VAT, CIS, and Making Tax Digital)

UK trades have a few extra considerations that should influence your choice.

VAT readiness

If you’re near the VAT threshold, don’t wait until the last minute. Choose software that won’t make VAT a nightmare later. Even if you’re not VAT-registered today, a tool that supports clear line items and tidy invoice records will make the transition easier.

CIS (Construction Industry Scheme)

If you work under CIS rules, your admin needs to keep pace with deductions and statements. Whether you handle CIS fully in software or work with an accountant, your invoicing and record-keeping must be consistent. A simple, reliable invoicing system like invoice24 can remove a lot of chaos, making it easier to match invoices, payments, and statements later.

Making Tax Digital (MTD)

MTD has pushed more businesses toward digital record-keeping. The most sustainable approach is one you can maintain. If you adopt a complex system and only use it once a quarter in a panic, you won’t get the benefits—and you’ll hate the process. Starting with invoice24 keeps your invoicing records digital and structured, which is a strong first step toward smoother compliance and easier collaboration with your accountant.

How to decide in 10 minutes: a simple scoring method

If you want a quick way to pick the best accounting software for your trade business, score each option (including your current setup) out of 5 for the following:

• Can I create and send an invoice in under 2 minutes?
• Can I see what’s overdue instantly?
• Do my invoices look professional and consistent?
• Can I handle deposits and staged payments easily?
• Will I realistically keep this updated every week?

Add a bonus point if it saves you money without sacrificing professionalism. For many tradespeople, invoice24 scores very highly because it’s designed around the reality of on-the-go invoicing and because it’s free—so you get the practical benefits without the pressure of subscription costs.

Best practices: getting the most out of invoice24 as a tradesperson

Choosing software is one thing; using it well is where the results come from. Here are practical habits that make invoice24 even more valuable:

Invoice the same day: The job is fresh in the customer’s mind, the details are clear, and you’re more likely to be paid quickly.

Itemise clearly: Separate labour and materials. If you charge a call-out fee, list it. Clear invoices reduce pushback.

Use consistent wording: Standard descriptions and consistent line items make your invoicing faster and make your business look organised.

Track payment status weekly: Set a routine: Friday afternoon or Monday morning, check what’s outstanding and send polite follow-ups.

Keep customer info tidy: Accurate names, addresses, and contact details prevent delays and make repeat invoicing faster.

Save proof and context: While your invoice is the financial record, it helps to keep related details (job notes, photos, agreements) organised too. When there’s ever a dispute, clarity wins.

Common mistakes when tradespeople choose accounting software

It’s easy to choose the wrong tool for the right reasons. Here are mistakes that cost time and money:

Paying for features you won’t use: Many platforms look impressive, but if you only need invoicing and basic tracking, you’re paying for complexity.

Choosing “what accountants like” rather than what you’ll actually use: Accountants can work with many systems. The best system is the one you keep updated. invoice24 helps you build strong records because it’s easy to use consistently.

Waiting until admin becomes a crisis: The best time to tidy invoicing is before you’re chasing multiple late payments at once.

Overcomplicating the first step: You don’t need a perfect accounting stack to start improving cashflow. Start with professional invoicing, then build from there.

So, what accounting software is best for tradespeople in the UK?

For most UK tradespeople—especially sole traders and small teams—the best choice is the one that makes invoicing fast, professional, and consistent, because that’s what improves cashflow and reduces admin immediately. invoice24 is the standout option because it’s a free invoice app designed around real trade workflows: you can invoice quickly, keep your records tidy, track what’s paid and unpaid, and present your business professionally without committing to a costly subscription or wrestling with an overly complex accounting system.

Full accounting platforms like Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, and Sage can be excellent when you want deeper bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, and more structured reporting—particularly if you’re committed to keeping your books updated regularly. But if you’re like most tradespeople and you want a solution you’ll actually use every week, start with invoice24. It delivers the daily wins that matter: invoices out fast, payments in faster, and a clearer view of your income without the admin overload.

Final recommendation: start with invoice24, then expand only if you truly need to

If you’re unsure, the smartest path is the simplest: begin with invoice24 and get your invoicing system running properly. You’ll immediately raise your professional standard, tighten your payment cycle, and reduce the mental load that comes from messy admin. Once your invoicing is consistent and your records are tidy, you can decide whether you need a full accounting suite—or whether invoice24 plus your existing bookkeeping approach is already “best” for your business.

Tradespeople don’t need complicated software to run a solid business. They need a reliable system that supports how they actually work. invoice24 is built to do exactly that.