Software Alternatives & Startups

BillingEngine VS FreeAgent

Compare BillingEngine VS FreeAgent and see what are their differences

BillingEngine

E-invoicing software for freelancers and small businesses in the EU and Germany

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial €7.5 / Monthly (Basic)
FreeAgent

Say hello to your business's new best friend. Accounting software trusted by over 35,000 freelancers and small businesses

Rating
5.0 · 1 review
Pricing
Paid Free trial £29 / Monthly (Company)

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, FreeAgent seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 1 time since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 1
Accounting popularity
6% vs 94%
alternatives listed
77 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

BillingEngine
FreeAgent
Website billingengine.com freeagent.com
Pricing
Freemium Free trial €7.5 / Monthly (Basic) Official pricing
Paid Free trial £29 / Monthly (Company) Official pricing
Platforms
Browser
—
Company Startup from Germany · 1 - 9 employees · 2017 Startup from Scotland · 100 - 249 employees
Listed in

About BillingEngine and FreeAgent

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

BillingEngine
FreeAgent

Create invoices as compliant e-invoices (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung), receive incoming e-invoices in your own inbox, and export to DATEV. Free plan available.

Read more about BillingEngine

No description of FreeAgent yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

BillingEngine 15 features
FreeAgent 5 features
  • E-invoices (ZUGFeRD and XRechnung)
    Every invoice is created as an e-invoice in the ZUGFeRD and XRechnung formats, compliant with EN 16931. Created, sent and tracked in a few clicks.
  • Inbox for incoming e-invoices
    Your own email inbox for incoming e-invoices, included in every plan and without a volume limit.
  • Quotes
    Quotes with an expiry date, in the language and currency of your customer. Once accepted, a quote turns into an invoice with a click.
  • Payment reminders
    Reminders at several dunning levels, from a friendly nudge to a third reminder, each showing the amount that is still outstanding.
  • Recurring invoices
    Weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually: on the due date the next invoice is waiting, filled in. You check it and release it.
  • Receipt capture with AI
    Upload a receipt or forward it by email. Amount, date, tax rate and supplier are read out and matched to the right expense.
  • DATEV export
    Invoices, expenses, payments and more as a finished booking batch in the DATEV format.
  • Tax advisor access
    Your tax advisor sees every receipt and booking and collects the DATEV data set without being able to change anything.
  • Time tracking and projects
    Time tasks with a stopwatch and their own hourly rate. Tasks and articles become invoice line items with a click, and project work is billed in one step.
  • Assets and depreciation
    Straight-line or declining balance depreciation for anything from a company car to IT equipment, with retirements and a ready depreciation schedule.
  • Revenue, expense and VAT reports
    Income, expenses, profit and VAT by year, quarter or month, with every figure ready to export.
  • Six languages and 32 currencies
    Send invoices and quotes in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian or Dutch, and invoice in 32 currencies including EUR, CHF, USD and GBP.
  • GoBD-compliant archiving
    Every document is archived unalterably, as a tax audit requires. All data can be exported at any time as DATEV, CSV, XLS, XML or PDF.
  • REST API and MCP server
    A documented REST API for customers, invoices and payments, plus an MCP server so that AI assistants such as Claude or Cursor can create and look up invoices. Available in the paid plans.
  • Free e-invoice tools
    An e-invoice validator, viewer and generator and a Leitweg-ID (routing ID) checker. They work without an account and no file is stored.
  • User-friendly Interface
    FreeAgent is known for its intuitive interface, making it easy for small business owners and freelancers to navigate and manage their finances without specialized training.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    The platform offers a wide range of features including invoicing, expense tracking, time tracking, project management, and payroll services, providing an all-in-one solution.
  • Bank Integration
    FreeAgent supports direct integration with numerous banks, allowing for automatic transaction import, which simplifies the reconciliation process.
  • VAT and Tax Filing
    The software helps businesses in the UK with VAT calculations and submissions, and it also integrates with HMRC for tax filing, ensuring compliance and saving time.
  • Customer Support
    Users often praise FreeAgent for its good customer support, which includes help guides, video tutorials, and a responsive support team.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    For some small businesses and freelancers, the monthly subscription fee might be considered relatively high compared to other accounting software options.
  • Limited International Features
    While FreeAgent is great for UK-based businesses, its features for users in other countries may be limited, particularly concerning local tax laws and regulations.
  • Customization Limits
    Some users may find limitations in customization options for invoices, reports, and other documents, which may impede their ability to fully tailor the software to their specific needs.
  • Mobile App Functionality
    The mobile app, while useful, has been reported by some users to lack the full functionality of the desktop version, potentially limiting on-the-go account management.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    New users, especially those without accounting experience, might find the learning curve steep when trying to utilize more advanced features of the software.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

BillingEngine
FreeAgent

No analysis of BillingEngine yet.

Overall verdict

  • FreeAgent is highly regarded for its user-friendly design and robust feature set tailored for small businesses. It's a solid choice for entrepreneurs who need an all-in-one accounting solution. However, it may not be the best fit for larger enterprises needing more advanced or customizable features.

Why this product is good

  • FreeAgent is a cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses, freelancers, and independent contractors. It is known for its intuitive interface, comprehensive features, and strong customer support. Features include invoicing, expense tracking, project management, time tracking, and tax reporting. Its ability to integrate with various banks and financial services adds convenience, and it's particularly beneficial for those without a strong accounting background.

Recommended for

  • Small business owners
  • Freelancers
  • Independent contractors
  • Startups
  • Those seeking an intuitive accounting solution without prior accounting experience

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

BillingEngine 0 videos + Add
FreeAgent 3 videos + Add

No BillingEngine videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

FreeAgent Online Accounting Software for Freelancers - Review

More videos

  • - FreeAgent Overview - Online accounting software for Contractors & Freelancers
  • - Seagate FreeAgent Go Review

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
BillingEngine
FreeAgent
6% 6%
94% 94%
11% 11%
89% 89%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing BillingEngine and FreeAgent.

What makes your product unique?

BillingEngine's answer

BillingEngine is built around e-invoicing from the start. Every invoice is created as an e-invoice (ZUGFeRD and XRechnung, EN 16931), and every plan, including the free one, includes your own inbox for incoming e-invoices without a volume limit. Your tax advisor gets read-only access and can collect the DATEV data set themselves. Beyond the app, BillingEngine offers free tools that need no account (e-invoice validator, viewer, generator and Leitweg-ID checker), a documented REST API and an MCP server for AI assistants. Invoices can be written in six languages and 32 currencies, and all documents are archived in a GoBD-compliant way.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

BillingEngine's answer

It is a focused, affordable tool for people who mainly need correct invoices. You get compliant e-invoices and an inbox for incoming ones on a permanently free plan, and the paid plans start at EUR 7.50 per month. There is no lock-in: all data can be exported at any time as DATEV, CSV, XLS, XML or PDF. If you want the full range of a large accounting suite, a bigger competitor may fit better. If you want simple invoicing that is ready for the e-invoicing mandate, BillingEngine is a good choice.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

BillingEngine's answer

Freelancers, sole traders and small businesses in Germany, including small-business owners (Kleinunternehmer) and tradespeople, who write a moderate number of invoices and want them to be compliant without learning about XML formats. A second group is tax advisors, who work with their clients' data, and developers who connect invoicing to their own tools through the API.

What's the story behind your product?

BillingEngine's answer

BillingEngine was founded to offer small businesses a simple invoicing solution, something its founders could not find on the German market at the time. It launched in 2014 and has been developed continuously with its users and a small team. Since e-invoicing became mandatory for receiving invoices in Germany in 2025, e-invoices have moved to the center of the product. Today more than 2,500 active users rely on it. BillingEngine is developed by DesignBits in Hamburg.

User comments

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

BillingEngine no reviews yet
FreeAgent 5.0 · 1 review

We have no reviews of BillingEngine yet. Be the first one to post

  • 7 Best QuickBooks Alternatives for Small Businesses
    www.fundera.com · Mar 2022

    FreeAgent is an accounting software designed specifically for small-business owners. It only has one price — $24/month — and it comes with pretty much everything you’ll need from an accounting perspective. This...

  • 20 best accounting software tools
    clockify.me · Dec 2021

    The standout feature of this app is its automatization – each time you enter new bank statements, expenses, and invoices, FreeAgent automatically builds corresponding accounts in its system in real-time.

  • Easiest way to todo Accounting in the UK
    SaaSHub review
    · Nov 2021

    I can only speak to the UK, but I have found FreeAgent to be an amazing tool for running a limited company in the UK. I have managed to integrate all of my bank accounts, Barclays, wise, capital on tap and have...

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

BillingEngine 0 mentions
FreeAgent 1 mention

Tracking BillingEngine since Mar 2021.

  • The IRS is rolling out its free tax-filing tool to 30M Americans
    Eg. I'm a huge fan of https://freeagent.com/ The problem is with your own government accepting bribes to keep things complicated and preventing new competing companies to enter the market, lowering costs and improving the experience. >... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago

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When comparing BillingEngine and FreeAgent, you can also consider the following products.