Clear Books vs Express Accounts

Clear Books is browser-based accounting software for UK businesses, sole traders, and landlords, with Android and iOS mobile apps. Its listed capabilities include bank feeds, automated reconciliation, invoice creation, receipt capture, inventory tracking, and accountant access. Users can send branded invoices, schedule recurring invoices, and automate late-payment reminders. Tax tools include VAT submissions, MTD Income Tax, and quarterly updates; Clear Books describes itself as HMRC recognised and MTD-ready. Sole Trader Free and Property Free are ongoing free plans that require no card and have no transaction limits. Property Free covers one property or grouped properties, while Foreign Property Free is for one overseas property. Paid plans start at £5 per month plus VAT, and include a full-access 30-day trial that can be cancelled without payment. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. Paid plans include unlimited users and accountant tools. Small, Medium, and Large include integrations and an API, with Stripe and GoCardless built in. Support options range from self-service and email to phone support, with UK-based support.

Express Accounts is accounting software for tracking business cash flow across sales, receipts, payments and purchases. It creates quotes, sales orders and invoices, including recurring orders and invoices, and handles accounts payable with purchase orders and checks. More than 20 financial reports are available, including income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements; sales tax tools are included. One installation can manage multiple businesses and currencies. The software imports transactions and business records from CSV files and can reconcile OFX bank statements. It integrates with Inventoria for inventory data, though both programs must be installed on the same machine for synchronization; Express Invoice can also connect when recording customer payments. Downloadable desktop use supports offline accounting. Express Accounts runs on Windows, macOS and the web, with a free non-commercial plan and a separate free version for businesses with fewer than five employees. The desktop version does not require a password; Web Access does.