TapTax vs the rest.
Honest, side-by-side comparisons of the MTD software UK sole traders actually consider. Features, pricing and ease of use, with no fluff.
Picking MTD software for self-assessment
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax means most sole traders need MTD-compatible software to file quarterly. The tools below all do that, but they differ wildly on price, complexity and how much accounting knowledge they assume. These comparisons cut through the marketing so you can pick the right fit.
For the whole market rather than a head to head, browse the MTD software directory, every product on HMRC’s list graded and filterable, or read what we found when we graded all 127 of them.
Head to head
All comparisons
Pick a comparison for a detailed breakdown of features, pricing and MTD support.
- Best CIS Accounting App 2026: Self Assessment & MTD
Best CIS accounting app for UK subcontractors in 2026? Honest compare of Pie, Kletta and TapTax on price, CIS refunds, Self Assessment and MTD fit.
- Xero vs QuickBooks for UK Sole Traders (2026)
Xero vs QuickBooks for UK sole traders in 2026: the current plan lineup, pricing checked August 2026, HMRC directory grades, and who each one actually suits.
- Best MTD Software for Sole Traders: Self Assessment & MTD
Compare the best MTD software for UK sole traders in 2026: TapTax, Pie, Kletta, FreeAgent and QuickBooks on price, recognition, income breadth and support.
- Best QuickBooks Alternative for UK Sole Traders (2026)
Searching for a QuickBooks alternative as a UK sole trader? Compare TapTax, Xero, FreeAgent and more on price, MTD fit and ease of use.
- TapTax vs QuickBooks Self-Employed: Self Assessment & MTD
TapTax vs QuickBooks Self-Employed compared honestly for UK sole traders: price, MTD for Income Tax fit, recognition status, income breadth and human support.
- Best Xero Alternative for the Self-Employed (2026)
Xero is built for growing businesses, not solo workers. Discover the best Xero alternatives for UK sole traders who just need MTD compliance done simply.
- FreeAgent vs QuickBooks Self-Employed: Which Wins? (2026)
FreeAgent vs QuickBooks for the self-employed: honest 2026 comparison of pricing, MTD ITSA fit, mobile ease and who each one actually suits.
- Genuinely Free MTD Software: The Ones That Actually File
HMRC lists 31 MTD tools with a free version. Only a handful can finish a tax return for £0. Here is which free MTD software is real, which is a bank deal, and which quietly charges you to file.
- TapTax vs Kletta: Self Assessment & MTD (2026)
TapTax vs Kletta compared for UK sole traders: price, MTD readiness, income breadth and human support. An honest 2026/27 side-by-side to help you choose.
- TapTax vs Pie for Self Assessment & MTD (2026)
TapTax vs Pie (pie.tax): honest price, free filing, income breadth and MTD fit compared for UK sole traders and the self-employed in 2026.
- TapTax vs QuickBooks for Sole Traders (2026)
TapTax vs QuickBooks: honest price and feature comparison for UK sole traders in 2026. Find out which app actually fits your MTD filing needs.
- TapTax vs Xero for MTD Income Tax (2026)
TapTax vs Xero compared on HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. Xero has the cheapest big-brand entry at £7 plus VAT, but only 2 of HMRC's 16 tax-return items are ready today.
- Bank Free MTD Tools Compared: Monzo, Starling, Lloyds, Tide and ANNA
Monzo, Starling, Lloyds, Tide and ANNA all offer free Making Tax Digital tools inside your business account. They are genuinely free. As of 9 August 2026 not one of them can complete a single tax-return item.
- TapTax vs FreeAgent: Self Assessment & MTD (2026)
TapTax vs FreeAgent for UK sole traders in 2026: honest price, MTD filing, accounting depth and Self Assessment comparison to help you choose.
- Sage for Self-Employed Tax vs TapTax (2026): Costs, MTD, Verdict
Sage Sole Trader & Landlord is £7/mo + VAT and its free tier is capped at 5 sales invoices a month. TapTax is £4.99 with a permanent free tier. Costs, MTD for Income Tax fit and an honest verdict.
- Sage Alternatives for MTD Income Tax (2026)
Looking for a Sage alternative for MTD for Income Tax? HMRC's directory grades all four Sage listings at 0 of 16 tax-return items. Here are the alternatives that grade higher, with August 2026 pricing.
- Best MTD Software for Foreign Property Landlords
Only 63 of the 127 MTD tools on HMRC's directory handle foreign property income, and most free tiers exclude it entirely. Here is which software covers overseas rental income, as graded on 9 August 2026.
- FreeAgent Alternatives Without NatWest (2026)
FreeAgent is free only if you bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster or Mettle. Here are the MTD alternatives that are free without a bank tie, using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing.
- TapTax vs FreshBooks for UK Sole Traders (2026)
FreshBooks is a brilliant invoicing tool, but is it right for UK MTD compliance? We compare TapTax vs FreshBooks on price, MTD fit and mobile ease.
- TapTax vs Taxfix (formerly TaxScouts) for Self-Employed Tax (2026)
TapTax vs Taxfix (the rebranded TaxScouts): accountant-filed Self Assessment versus low-cost, one-tap MTD software.
- TapTax vs GoSimpleTax 2026: Which Is Better for Sole Traders?
TapTax vs GoSimpleTax compared for UK sole traders in 2026. Pricing, MTD ITSA compliance, bank feeds, AI categorisation and ease of use, all in one place.
- TapTax vs Zoho for MTD Income Tax (2026)
TapTax vs Zoho for MTD for Income Tax, using HMRC directory grades from the 9 August 2026 scrape. Zoho lists a free version, apps on both platforms and 9 of the 16 tax-return items ready, inside a much larger business suite.
- TapTax vs ANNA Money for Sole Trader Tax (2026)
TapTax vs ANNA Money: which is better for UK sole traders filing MTD in 2026? Honest price, features and MTD fit comparison.
- TapTax vs Clear Books: Free MTD Compared (2026)
TapTax vs Clear Books for MTD for Income Tax, using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. Clear Books has one of the strongest free tiers in the market. Here is what it does and does not cover.
- TapTax vs Hammock for Landlords (2026)
TapTax vs Hammock compared on HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. Hammock starts at £8 plus VAT a month for one to three properties and is a strong portfolio tool, but HMRC grades it 0 of 16 on tax-return items.
- TapTax vs Landlord Studio: Paying Per Submission (2026)
TapTax vs Landlord Studio on HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. Landlord Studio is the only product in the set metering MTD by the filing, at £5 a submission on its free Go plan, or £12 a month on Pro.
- TapTax vs Record OS for Self-Employed Tax (2026)
TapTax vs Record OS (record-os.com): software you run yourself versus an accountant-prepared, done-for-you return.
- TapTax vs Coconut for Self-Employed Tax (2026)
TapTax vs Coconut: which is better for UK sole traders in 2026? Honest price, MTD filing and mobile comparison to help you decide.
- TapTax vs Crunch for the Self-Employed (2026)
Crunch is an accountancy service with software attached. TapTax is pure MTD software. Here's which one a UK sole trader actually needs.
- TapTax vs GetGround: Free MTD for Landlords (2026)
TapTax vs GetGround using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. GetGround gives MTD filing away inside its free plan and funds it from SPV company admin, and HMRC grades it 0 of 16 on tax-return items.
- TapTax vs Landlord Vision: The Expensive End (2026)
TapTax vs Landlord Vision using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. Landlord Vision starts at £21.97 a month, the most expensive landlord entry point in the set, and HMRC grades it 0 of 16 on tax-return items.
- TapTax vs My Tax Digital: Two Free Routes to MTD (2026)
TapTax vs My Tax Digital using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. My Tax Digital is free with no paid tier at all and 15 of the 16 tax-return items ready, but HMRC lists no mobile app against it.
- TapTax vs RentalBux: Free MTD for Landlords (2026)
TapTax vs RentalBux compared using HMRC directory data and August 2026 pricing. Both offer free MTD filing with a mobile app, but the free plans have very different catches.
- TapTax vs TaxZap for Self-Employed Tax & MTD (2026)
TapTax vs TaxZap: two low-cost, mobile-first, AI-powered tax apps compared.
- TapTax vs VitalTax: Filing MTD From Excel (2026)
TapTax vs VitalTax using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. VitalTax is an Excel add-in from £30 a year ex VAT that bridges your spreadsheet to HMRC, and HMRC grades it as not keeping digital records.
- TapTax vs APARI: £144 a Year Compared (2026)
TapTax vs APARI on HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. ApariSolo is £144 a year including VAT on a 12-month commitment, near the top of the dedicated MTD price range, with 3 of the 16 return items ready.
- TapTax vs Lendlord: Free Until You File (2026)
TapTax vs Lendlord on HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. Lendlord's free plan is generous on portfolio tooling, but HMRC filing sits behind Premium at £12 a month or £99 a year.
- TapTax vs MTD 4 Income Tax: £20 a Year Compared (2026)
TapTax vs MTD 4 Income Tax on HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. At £20 a year it is one of only three products on the whole directory with all 16 tax-return items ready.
- TapTax vs Self Assessment Direct: Free MTD Compared (2026)
TapTax vs Self Assessment Direct using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. Self Assessment Direct is unconditionally free with no tiers and no expiry, and is one of three products left in the free, mobile, digital-records quadrant.
- TapTax vs TaxHeaven: Free MTD Compared (2026)
TapTax vs TaxHeaven using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. TaxHeaven Angel gives away quarterly updates and the final declaration free, but HMRC lists no mobile app.
- TapTax vs Untied for MTD Sole Traders (2026)
TapTax vs untied: an honest 2026 comparison for UK sole traders. Pricing, MTD ITSA fit, bank feeds, AI categorisation and who each app suits best.
- TapTax vs DIY Tax: Free MTD Compared (2026)
TapTax vs DIY Tax using HMRC directory grades and August 2026 pricing. DIY Tax has a real free edition, capped at one business or property and 30 invoices and expenses, then £7 plus VAT a month.
Frequently asked questions
Skip the spreadsheet.
TapTax connects to your bank, categorises expenses automatically and submits quarterly updates to HMRC. Free plan, no card required.