Canny › Compare
Ways to do a small company's books and tax, compared.
There are three kinds of answer: a monthly subscription that keeps your books, a cheap website that files your year end from figures you type in, or an accountant. Canny is a fourth: one app you own that does both jobs.
Read this first. Canny is in development and not yet recognised by HMRC or Companies House. Its row describes the planned first release. Every other row comes from the provider's own site, linked on its page, checked on 14 November 2026. “—” means we couldn't confirm it. If something is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.
| Software | Runs as | Bookkeeping and bank | VAT (MTD) | Company tax return and accounts | Where your data lives | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canny | Native Mac and iPhone app | Yes | Yes | Yes, in the same app | Your own iCloud | £49 once, plus £79 for each year you file |
| Xero | Web app, plus mobile apps | Yes | Yes | Optional add-on: “Company accounts and tax”, £120 a year + VAT | Xero's servers | £18 to £70 a month + VAT |
| FreeAgent | Web app, plus mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes: final accounts and corporation tax return filed from FreeAgent | FreeAgent's servers (FreeAgent is owned by NatWest Group) | £33 a month or £330 a year + VAT for a limited company; free with some bank accounts |
| QuickBooks | Web app, plus mobile app | Yes | Yes | — (not mentioned on its pricing page) | Intuit's servers | Monthly subscription; see their pricing |
| TinyTax | Web app | No, year end only | No | Yes | TinyTax's servers | £59 + VAT a year |
| GoFile | Web app | No, year end only | — | Yes | GoFile's servers | From £49.99 a year |
| An accountant | — | Sometimes, for a higher fee | Yes | Yes | Their systems | A yearly or monthly fee; ask for a quote |
One by one
vs Xero
The accountants' favourite. From £18 a month, with company accounts and tax as a £120 add-on.
Compare →vs FreeAgent
Does the whole job. Free with some bank accounts, £330 a year otherwise.
Compare →vs QuickBooks
Strong on bookkeeping and payroll; the company year end is elsewhere.
Compare →vs TinyTax
Files the year end for £59 if you bring the figures.
Compare →vs GoFile
Another low-cost filing form.
Compare →Or an accountant?
When paying a person is the right call, and when it isn't.
Compare →How to choose
- You bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle: FreeAgent is free and does everything. Use it.
- Your company barely trades: a filing site like TinyTax or GoFile is the cheapest way to get the year end in.
- You have staff, stock or anything unusual: Xero or QuickBooks with an accountant.
- You're a one-person company on a Mac, you do your own books, and you'd rather own the app and keep the data: that's who Canny is for.