FreeAgent vs Gusto Comparison 2026
Both cover accounting & tax and creator finance. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
At a glance
- FreeAgent starts cheaper, at $33.
- Neither has a free tier.
Side by side
FreeAgent | Gusto | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $33 | From $49 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free trial, then paid | Paid subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | 30 days | Not stated |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers | Accounting & Tax, Creator Finance |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
FreeAgent
Accounting built around UK sole traders
FreeAgent covers invoices, expenses, VAT returns and the self assessment filing a UK sole trader has to do anyway, and it files them with HMRC directly. Bank feeds and receipt capture keep the bookkeeping from piling up into an annual weekend of dread. It is UK-only, so it is no use to anybody filing anywhere else.
Our note
The bank-account route is worth checking before paying. If you already bank with NatWest or hold a Mettle account, this is a full accounting package for nothing, and it is the only offer of that shape in the category.
Gusto
Payroll for the first person you hire
Gusto is what a creator business turns to on the day an editor stops being a contractor and becomes an employee. It runs the payroll, files the taxes in the states you owe them, handles onboarding and offers benefits on top. The per-person fee is the number to watch: the base looks small and the headcount is what actually sets the bill. Contractor-only payments are cheaper than full payroll and sold separately.
Our note
Work the total at your actual headcount rather than comparing base prices, because the per-person charge doubles between Simple and Plus and that is where the real difference sits. If everyone you pay is a contractor, this is the wrong product and you are paying a payroll price for an invoicing problem.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.