Clear Books

ClearBooks simplifies accounting tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting for small businesses.

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  • Overview
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Pros
  • Cons
  • Reviews

Clear Books Overview

  • Updated December 5, 2025

ClearBooks is a user-friendly, cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses and freelancers. It simplifies financial tasks like invoicing, expense tracking, and payroll management with an intuitive interface. Offering robust tax compliance, multi-currency support, and automated features like recurring invoices, it streamlines bookkeeping.

Comprehensive reporting tools provide insights for better decision-making, while secure cloud access ensures flexibility and data safety, making it ideal for efficient financial management.

Key Features

  • Customizable Invoicing: Create professional, branded invoices with customizable templates, supporting multi-currency and instant bank payment options.
  • Automated Bank Feeds: Automatically import bank statements for seamless transaction tracking and reconciliation.
  • Auto Code AI: Categorize hundreds of bank transactions quickly using AI for efficient bookkeeping.
  • Expense Tracking: Record and manage employee expenses, including mileage claims at HMRC or manual rates.
  • MTD VAT Compliance: Prepare and submit VAT returns directly to HMRC, supporting flat rate and EU reverse charge schemes.
  • Multi-Currency Support: Create invoices, bills, and bank accounts in various currencies with automated or custom exchange rates.
  • Recurring Invoices and Bills: Automate repeat invoices and bills to save time and ensure timely payments.
  • Comprehensive Reporting: Generate financial reports like profit and loss, balance sheets, and trial balances, exportable to CSV or PDF.
  • Unlimited Users and Permissions: Add unlimited users with customizable access controls for secure collaboration.
  • Mobile App: Manage contacts, invoices, bills, and payments on the go, with offline mode and QR code payment collection.
  • Purchase Orders: Issue documents specifying products, quantities, and prices for streamlined supplier interactions.
  • Payroll Add-On: Manage payroll for unlimited employees, starting at £5.40/mo for up to 2 employees, with a 30-day free trial.
  • Integration Support: Connect with tools like PayPal, Stripe, GoCardless, and Dext for enhanced functionality.
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Capture data from images to create invoices, bills, or expenses automatically.
  • Fixed Asset Tracking: Monitor and calculate depreciation for equipment and vehicles.
  • Time Tracking: Log hours worked and create invoices based on time spent on projects.
  • CIS Reporting: Prepare and file Construction Industry Scheme returns online for construction businesses.
  • Audit Log: Track user actions for transparency and accountability in financial operations.
  • Secure Cloud Access: Access data anytime, anywhere with 256-bit SSL encryption and daily backups.
  • Self-Assessment Income Tax: View and manage income tax returns for sole traders and landlords.
  • Batch Data Entry: Enter multiple invoices or bills quickly via a grid input screen for efficiency.
  • Customer Statements: Provide clients with secure, permanent links to view paid and unpaid invoices.
  • Cash Insights: Offer traffic-light insights on business cash health for eligible businesses.
  • Dividend Vouchers: Generate paperwork for dividend payments to streamline shareholder distributions.
  • Project Invoicing: Create invoices for specific company divisions or projects for better cost allocation.
  • Free Support: Access UK-based phone, email, and community support from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Price

Plan Name Price (Monthly)* Key Features
Small £7.50/mo for first 3 months (then £15/mo) – Core accounting (invoicing, quotes, bank feeds)- Bill & receipt tracking- Dividend tool- Unlimited users- Suitable for limited companies, sole traders, landlords, partnerships, charities
Medium £15.50/mo for first 3 months (then £31/mo) Includes Small features, plus:- MTD VAT submissions- Purchase orders & approvals- CIS reporting/submissions (construction)- Unlimited budgets, budget comparison reporting
Large £20.50/mo for first 3 months (then £41/mo) Includes Medium features, plus:- Project accounting & per-project invoices- Project-based reporting vs. budgets- Multi-currency- Employee expense claims & approvals- Fixed assets module

Pros

Competitor Pros of Clear Books
QuickBooks Online Clear Books costs less than QuickBooks Online according to user reviews. It offers strong UK‑focused features like Making Tax Digital (MTD) VAT filing, and it stays simpler and more approachable for small businesses. |
Xero Clear Books tends to be more affordable than Xero, based on reviewer comments. It keeps a straightforward interface while still offering bank feeds, invoicing, and reporting features that cover core needs. |
FreeAgent Clear Books gives more plan flexibility, while FreeAgent has just one tier. Clear Books can scale pricing to budget and need. Clear Books also integrates well with UK tax compliance like MTD VAT.
Sage Intacct / Sage Accounting Clear Books is easier to learn and use than Sage’s offerings, which often have steeper learning curves. Clear Books remains more cost-effective for small-medium businesses, while Sage serves larger, more complex needs.
Zoho Books Clear Books offers strong UK VAT/MTD compliance similar to Zoho Books but often at a lower price. It avoids the complexity of Zoho’s many apps while still handling essential tasks like invoicing, expenses, and bank feeds.

 

Cons

Competitor Cons of Clear Books
QuickBooks Online Clear Books lacks some advanced features of QuickBooks, like deep inventory management, payroll, and industry‑specific tools. QuickBooks also has a large app ecosystem and integrations.
Xero Clear Books does not match Xero’s extensive app ecosystem and global integrations. Xero also excels at mobile support and has a more polished user experience and larger international reach.
FreeAgent FreeAgent offers unlimited users, projects, clients, and strong invoicing tools in a single tier, plus live chat support on weekends—advantages Clear Books does not fully match.
Sage Intacct / Sage Accounting Compared to Sage, Clear Books lacks advanced reporting, forecasting, multi-entity consolidation, and ERP-level functions. Sage supports larger, multi-user organizations more robustly.
Zoho Books Zoho Books offers automation workflows, inventory control, and flexible tier choices. Clear Books lacks the same breadth of automation and inventory tools, and it has fewer third-party integrations.

 

Customers' Reviews From Reliable Websites

Software Advice Review
Trustpilot Review
Getapp Review
TechCo Review
Capterra Review