MTD software for landlords: free and paid options compared.
If you let property, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax may already apply to you, or will soon. Many landlords can meet it without paying anything. This page compares the routes that handle property income, what each costs for a full year, and the HMRC rules that matter for joint and foreign property.
Last checked 23rd September 2026.
The short answer. If you have a few properties and keep your spreadsheet up to date, a free bridging route such as My Tax Digital is usually enough. Starting from scratch, several free products accept property income, including Clear Books, which covers UK and overseas lets. With a larger portfolio and a wish for proper property accounting, FreeAgent for Landlords and Landlord Studio Pro are the lowest-cost paid options in our data.
When landlords enter Making Tax Digital
HMRC looks at your qualifying income: your total income from self-employment and property, before expenses, taken from an earlier tax return. Rental income and any self-employed income are added together. If you own a property jointly, only your share counts. Our page Do I need Making Tax Digital? explains the thresholds and exceptions in more detail.
Landlord routes we have checked
| Route | Cost for a year | Best for | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Tax Digital | £0 | Landlords who keep a spreadsheet | Browser-based; handles UK and foreign property |
| Clear Books MTD Income Tax Free | £0 | Starting fresh, including overseas lets | VAT, several users and payroll are paid |
| Sage Sole Trader Free | £0 | A small, simple letting | One bank account, 25 automatically sorted transactions and 5 invoices a month |
| Pandle Free | £0 | Simple bookkeeping, VAT included | Bank feeds and receipt uploads are in the paid Pro plan |
| ANNA | £0 in the 2026 to 2027 tax year | Spreadsheet users | Free offer stated for the 2026 to 2027 tax year only |
| Landlord Studio MTD Go | £5 per MTD submission; software free for one to three units | One to three units | Pay as you go for submissions; check the total cost including the year-end return |
| FreeAgent for Landlords | £120 including VAT | Property accounting, including joint ownership splits | A separate account is needed if you are also self-employed. Free with a NatWest group business account or Mettle. |
| Landlord Studio Pro | £172.80 including VAT | Busier landlords wanting bank feeds and tenancy tools | Landlord-only product |
| Landlord Vision Starter | From £287.57 including VAT | Property management and accounts in one place | Covers 4 tenancies; larger portfolios cost more. An introductory offer was running when we checked. |
Costs are standard yearly prices, using the annual plan where a provider offers one, not introductory offers. Provider pages checked 22nd and 23rd September 2026. Business bank tools from Tide, Starling and Monzo also accept property income; see our business account page.
Choosing by portfolio size
One property. Unless your records are unusual, a free route will do. If you already keep a spreadsheet, a bridge such as My Tax Digital is the least disruptive. If not, Clear Books Free or Sage Sole Trader Free will keep the records and send the updates.
Two to five properties. Free routes still come out on top in our ranking. The question is time: if sorting transactions by hand each quarter is a chore, paying for bank feeds may be worth it. FreeAgent for Landlords at £120 a year is the cheapest full property accounting product in our data.
Six or more properties. Property accounting starts to earn its keep. On our cost and fit ranking, FreeAgent for Landlords comes first and Landlord Studio Pro second. Landlord Vision adds property management, but its Starter price covers 4 tenancies, so check the plan that fits your portfolio.
If you own property jointly
HMRC has made things simpler for joint owners. It says you only need to create digital records that relate to your share of income and expenses
from jointly let properties, and you do not need to link your records to the other owner's. You can also choose to keep less detailed records for jointly let properties, or leave the expenses for them out of your quarterly updates, or both. If you leave expenses out, you add them before you submit your tax return. Expenses for properties you own entirely still go in your quarterly updates.
If you have foreign property
HMRC says you must keep separate digital records for each foreign property you receive income from. All your foreign properties are treated as one foreign property business, so your software sends them to HMRC together. Not every product handles foreign property; in our data, My Tax Digital and Clear Books both say they do.
If you are also self-employed
Your self-employment and your lettings are separate income sources, and each needs its own quarterly updates. Some services handle both income types. In our data, Clear Books Free, the Pie app and My Tax Digital do, although separate businesses or submissions may still be required within the service. FreeAgent needs separate sole trader and landlord accounts. HMRC also says you can only use one product for each separate submission: for example, you cannot use two products to send quarterly updates of your property income.
Questions landlords ask
Is there free MTD software for landlords?
Yes. In our checked data, My Tax Digital, Clear Books Free, Sage Sole Trader Free and Pandle Free all accept property income at no subscription cost, and ANNA states a free offer for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. Landlord Studio's MTD Go plan is free to use but charges £5 for each submission to HMRC.
Does my rental income count on its own, or with my other income?
HMRC adds your self-employment and property income together, before expenses, to work out your qualifying income. If you own a property jointly, only your share counts.
Do joint owners have to keep full digital records?
You only need digital records for your share of the income and expenses. HMRC also lets joint owners keep less detailed records for jointly let properties, or leave those expenses out of the quarterly updates and add them before the tax return, or both.
What is the best MTD software for a landlord with many properties?
If you want full property accounting, FreeAgent for Landlords at £120 a year including VAT and Landlord Studio Pro at £172.80 a year including VAT score best on our cost and fit ranking. If you only need to send figures from a spreadsheet, a free bridging route may still be enough.
Find my landlord route See our picks by situation
Sources
- GOV.UK, Create digital records, checked 23rd September 2026.
- GOV.UK, Work out your qualifying income, checked 23rd September 2026.
- GOV.UK, Choose the right software for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, checked 23rd September 2026.
- FreeAgent, Landlord Studio and Landlord Vision pricing pages, checked 23rd September 2026; every other provider's own page, checked 22nd or 23rd September 2026. The address for each is in our comparison database.