Free MTD Software for Landlords — The 36 With a Free Version
36 of HMRC's 135 recognised products have a free tier and 19 of those are spreadsheet bridging tools. Named, counted from HMRC's finder, with the catch HMRC itself flags.
The short answer
36 of HMRC’s 135 recognised Income Tax products have a free version, and 19 of those are bridging tools that work with a spreadsheet you already keep. Free is real, not a trick — but HMRC’s own caveat is that free products suit “those with simple tax affairs” and “there may be limits on how the product can be used”.
Who we are, before you read a word of this. We sell one product, the Landlord Tax Pack (a £19 Excel workbook). It is not MTD software, it is not on HMRC’s list and it cannot file your quarterly update. HMRC’s developer guide, updated 7 August 2026, states: “HMRC is no longer accepting production credential access requests for new 2026–27 quarterly update products, as the market window for these products has now closed.” — so no new product joins the list for this tax year. That is exactly why this page counts the official list instead of ranking anything of ours at the top of it.
The 36, named
Every product below carries HMRC’s own free version filter on the Income Tax finder. We are not ranking them and we take nothing if you pick one — HMRC does not recommend, and neither do we.
- Abridge (MTD for Excel/Sheets)
- AccountsDesk
- Acxite
- Adminsoft Accounts
- Affordable MTD
- Aligned.tax MTD for Spreadsheets
- CIS Invoice
- Clear Books Free
- Coconut Free
- DIY Tax
- FileThat!
- FreeAgent
- GetGround
- Keepr
- Lloyds Bank
- MTD Landlord Services
- MTDone
- Monzo
- My Tax Digital (Free)
- PaTMa Property Manager
- Pandle
- Quarterwise
- RentalBux Free
- Sage Sole Trader & Landlord Free
- Self Assessment Direct
- SimplifyMTD
- SmartPropertyManager.com
- Starling
- SumUp Accounting
- Tax Mouse
- TaxBridge UK MTD by Amelia GB
- TaxHeaven
- TaxUpdates
- Tide Accounting
- Zoho
- flonancial
Counted from HMRC’s software finder on 2 September 2026, filtering as a sole trader or landlord. HMRC’s guidance pages were last updated 13 July 2026. The list is HMRC’s and it moves — check it before you buy.
The 19 that are free and work with a spreadsheet
If your records already live in Excel or Google Sheets, this is the shortest path to compliance: keep the sheet, add a bridging tool, send the quarterly update from it.
- Abridge (MTD for Excel/Sheets)
- AccountsDesk
- Acxite
- Affordable MTD
- Aligned.tax MTD for Spreadsheets
- Coconut Free
- DIY Tax
- GetGround
- MTDone
- My Tax Digital (Free)
- Pandle
- RentalBux Free
- Self Assessment Direct
- SimplifyMTD
- Tax Mouse
- TaxBridge UK MTD by Amelia GB
- TaxHeaven
- TaxUpdates
- flonancial
Counted from HMRC’s software finder on 2 September 2026, filtering as a sole trader or landlord. HMRC’s guidance pages were last updated 13 July 2026. The list is HMRC’s and it moves — check it before you buy.
Where free stops being free
HMRC does not publish what each free tier limits, so check the vendor’s own pricing page. In practice the limits cluster around four things:
| Common limit | What it looks like in practice |
|---|---|
| Number of income sources | A free tier may cover one property business, not a portfolio plus a trade |
| Number of submissions | Some free plans cover the quarterly updates but charge for the final declaration |
| Joint ownership | Splitting a jointly-owned property is often a paid feature |
| Support | Free usually means email or forum only — which matters in the week of a deadline |
Free bank apps count too
Several bank and card providers appear on HMRC’s list with a free tier — Starling, Monzo, Lloyds Bank and Tide Accounting are all on it. If you already bank with one of them for the rental account, that is worth checking before you pay anyone else.
What free does not get you
The obligation is unchanged whatever you pay: digital records kept through the year, a quarterly update per business source, and a final declaration by 31 January. Free software will not rescue records that do not exist. The first 2026/27 quarterly update is due 7 Aug 2026.
Quick answers
Yes — 36 of the 135 products on HMRC's Income Tax finder have a free version as at 2 September 2026, and 19 of those are spreadsheet bridging tools. HMRC's caveat is that free products are aimed at “those with simple tax affairs” and “there may be limits on how the product can be used”.
If you already keep a spreadsheet, a free bridging tool is usually the cheapest route: the sheet stays your record and the tool sends the update. 19 products carry both filters.
Not always. Some free tiers cover quarterly updates and charge for the year-end final declaration, which is the submission that replaces your tax return. Check that specific point on the vendor's pricing page before you commit a year of records to it.
It can be. Starling, Monzo, Lloyds Bank and Tide Accounting all appear on HMRC's recognised list with a free version. Whether it fits depends on whether it handles your number of properties and any joint ownership.
Software sends figures; it does not decide whether a new boiler is a repair or an improvement, or whether you should have claimed the property allowance instead of expenses. Free software plus a wrong categorisation is not a saving.