Best Bench Alternatives in 2026

All-in-one business tool for freelancers: contracts, invoices, and accounting.

• Contracts and e-signatures built in
• Full client lifecycle from proposal to payment

UK online accounting service combining software with chartered accountants.

• Chartered accountants included in monthly fee
• Handles corporation tax and year-end filing

UK-focused accounting designed for freelancers and small agencies.

• Best HMRC Making Tax Digital compliance
• Self Assessment tax forecasting

Freelancer-favourite invoicing and accounting with a beautifully simple UI.

• Best invoicing UX of any accounting tool
• Built-in time tracking and retainers

Simple cloud accounting with AI-powered transaction categorisation.

• AI auto-categorisation saves reconciliation time
• Simple setup — no accountant required

Open-source ERP with a full accounting module and 30+ integrated apps.

• Full ERP if you need it — no third-party integrations
• Open-source core is free to self-host

The market-leading small business accounting platform used by millions globally.

• Widest accountant and bookkeeper support
• Payroll, tax, and payments all in one

Trusted accounting suite for small to mid-sized businesses with payroll.

• Strong UK and EU accountant support
• Inventory management included

Completely free accounting and invoicing for freelancers and micro-businesses.

• Core accounting and invoicing is genuinely free
• Double-entry accounting included

Cloud accounting built for growing businesses with strong UK and AU support.

• Unlimited users on every plan
• Strong multi-currency (Premium)

Full-featured accounting at a price that undercuts every major competitor.

• Best price-to-features ratio in the market
• Free tier for small businesses