The Best Tools for Self-Employed People in the UK (What I Actually Use)
I’m Anita — a Chartered Accountant who’s been self-employed for most of my working life. Over the years I’ve tried a lot of tools. Some were genuinely useful. Some were a waste of money. This is the list I wish someone had given me at the start: the tools I actually use, recommend, and think are worth paying for.
One thing before we get into it: members of The Self Employed Club get access to exclusive deals and discounts on many of the tools in this post — including some you won’t find anywhere else. It’s free to join. Check out the current deals here →
Table of Contents
Accounting & Tax
Xero — cloud accounting software
If you only invest in one tool as a sole trader, make it accounting software — and the one I’d recommend to most people is Xero.
It handles invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and VAT returns, and it’s fully Making Tax Digital compliant. The bank feed feature is the thing clients tell me they can’t live without: once you link your business bank account, transactions import automatically and get categorised based on your previous choices. Come tax time, your records are already in order.
It’s not the cheapest option, but it’s the one that scales with you if your business grows — and right now, Club members can get a significant discount on their first few months.
Club deal: Members get 90% off Xero for 6 months. That’s the Ignite plan for £1.60/month while you’re getting started. Get the deal via The Self Employed Club →
Other options worth knowing:
- FreeAgent — great for freelancers; free if you bank with NatWest or Mettle
- QuickBooks — strong mobile app, popular with sole traders who work on the go
Read => Xero for Sole Traders: Is It Actually Worth It? (Honest Review)
Business Banking
Starling Bank — free business banking
A separate business bank account isn’t just tidy — it makes your bookkeeping significantly easier, keeps HMRC happy, and means you’re not sifting through personal transactions every time you need to do your accounts.
Starling is the one I’d point most sole traders towards. It’s fully digital, you can open an account from your phone in under a day, and there are no monthly fees. You get instant payment notifications, spending categories, FSCS protection up to £85,000, and it integrates directly with Xero, FreeAgent, and QuickBooks. The “Spaces” feature is genuinely useful for setting aside money for your tax bill as you go.
Club deal: Check for current Starling and business banking offers in The Self Employed Club deals →
Other options worth knowing:
- Tide — quick setup, built-in invoicing and expense tracking, often runs cash incentives for new signups
- Mettle — free NatWest account with FreeAgent included; good value if you’d use both
- Monzo Business — familiar app, strong budgeting tools; paid plan unlocks the best features
Time & Productivity
ClickUp — task and project management
When you’re running everything yourself, staying organised isn’t optional — it’s survival. ClickUp is the tool I use to manage tasks, projects, deadlines, and goals all in one place. It’s flexible enough to fit most ways of working, whether you prefer lists, boards, or calendars.
The free plan is genuinely generous for most sole traders — you get task lists, time tracking, goal setting, and integrations with Google Calendar and Slack without paying a penny.
Other options worth knowing:
- Toggl — simple, reliable time tracker; ideal if you bill clients by the hour
- Clockify — free time tracking with solid reporting
- Trello — visual board-style task manager, great if you think in columns
Design & Marketing
Canva — design for non-designers
You don’t need to be a designer to produce professional-looking marketing materials. Canva has thousands of templates for social media graphics, presentations, proposals, invoices, and more — and it’s built so that anyone can use it without any design background.
The free version is decent. Canva Pro is worth it once you’re using it regularly — you get brand kit features, a background remover, and access to premium templates that make everything look more polished.
Later — social media scheduling
Staying consistent on social media is much easier when you’re not posting in real time every day. Later lets you plan and schedule posts across Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest from a visual calendar — so you can batch your content in one sitting and let it run.
Other options worth knowing:
- Adobe Express — polished design templates with Adobe’s quality; good if you’re already in the Adobe ecosystem
- Buffer — clean, simple social scheduling tool with a free plan
Club deal: Check for current design and marketings offers in The Self Employed Club deals →
Insurance & Legal
Professional and public liability insurance
This one isn’t exciting, but it matters. If a client claims your work caused them loss, or someone is injured in connection with your business, the right insurance means you’re covered. Most sole traders need professional indemnity cover as a minimum — some industries or clients will require it before they’ll work with you.
Providers worth getting quotes from:
- Simply Business — UK broker specialising in small business insurance, easy comparison quotes
- PolicyBee — simple, flexible policies designed specifically for freelancers and sole traders
- Hiscox — well-established insurer, strong reputation for sole trader and freelancer cover
Club deal: Check for current insurance deals and offers in The Self Employed Club →
Get All the Deals in One Place
Rather than hunting down discounts on every tool individually, The Self Employed Club pulls them together in one place — handpicked deals on the software, banking, and services UK sole traders actually use.
It’s free to join, there’s no catch, and it exists specifically to help self-employed people keep more of what they earn. If you’re setting up or reviewing your tools, it’s worth a look before you sign up for anything at full price.
Join The Self Employed Club free and see all current deals →
What tools do I need as a sole trader just starting out?
The essentials are accounting software (to track income and expenses and stay MTD compliant), a business bank account (to keep finances separate), and something to manage your workload. Everything else can come later as your business grows.
Do I need to pay for accounting software as a sole trader?
Not necessarily at first — a spreadsheet works if your finances are simple. But once you’re invoicing regularly or approaching the MTD threshold, accounting software saves enough time to be well worth the cost. The Self Employed Club has deals on Xero that bring the price down significantly in your first months.
What’s the best free business bank account for sole traders?
Starling and Mettle are both strong free options. Starling offers the most rounded feature set with no monthly fees. Mettle includes FreeAgent, which is a bonus if you want accounting software bundled in.
Do I need insurance as a sole trader?
Depends on your industry and clients, but most sole traders benefit from at least professional indemnity cover. Some clients and contracts will require it. It’s worth getting a quote early — it’s usually more affordable than people expect.
Where can I find deals on self-employed tools?
The Self Employed Club — it’s a free members-only platform with handpicked discounts on the tools, software, and services UK sole traders actually use. Free to join, no catch.
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