At Crunch, we’ve been simplifying self-employment for small businesses, freelancers, and contractors for over a decade. So, with the news that Wave Accounting is removing access to its free accounting software in the UK, we wanted to let people know that there’s an even better replacement for Wave Accounting for the UK’s self-employed heroes.

‍We’ve been perfecting our own amazing accountancy software since 2007 and in 2020 we launched Crunch Free online bookkeeping software. Crunch Free uses the same fantastic double-entry online accounting software platform that we’ve perfected with our accountancy clients, but it’s free for anyone, and it always will be.

The great thing about our Crunch software is that we are continuously working to improve it. We even made our product roadmap public in 2024 which means our clients can see what we're working on currently. They can even vote on what we work on next.

Wave is closing its accounting software for UK businesses

Wave has been very popular with businesses in the UK as it was easy-to-use and helped save business owners time. But, as they’ve announced that they are not taking on new UK-based customers and may eventually withdraw support completely, an alternative is needed.

The last thing a business owner wants to be doing is wasting time dealing with administrative tasks. You need to choose a business that’s committed to the UK’s self-employed community, with software and services that can grow with your company - and that means you should choose Crunch!

A UK-based alternative to Wave from Crunch - a company that specialises in accountancy software and services

Crunch Free is perfect for sole traders or limited companies who are looking for simple bookkeeping software that lets them keep on top of their invoices, expenses and banking.

Our software also comes with free Open Banking integrations to major business bank accounts, a free receipt scanning app - ‘Snap’ - that lets you upload expenses with the snap of a picture, a free business mileage app, and much more. Best of all, it’s free and it always will be.

We’re dedicated to the UK’s self-employed, in fact, our Crunch Chorus self-employed community has over 50,000 members who all benefit from our free business guides, tools and videos all designed to simplify self-employment.

All the features you need to manage your bookkeeping

Crunch Free has all the functionality you need to keep on top of your bookkeeping as a sole trader or limited company. If you want to upgrade to get complete support and advice from our team of expert accountants and superhero client managers, that’s easy too.

We offer either one-off sessions with an accountant with our in-app ‘Ask an Accountant’ feature, or you can choose from one of our all-inclusive accountancy packages where we can take care of HMRC and Companies House for you, managing all your taxes and filings.

Here’s a checklist of all the great features in Crunch Free that will make the switchover from Wave simple and painless.

• Fast set-up, with no training required!
• Unlimited income and expense tracking
• Unlimited, customisable invoices
• Unlimited expenses recording
• Free receipt scanning app (up to 15 scans per month - or upgrade to unlimited scans for just £3.50 +VAT)
• Free Open Banking feeds for supported banks - secure and automated imports of all your banking transactions
• Easy manual statement upload for non-supported banks
• Free app to record your business mileage
• Simple bank reconciliation
• Keep track of your cashflow and see what you’re owed
• Mobile optimised - works on any device
• Secure, stable and cloud-based
• Double-entry accounting system - your records are ready for an accountant to prepare any filings
• Exportable records and reports - you can access or download your information whenever you need to
• UK-based - we’ll be there for your UK business - forever!

So, what are you waiting for, get Crunch Free today and see how easy it is to keep on top of your accounts and save yourself time and money.

How Crunch can help

At Crunch, we have a range of free and paid services to help you on your self-employed journey. Our award-winning Knowledge section is choc-full of insightful articles that can help you reach a decision, and lay the early foundations for your new business. Here are just a few:

• How to start a business - what do you need to know?
• Sole trader vs limited company, or umbrella: what’s best for you?
• How to set up a limited company
• Freelance on the side: what tax do I pay?
• How much should I charge clients?
• Generate leads for your small business – the ultimate checklist

If you’re ready to get started, our expert advisors, client managers, and Chartered Certified Accountants are on hand to help you create the small business of your dreams. We offer a complete accountancy service with unlimited support for limited companies and sole traders.

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Get Crunch Free today

We believe Crunch Free is the best free bookkeeping software available in the UK, if you’re looking for an alternative to Wave Accounting why not get your free account today, you’ll be up and running in just a few minutes, get Crunch Free right now!