The "best accounting software" lists are mostly affiliate bait. They rank by commission, not by whether a sole trader actually needs payroll features.
Here is a clear method you can follow in about 5 minutes.
Step 1 — Ignore Payroll
You are a sole trader. You don't have employees. You don't need payroll software. You need something that tracks income, expenses, and creates invoices.
If the tool forces you to use a "payroll module," skip it.
Step 2 — Look for Bank Feeds
Manual data entry is the worst part of accounting. Look for a tool that connects directly to your bank feed and imports transactions automatically.
Step 3 — Check these 3 specs
Before you buy, look for these three things:
- Bank feed support: No manual entry.
- Simple invoicing: Send an invoice and mark it as paid.
- Making Tax Digital (MTD) ready: If you are in the UK, it must be MTD-compliant.
If a tool has bank feeds, simple invoicing, and MTD support, it is worth looking at.
Step 4 — Run the find
Instead of reading 20 reviews, tell the find engine exactly what you need. Use this query:
❯ accounting software for sole traders, bank feed, simple invoicing, MTD
Rallynex will:
- Search live listings across software directories.
- Filter out the ones with complex payroll features.
- Cross-check the specs against known simple tools.
- Show you the ones that actually deliver — with the source, the price, and the specs.
The short version
- No payroll. You are a sole trader.
- Must have bank feed support.
- Must be MTD-compliant.
- If it takes more than 5 minutes to set up, it's too complex.
That is the whole method. Everything else is marketing.