RentalBux vs. Acxite
Which MTD Software Is Better for UK Landlords and Sole Traders?
Overall Winner: RentalBux
RentalBux is the more complete MTD software for landlords and sole traders. It combines full Making Tax Digital compliance across UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment income with comprehensive property management, automated bookkeeping, AI-driven expense categorisation, joint ownership profit-splitting, and a free plan for single-property landlords until March 2028. Acxite is a genuinely capable, free-to-start MTD bridging and bookkeeping platform with strong document-driven data capture and a well-designed multi-client dashboard for accountants. However, its near-total absence of landlord-specific features — no property management, no tenant management, no joint ownership support, no HMO functionality — and its primary positioning as a bridging and light bookkeeping tool make it a poor fit for landlords who want a purpose-built property and MTD compliance platform.
At-a-Glance MTD Software Comparison
Key differences between RentalBux and Acxite across MTD compliance, property management, bookkeeping, pricing, and landlord-specific features.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| Software Type | Property/Landlord Platform | Document-Driven Bookkeeping & MTD Bridging |
| Target Users | Landlords, Sole Traders, Letting Agents | Small Businesses, Sole Traders, Freelancers, Accountants, Landlords |
| Income Sources Supported | Sole Trader + UK Property + Foreign Property | Sole Trader + UK Property (bridging covers income filed in spreadsheets) |
| Free MTD Software Plan | Free until March 2028 (1 property) | Free forever (single business, core features) |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes(on paid plans) |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes | No |
| Invoice Creation | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | Yes | No |
| Payroll | No | No |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | Yes | No |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | Yes |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android | Web + Mobile App (via Receipt Bot integration) |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
What Is RentalBux? What Is Acxite?
What Is RentalBux?
All-in-One MTD Software for Landlords and Sole Traders
RentalBux is an all-in-one property management, accounting, and Making Tax Digital compliance platform built specifically for UK landlords, letting agents, and self-employed individuals. Designed with direct input from accountants who specialise in property and sole trader tax, RentalBux covers everything from tenancy management and rent collection to full bookkeeping with a pre-configured chart of accounts tailored to the property sector.
RentalBux is fully HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax across all three qualifying income categories: UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment. This makes it one of the only landlord-specific MTD software platforms that can handle a landlord who also runs a sole trader business, all from a single subscription.
A major differentiator is RentalBux's pricing model: single-property landlords can use the platform completely free until March 2028, making it one of the most affordable HMRC-approved MTD software options for landlords entering the MTD regime.
What Is Acxite ?
Free Accounting Software for Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs
Acxite is a free-to-start, document-driven bookkeeping and MTD compliance platform developed by Excelsious Limited, operating as Acxite. It is HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and VAT. Acxite's defining approach is its document-first workflow: rather than requiring users to manually type in transaction data, the platform allows users to upload physical documents — PDFs, scanned receipts, bank statement PDFs, supplier invoices — and uses automated extraction technology (integrated with Receipt Bot) to convert those documents into digital accounting records.
Acxite supports MTD VAT submissions, MTD Income Tax quarterly updates, and final declarations. Its multi-client dashboard and volume discount pricing model make it attractive to accounting practices managing multiple sole trader or small business clients. The core single-business plan is free, with no transaction limits and no credit card required. For data extraction from physical documents, an additional Receipt Bot subscription is required. Acxite is a web-based platform; no native iOS or Android app is offered, though mobile document scanning is facilitated through the Receipt Bot companion app.
Strengths
- Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028
- Handles sole trader + UK property + foreign property income in one platform
- Joint ownership with automatic profit-sharing split by ownership percentage
- Pre-built chart of accounts tailored for landlords and sole traders
- AI-powered expense auto-categorisation and OCR receipt capture
- Agent filing on behalf of landlords — ideal for accountants and letting agents
- Supports HMO properties with auto-created units
Strengths
- Genuinely free for a single business with no transaction limits
- HMRC-recognised for MTD Income Tax and VAT
- Strong document-driven data capture (PDF receipts, bank statements, supplier invoices)
- Bridging mode for users who want to keep their spreadsheets
- Multi-currency support included
- Accountant multi-client dashboard with volume discounts
- Zapier integration for workflow automation
- Smart supplier memory for consistent categorisation
- No minimum contract — cancel, upgrade, or downgrade anytime
- 90% introductory discount for first 6 months on paid plans
Limitations
- Newer to market compared to established platforms
- No yield or LTV investment analysis tools
- No MTD for VAT support yet
- Some advanced reporting features still in development
- Limited third-party app integrations
- No offline capability
- No tax liability forecasting feature currently
Limitations
- No landlord-specific features: no property management, tenant tracking, or HMO support
- No joint ownership or profit-splitting functionality
- No automated open banking bank feeds — relies on manual CSV/PDF imports
- Receipt/document OCR requires separate Receipt Bot subscription (not free)
- No native iOS or Android mobile app
- Data retention limited to 12 months on free bridging plan (7 years on paid plans)
- No property-level income/expense tracking
- Final Declaration only supported on paid plans
- Foreign property MTD coverage relies on bridging/spreadsheet import, not built-in categories
- Newer platform — smaller established user base than major providers
Making Tax Digital Compliance
How RentalBux Handles MTD Compliance
RentalBux supports all three MTD qualifying income categories: sole trader income, UK property income, and foreign property income. This makes it suitable for landlords who also earn self-employment income, eliminating the need for separate software. Most accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. RentalBux also supports agent filing, allowing accountants or letting agents to submit MTD returns on behalf of their landlord clients.
How Acxite Handles MTD for Landlords and Sole Traders
Acxite is HMRC-recognised and can submit quarterly MTD updates and final declarations for both sole trader income and UK property income directly to HMRC. Its MTD Income Tax module allows users to record income and expenses, categorise transactions, and submit quarterly updates in a few clicks. For users with existing spreadsheet records, Acxite's bridging mode accepts CSV imports, enabling MTD-compliant submission without changing record-keeping workflows.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes | Yes |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | Yes | Yes |
| UK Property Income | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | Yes | Via bridging/general ledger |
| Multiple Income Streams | Yes | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux — Pre-confirmed foreign property income support, pre-mapped SA boxes with no manual configuration, native landlord-specific MTD categories, and full data retention compliance across all plans give RentalBux the advantage for landlords preparing for Making Tax Digital. Acxite's free plan data retention of 12 months is a compliance risk that landlords must account for.
Property Management
RentalBux: Property Management
RentalBux provides comprehensive property portfolio management with tenant management, rent tracking, property expense allocation, and support for multiple properties. A standout feature is its joint ownership and profit-sharing capability: landlords can define ownership percentages once, and RentalBux automatically splits rental income and expenses. RentalBux also supports HMO properties, automatically creating individual units.
Acxite: No Dedicated Property Management
Acxite's product pages acknowledge landlords and property managers as a target audience and note that rental income can be tracked as a specific revenue stream, with repairs and expenses categorised by property. However, Acxite does not offer a structured property portfolio management module, tenant management records, rent roll tracking, HMO unit management, joint ownership profit-splitting, compliance document alerts, or any other feature designed specifically for property management. Multi-entity management under one login (tracking different properties separately) is possible in principle, but requires manual setup within the general accounting structure rather than through a dedicated landlord workflow.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Rent Tracking | Yes | No |
| Property Expense Allocation | Yes | No |
| Multiple Property Support | Yes | No |
| HMO Property Support | Yes (auto-creates units) | No |
| Joint Ownership/Profit Sharing | Yes (auto-split by %) | No |
| Maintenance Tracking | No | No |
| Tenant Screening | No | No |
| Compliance Document Alerts | Yes | No |
| Arrears Tracking | No | No |
Winner: RentalBux — Acxite has no landlord-specific property management features. RentalBux wins outright on property portfolio management, tenant management, HMO support, and joint ownership automation.
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Digital Record Keeping
RentalBux: Structured Accounting
RentalBux includes a pre-built chart of accounts specifically designed for landlords and sole traders, covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, property repairs, professional services, utilities, and tenant deposits. All accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. The platform supports cash basis accounting, bank reconciliation, and journal entries.
Acxite: Document-Driven Bookkeeping for Small Businesses
Acxite's core proposition is eliminating manual data entry. Rather than requiring users to type transactions into a ledger, it allows documents — PDFs, scanned receipts, bank statement files, supplier invoices — to be uploaded directly. Its automated extraction engine (powered via Receipt Bot integration) reads the document, identifies the supplier, date, amounts, and tax figures, and creates the accounting entry for user approval. A smart categorisation feature with supplier memory means that once a user categorises a transaction from a specific supplier, the system remembers and auto-fills future entries from that supplier. The platform supports a nominal ledger, bank reconciliation (via statement import), and multi-currency accounting. Automated open banking bank feeds are not currently available — bank transactions are imported via CSV or PDF bank statement extraction.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built, Landlord-Tailored) | Yes (pre-built + custom) | Yes |
| Journal Entries | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes (Major UK banks) | No |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes | No |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | Yes | Yes |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | Yes |
| Xero Integration | No | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes | Yes |
Winner: Tie — RentalBux wins on automated open banking feeds and landlord-pre-configured accounts. Acxite wins on document-driven data capture, supplier statement reconciliation, multi-currency support, and the bridging mode for spreadsheet users. For landlords, RentalBux's pre-mapped landlord accounts eliminate setup; for small businesses or accountants processing high document volumes, Acxite's extraction engine saves significant time.
Invoicing, Expense Tracking
RentalBux: Expense Management
RentalBux includes OCR receipt capture, structured expense tracking with landlord-specific categories, auto-categorisation, invoice creation with customisable branding, and payment tracking with reminders.
Acxite: Document-First Expense Automation
Acxite's invoice and expense management is centred on its document upload and extraction engine. Users can upload PDF receipts, supplier invoices, or bills via the web portal, email forwarding, or the Receipt Bot mobile scanner. The platform automatically extracts supplier names, dates, amounts, and tax figures, creating transaction records that the user then approves. Smart categorisation with supplier memory automates recurring entries. Invoice creation is available on paid plans. Automated payment reminders for outstanding invoices are included in the system. Acxite does not offer native OCR within the platform itself — document extraction relies on the Receipt Bot integration, which requires a separate subscription.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Creation & Sending | Yes | Yes |
| Invoice Customisation/Branding | Yes | No |
| Online Payment Collection | Yes | No |
| Payment Tracking/Reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR/Photo) | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Categorisation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes | No |
| Mileage Tracking | No | No |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
Winner: Tie — RentalBux wins on native, no-extra-cost AI receipt capture and landlord-specific expense categories. Acxite wins on document volume processing (PDFs, bank statement extraction, supplier statements) and Zapier automation for high-transaction users. Receipt Bot being a separate paid add-on for Acxite is a meaningful cost consideration for landlords comparing free-tier capabilities.
Reporting & Tax Forecasting
RentalBux: Formal Accounting Reports
RentalBux produces structured financial reports including profit & loss statements, balance sheets, journal reports, ledger reports, and trial balances. Smart categorisation helps ensure accuracy.
Acxite: Real-Time Business Reporting Suite
Acxite's reporting suite includes profit & loss, balance sheet, trial balance, and VAT reports (including a full 9-box VAT return breakdown with transaction-by-VAT-box drill-down). Reports update in real time as documents are approved. Filtering is available by period. Acxite does not offer tax forecasting, property-specific dashboards, investment analytics, or landlord-specific reporting views. Its reporting is designed for general small business use rather than property portfolio management.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Yes (formal) | Yes |
| Balance Sheet | Yes | Yes |
| Trial Balance | Yes | Yes |
| Dashboard/Overview | Yes | Yes |
| Real-Time Financial Data | Yes | Yes |
| Cash Flow Reporting | No | No |
| Tax Estimate/Forecast | Yes | No |
| AI-Powered Features | Coming soon | Yes |
Winner: Tie — RentalBux leads on property-level reporting and landlord-specific dashboards. Acxite leads on VAT reporting depth (9-box breakdown with transaction-level drill-down). Neither platform offers tax forecasting or investment analytics.
Collaboration & Mobile Apps
RentalBux's Collaborative Features
RentalBux enables agent filing, which gives accountants and letting agents the ability to submit directly on a landlord's behalf.
Acxite's Collaborative Features
Acxite's multi-client dashboard is designed specifically for accountants and bookkeepers managing multiple client portfolios. Accountants can access client accounts, review transaction-by-VAT-box reports, and file returns on their behalf. Volume discounts make Acxite particularly cost-effective for practices managing large numbers of sole trader clients — 30% off for 10+ licences, 40% off for 50+, and 50% off for 100+. Acxite is a web-based platform; there is no dedicated native mobile app.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant/Advisor Portal | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-User Access | Yes | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Integration | Yes | No |
| Platform | iOS, Android | Web + Mobile App (via Receipt Bot integration) |
| Web Browser Access | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux — Native iOS and Android apps and automated open banking bank feeds give RentalBux a decisive mobility advantage for landlords managing properties on the go. Acxite's accountant volume discount model is more attractive for practices handling large numbers of general business clients, but for property-focused accountants, RentalBux's agent filing and property-level access provide more relevant collaboration tools.
Ease of Use, Support & Security
RentalBux: Guided Workflows
RentalBux uses guided workflows, clear dashboards, and no accounting jargon. The platform offers phone support, email/chat support, and a help centre with guides and knowledge base articles.
Acxite's Ease of Use
Acxite positions itself as intuitive for non-accountants through its document-upload-first approach — users interact with their familiar paper documents rather than accounting concepts. The platform includes a knowledge base and a chat support function available on paid plans. The free Micro Business and Free Bridging plans do not include chat support. Acxite reports a 99% accuracy rate in extracting data from PDF receipts, bills, invoices, and bank statements, and has processed over 1.5 million documents. Over 250 accounting firms use the platform for client filings.
| Feature | RentalBux | Acxite |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes | No |
| Chat Support | Yes | No |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes |
| Help Centre/Knowledge Base | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| Enterprise-Grade Security | Yes | No |
RentalBux Features
Sole Trader Income Support for MTD
RentalBux is one of the few landlord-focused MTD software platforms that supports self-employment income alongside UK and foreign property income within a single account. Landlords who also run a trade, consultancy, or freelance business can manage all quarterly submissions from one dashboard. Landlord Studio covers property income only.
Custom Chart of Accounts for Landlords
A property-tailored chart of accounts covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, repairs, utilities, letting agent fees, and more — all pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. No setup required; the system is ready to use from day one. Landlord Studio has no equivalent.
Agent Filing on Behalf of Landlords
Letting agents and accountants can submit MTD quarterly updates and the Final Declaration on behalf of landlord clients directly from the platform. Landlord Studio allows accountant access but does not support submission on the landlord's behalf.
Branded Invoice Creation
Invoice creation with customisable branding for service charges and commercial landlords. Not available in Landlord Studio.
AI-Powered OCR Receipt Capture with Auto-Categorisation (Coming soon)
RentalBux's AI will read uploaded receipts and categorise the expense automatically against the pre-built chart of accounts. Landlord Studio's Smart Scan extracts dates and amounts but does not include AI-driven expense categorisation.
Formal Accounting Reports
Balance sheet, trial balance, ledger reports, and journal reports. Landlord Studio does not produce these natively.
Free Plan Including MTD Submissions Until March 2028
RentalBux's free single-property plan includes MTD quarterly submissions. Landlord Studio's free GO plan covers property management for up to three units but requires a paid PRO plan (from £12/month) to access MTD submission functionality.
Unique Features Only Acxite Offers
Bridging Software Mode
Landlords and sole traders who prefer to keep records in Excel spreadsheets can import their data via CSV and use Acxite purely for MTD submission, without migrating to a new accounting system. This is Acxite's most distinctive feature and serves users who want the minimum disruption to existing workflows.
Document-Driven Data Capture from PDFs and Scanned Documents
Upload a PDF bank statement, a pile of scanned receipts, or a supplier invoice file, and Acxite's extraction engine (via Receipt Bot) processes the documents and creates transaction records. This transforms physical paperwork into digital accounting entries without manual typing — ideal for businesses with high paper document volumes.
Supplier Statement Reconciliation
Upload a supplier's monthly statement PDF and Acxite cross-references it against the invoices and bills already recorded, instantly highlighting missing or duplicate documents. This is a significant time-saver for businesses with multiple trade suppliers.
Multi-Currency Support
Acxite supports multiple currencies, making it suitable for landlords or businesses with international transactions, ecommerce sellers, and contractors working across borders.
Zapier Integration
Connect Acxite to hundreds of external tools — Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Outlook, Slack — via Zapier for automated document workflows. This enables sophisticated automation for accounting practices and business owners with existing digital tool stacks.
Genuinely Free with No Transaction Limits (Single Business)
Acxite's single-business plan (Micro Business) is free forever with no stated transaction cap — a strong proposition for sole traders and landlords who want a no-cost MTD compliance and bookkeeping solution (noting the data retention and Final Declaration limitations of the free tier).
Accountant Volume Discount Programme
Progressive volume discounts of 30% (10+ licences), 40% (50+ licences), and 50% (100+ licences) on top of the 6-month introductory 90% discount make Acxite highly cost-competitive for accounting practices managing large client portfolios of sole traders and small businesses.
Who Should Choose RentalBux?
RentalBux is a strong fit if you:
Landlords with Mixed Income Streams
If you earn from both property and self-employment, RentalBux handles sole trader income alongside UK and foreign property income in a single MTD-compliant platform.
Joint Owners and Family Portfolios
The automated profit-sharing split is a standout feature. Define ownership percentages once and RentalBux calculates each owner's share automatically.
Budget-Conscious Landlords Entering MTD
Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028, with no upfront commitment.
Landlords Who Want Proper Accounting Structure
Chart of accounts, journal entries, profit & loss, balance sheet, and trial balance give RentalBux a structured accounting foundation.
Accountants and Letting Agents
Agent filing on behalf, multi-user access, and spreadsheet import make RentalBux practical for professionals managing multiple landlord portfolios.
Commercial Landlords and HMO Owners
Invoice creation with branding for service charges, plus automatic HMO unit creation and tenant management.
Who Should Choose Acxite?
Acxite is the better MTD software choice for:
Sole Traders and Freelancers Who Hate Manual Data Entry
If your biggest pain point is typing out invoices and receipts, Acxite's document upload and extraction workflow eliminates that entirely. Upload your paperwork and let the system create the accounting entries.
Landlords Who Already Keep Records in Excel
Acxite's bridging mode lets you maintain your existing spreadsheet workflow and use Acxite purely to file your MTD quarterly updates, with no need to migrate to a new system.
Small Businesses with High Document Volumes
The supplier statement reconciliation, bank statement extraction, and bulk document processing make Acxite particularly effective for businesses dealing with large numbers of physical invoices and receipts — construction firms, retailers, and contractors.
Accounting Practices Managing Large Numbers of Small Business and Sole Trader Clients
The multi-client dashboard combined with Acxite's volume discount structure (up to 50% off for 100+ licences) makes it highly cost-competitive for practices managing diverse client bases of sole traders and small businesses.
Businesses with International or Multi-Currency Transactions
Acxite's multi-currency support makes it suitable for ecommerce sellers, international contractors, and businesses transacting in multiple currencies.
Users Who Want a Free, No-Contract Bookkeeping Solution
The Micro Business plan provides free core bookkeeping with no transaction limits and no credit card required — suitable for landlords with simple affairs who are comfortable managing their own data and do not need the Final Declaration feature.