The Story Behind MTDify
MTDify didn’t start as a product. It started as a simple question:
“Why is bookkeeping software so expensive, so complex, and so overbuilt for the self-employed?”
What began as a personal tool grew into an offline-first alternative for people who want clarity, privacy, and control over their finances — without monthly fees or the weight of cloud software. MTDify is being built in small steps: a Free Starter Edition, a full Local Edition, and future Pro and hosted options for people who want even more.
How MTDify Started
MTDify began as a small personal project — a simple tool I built for myself after realising how unnecessarily complicated bookkeeping software had become for UK sole traders.
Most of the tools available were designed for accountants or limited companies. They were expensive, filled with features nobody asked for, and built around cloud systems that didn’t feel right for one-person businesses simply trying to stay organised.
What I wanted was something practical: a clean interface, a straightforward workflow, a place to track income and expenses, and a way to keep clear digital records - something that will matter even more as the UK continues moving toward Making Tax Digital - without huge subscriptions, complexity, or pressure.
That simple idea grew into MTDify: a Offline-First bookkeeping tool that gives people ownership, privacy, and clarity without needing to be an accountant or a tech expert.
Built for Real Users
Designed around the needs of UK sole traders — simple, practical, no clutter.
Offline-First by Choice
No cloud accounts, no syncing — your data stays on your device, fully in your control.
A Simple Approach
No subscriptions, no overwhelm — just straightforward bookkeeping.
From Starter to Local Edition — The Path Forward
MTDify has grown in small, deliberate steps. It began with the Free Starter Edition — a lightweight version created to help people explore digital record-keeping without needing to install anything complex or commit to a paid tool.
As more people began using it, the next step became clear: a full, standalone version that users could run entirely on their own machines. That became the Local Edition — a more complete experience that lets you track income, expenses, receipts, categories, and year-end summaries while keeping your data private and offline.
These two versions work side-by-side: Starter is for exploring. Local Edition is for running your bookkeeping day to day.
Looking ahead, there is room for more. A Pro Edition may introduce advanced tools like OCR receipt scanning, recurring entries, and optional cloud features — all designed with the same simplicity and privacy-focused approach. A self-hosted version may also follow for people who want their own VPS-based setup.
But everything grows slowly and intentionally. No rush. No pressure. Just practical tools, built with care, designed for real people doing real work.
What Matters to Us
Keep It Simple
Bookkeeping doesn’t need to be stressful. MTDify is built with clarity in mind — fewer buttons, fewer settings, fewer distractions. Just a clean, calm workspace for staying organised.
Build for Real People
Most self-employed people don’t want enterprise systems. They want something that works, makes sense, and doesn’t get in the way. Everything we create is shaped by real-world needs, not corporate wishlists.
Support Without Drama
This isn’t a giant company with support tickets disappearing into the void. It’s a small, thoughtful project — and when someone needs help, we respond like humans, not a helpdesk machine.
Built by a Sole Trader, for Sole Traders
Like many independent workers, I spent years juggling client work, invoices, receipts, spreadsheets, and the pressure of staying organised for tax time. I tried the usual accounting tools — and quickly realised they weren’t built for people like me.
So I built something smaller. Calmer. More focused. A tool that matches the rhythm of real self-employed life — the late nights, last-minute receipts, quiet admin days, and everything in between.
MTDify isn’t a big tech product. It’s a practical tool created by someone who understands what it’s like to work for yourself — because I am one of you.
Ready to Try MTDify for Yourself?
Whether you're just getting started or looking for a simpler way to manage your digital records, MTDify gives you clarity, ownership, and a calm, distraction-free bookkeeping experience.
Want to explore first? Download the Free Starter Edition to try the basic workflow before upgrading.