Is there free waste transfer note software?

Yes, there is. But "free" needs a little unpacking, because there are two separate costs in digital waste tracking, and only one of them can be avoided.

The two costs

First, there is DEFRA's system fee. Whatever software you use, DEFRA charges £26 a year for each organisation on your account to use the Digital Waste Tracking Service. That applies to everyone and cannot be avoided. It is separate from anything you pay a software provider.

Second, there is the software itself. This is where "free" is possible.

What you actually get free

LoadLog has a free tier that covers up to 5 waste transfer notes a month. That is enough to test the workflow before the October 2026 mandate and to handle a genuinely low volume of loads.

On top of that, the Compliance Lite plan, normally £12 a month, is free until the end of 2026 for anyone who signs up before October. So you can run a full year of digital waste tracking without a software subscription while you get ready for the mandate.

The honest version

Free software does not make the DEFRA fee disappear. Plan for £26 a year per organisation regardless. What the free tier does is remove the software cost while you test and prepare, which is exactly what most sites need in the run-up to October 2026.