Happy Valley

FreshBooks vs Pennylane

FreshBooks and Pennylane are both accounting & finance tools. FreshBooks is aimed at freelancers and small businesses, while Pennylane is aimed at small businesses.

FreshBooks

Invoicing and accounting for service businesses

Pennylane

Finance and accounting platform for French SMBs

PricingPaid · $23Paid
Starting price$23/moNot published
Free planNoNo
Free trial30 days15 days
Built forFreelancers, Small businessesSmall businesses
Platformsweb, ios, androidweb
CountryCA · 2003FR · 2020
Rating——

Choose FreshBooks if

Freelancers and service businesses that bill clients for time and projects.

  • Easiest invoicing experience
  • Time tracking built in
  • Clean, friendly interface

Look elsewhere if: Product businesses with inventory or companies needing complex accounting.

Choose Pennylane if

French SMEs and accountants.

  • Shared workspace with accountants
  • Modern UI
  • Strong French compliance

Look elsewhere if: Businesses outside France (yet).

FreshBooks vs Pennylane pricing

FreshBooks

  • Lite$23/mo5 billable clients; intro promo 80% off for 4 months
  • Plus$43/mo50 billable clients, receipt scanning, accountant access
  • Premium$70/moUnlimited billable clients, project profitability
  • SelectCustomUnlimited clients, 2 team members, Advanced Payments included

Pennylane

  • Starter€7/moExcl. VAT, 1 user, freelancers; Pro account required
  • Basique€14/moExcl. VAT, 1 user (freelancer price)
  • Essentiel€24/moExcl. VAT, 1 user (freelancer price)
  • Premium€79/moExcl. VAT, 1 user, includes accounting module

FreshBooks · Key features

  • Invoices, estimates and proposals with branding
  • Time tracking linked to projects and invoices
  • Expense tracking with receipt capture
  • Online payments and recurring billing
  • Client portal and project collaboration
  • Double-entry accounting and reports

Cons

  • Billable client limits per plan
  • Weak inventory features
  • Pricing rises quickly

Pennylane · Key features

  • Invoicing and quotes
  • Bank and payment sync
  • Receipt capture and matching
  • Pre-accounting and accounting
  • Accountant collaboration
  • Cash flow dashboards

Cons

  • Primarily France
  • Pricing varies by tier
  • Limited international features

FreshBooks vs Pennylane: FAQ

Do FreshBooks and Pennylane have a free plan?

FreshBooks has no free plan, a 30-day free trial. Pennylane has no free plan, a 15-day free trial.

Not sure yet?