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FreshBooks

Invoicing and accounting for service businesses

FreshBooks is a accounting & finance tool for Freelancers and Small businesses, offered as paid ($23/mo). Founded in Canada in 2003. Popular alternatives include Fiskl.

About FreshBooks

FreshBooks is cloud accounting and invoicing software from Toronto, Canada, founded in 2003 and built for freelancers and service businesses. Its core job is getting paid: creating branded invoices, estimates and proposals, tracking billable time and expenses against clients and projects, and collecting online card and bank payments while the books stay in order.

Around invoicing, FreshBooks offers recurring billing, automatic payment reminders, late fees, receipt capture through a mobile app, mileage tracking, project profitability, a client portal and double-entry accounting with reports such as profit and loss and balance sheet. Plans are priced per month and limited by the number of billable clients, with extra team members charged separately; higher tiers add proposals, recurring billing, retainers and advanced payments. Payroll is available in the US through a partner integration.

FreshBooks suits designers, consultants, agencies and other service providers who want the simplest invoicing experience. Product businesses with inventory, multi-entity companies and anyone needing complex accounting will outgrow it; QuickBooks Online and Xero offer deeper accounting and larger accountant networks, while Zoho Books gives more features per dollar. Turkish businesses need e-fatura and e-arşiv compliance, which FreshBooks does not provide, so local tools such as Paraşüt are the practical choice there.

Key features of FreshBooks

  • 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

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Easiest invoicing experience
  • Time tracking built in
  • Clean, friendly interface
  • Good for service businesses

Cons

  • Billable client limits per plan
  • Weak inventory features
  • Pricing rises quickly
  • Accounting depth below QuickBooks/Xero

FreshBooks pricing

FreshBooks uses a paid model. A 30-day free trial is available.

PlanPriceIncludes
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

Source: www.freshbooks.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026

How FreshBooks compares in Accounting & finance

Rank by votes
#1 / 22

0 votes from members

Starting price
$23

18% above the category median ($20/mo)

Free alternatives
0

Free or open-source tools in Accounting & finance

FreshBooks ranks #1 of 22 accounting & finance tools by community votes and is priced above most tools in the category.

Common use cases

  1. 1Freelance designer invoicing clients and tracking hours
  2. 2Consultancy sending proposals and retainers
  3. 3Agency monitoring project profitability
  4. 4Solo professional preparing books for tax

Best for

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

Not ideal for

Product businesses with inventory or companies needing complex accounting.

Integrations

  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Gusto
  • Shopify
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • G Suite
  • Squarespace

Our take

FreshBooks is the most pleasant invoicing tool for service work. Watch the client limits and move to Xero or QuickBooks if you outgrow them.

FAQ

What is FreshBooks?
FreshBooks is a Accounting & finance tool: Invoicing and accounting for service businesses.
How much does FreshBooks cost?
FreshBooks uses a Paid model; paid plans start at $23 per month.
What are the best alternatives to FreshBooks?
Community-listed alternatives to FreshBooks include Fiskl.
Does FreshBooks have a free trial?
Yes, FreshBooks offers a 30-day free trial.
What does FreshBooks integrate with?
FreshBooks integrates with Stripe, PayPal, Gusto, Shopify, HubSpot, Zapier and more.
Which platforms does FreshBooks support?
FreshBooks is available on web, ios, android.
Who is FreshBooks for?
Freelancers and service businesses that bill clients for time and projects.

Alternatives to FreshBooks

  • Fiskl

    ▲ 0

    Multi-currency invoicing and accounting

    Freemium · $15FreelancersSmall businesses

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  • Bonsai

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  • KolayBi

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  • Xero

    ▲ 0

    Cloud accounting popular outside the US

    Paid · $27Small businesses

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