FreshBooks

FreshBooks is accounting software for freelancers, solopreneurs and small businesses. It creates invoices with tracked time and expenses, tax calculations and configurable payment options. Users can record time against clients and projects, then generate invoices from those records. Projects bring together client work, team members, time, invoices and expenses, with project profitability views. The service supports recurring invoices, expense tracking and a client portal. Listed payment options include cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay and buy now, pay later. It runs on the web and offers Android and iOS apps, as well as an OAuth2 API for integrations and account automation. Some features, including reporting, are desktop-only, and mobile apps require iOS 15 or later or Android 7.0 or later. Lite is $23 a month and includes five billable clients; Plus is $43 a month and includes 50. Premium is $70 a month and allows unlimited clients. Double-entry accounting is available on Plus, Premium and Select. FreshBooks was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

FreshBooks brings invoicing, time tracking, expenses and client projects into an accounting service for smaller businesses. Plan limits differ by billable-client count, and double-entry accounting is reserved for Plus, Premium and Select.

It suits freelancers, solopreneurs and small businesses that need invoicing, expense tracking and time-based billing. Teams that need double-entry accounting should note that it is available on Plus, Premium and Select.

FreshBooks is accounting software for freelancers, solopreneurs and small businesses that bill for client work. It is best suited to service providers who want time, expenses and project work tied directly to invoices. The principal compromise is scaling cost: cheaper plans cap billable clients, and double-entry accounting starts above the entry tier.

Overview

FreshBooks combines invoicing, recurring invoices, expense tracking, time billing and client projects in one web-based service. An invoice can include tracked time and expenses, calculate taxes and offer configurable payment choices. That connection is practical for contractors who otherwise reconcile work records and billing manually. It is a less convincing choice for a business that needs double-entry accounting while keeping its subscription at the lowest price.

Projects bring client work, team members, time, invoices and expenses together, and add profitability views. FreshBooks is made by a Toronto company founded in 2003. Its service is available through a browser, with mobile apps for iOS 15 or later and Android 7.0 or later.

Key features

Invoicing and payments

Invoices can pull in tracked hours and expenses, apply taxes and use configurable payment options. FreshBooks lists card and ACH payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and buy-now-pay-later options. Recurring invoices suit repeat engagements, while online payments reduce the steps between sending a bill and collecting it. The published information does not assign each payment method to a particular plan, so buyers should confirm plan-level availability.

Time, projects and expenses

Time tracking is organized around clients and projects, and tracked time can become invoice line items. Project records also hold expenses and billing information, while profitability views help judge whether an engagement is paying off. This is a coherent workflow for consultants, agencies and other businesses charging for hours or project work; it is less relevant to companies whose accounting is not client-service based.

Integrations and API

Recommended integrations include Acuity, Checkeeper, FreshCurrencies, Income Importer, Mailform, SurePayroll, Employment Hero and Zapier, which FreshBooks says connects to more than 1,500 apps. An OAuth2 API lets developers build integrations and automate account tasks. Those options matter when a small business needs to connect scheduling, payroll or custom workflows rather than operate FreshBooks alone.

Security and support

Browser traffic uses 256-bit SSL encryption, and FreshBooks maintains PCI DSS Level 1 compliance with an annual independent audit. The application runs on Google Cloud Platform; data is replicated across two geographic locations and backed up nightly. Free support is offered during office hours, with self-serve help and FreshBot globally 24/7, although contact channels vary by region, time and plan. Reporting and some other functions are desktop-only, so the mobile apps are not a complete replacement for the browser.

Pricing

FreshBooks is paid software with a 30-day trial and no free plan. Subscriptions are billed monthly:

Active and archived clients count toward Lite and Plus limits, so archiving does not create extra capacity. Double-entry accounting is included on Plus, Premium and Select, not Lite. Lite is the economical starting point only when five billable clients are enough and basic accounting meets the need; moving to Plus is a substantial monthly increase but removes the 50-client ceiling and adds double-entry capability. Premium removes the stated client quota for a larger client base. Select has no published price, making budgeting dependent on a quotation.

Platforms

FreshBooks runs on the web and offers iOS and Android apps, plus an API and extension support. Mobile access requires iOS 15 or later or Android 7.0 or later. Since some features, including reporting, are desktop-only, mobile users should expect to return to the browser for a fuller accounting workflow.

Who it's for

Choose FreshBooks for freelance professionals, contractors, solopreneurs and small service teams that invoice clients and want hours, expenses and project profitability connected. It is particularly sensible when recurring billing, online payment choices or integrations are central to the workflow. Look elsewhere if five clients is the practical ceiling and you still require double-entry accounting, or if you need a fully mobile accounting experience.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Invoices can combine time, expenses, taxes and configurable payment choices, reducing duplicate billing work.
• Project profitability views connect delivery activity with financial results.
• Card, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay and buy-now-pay-later methods provide stated collection options.
• OAuth2 API access, Zapier connectivity and other integrations support custom workflows.
• Nightly backups, geographic replication and PCI DSS Level 1 compliance address core data-protection concerns.

Cons

• Lite allows only five billable clients, and archived clients count toward that quota.
• Plus is the first tier with double-entry accounting, so the entry plan is unsuitable for that requirement.
• Premium costs $70 a month before the unlimited-client allowance becomes available.
• Reporting and some functionality are desktop-only despite mobile apps.
• Select uses custom pricing, which makes direct price comparison difficult.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, see SaaS Accounting Software, Bookkeeping Software, Freelance Invoicing Software and Time Billing Software. Industry-specific roundups for Gym Accounting Software and Salon Accounting Software may be a better starting point for those businesses.

FreeAgent is the better fit for buyers wanting a free plan and lower-priced sole-trader or partnership tiers. Odoo Accounting suits readers seeking a freemium product with self-hosted deployment. Zoho Books is worth choosing when an indefinitely free plan for qualifying micro businesses is the priority. Holded API is an alternative for buyers comparing lower-priced euro plans with explicit invoice and bank limits. Numarics Accounting is another paid, trial-based option. Sage Accounting is a fit for readers evaluating user-based plans. Xero Expenses is the more focused alternative for expense workflows with a low-priced Early tier. MYOB Business is an alternative for buyers comparing Australian-dollar plans and payroll capacity.

Verdict

FreshBooks is a strong choice for freelancers and small service businesses that want client billing, tracked work, expenses and project profitability in one system. Choose Plus when double-entry accounting or more than five clients matters; choose Premium when the client list is unlimited in practice. Look elsewhere if you need a free plan, must keep double-entry accounting on the cheapest tier, or depend on reporting from mobile devices.