Found vs FreshBooks
We give Found a 2.8 GPA and FreshBooks a 2.6, out of 4.0. Found grades higher on value for money and the free plan. FreshBooks grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Found
Business bank account with bookkeeping and tax tools built in
FreshBooks
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFoundGood | 2.6GPAFreshBooksGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFound Plus is $35 a month, above the dearer quarter of accounting tools at $31.10, or $315 a year, about $26 a month. It buys imports from other accounts, rules, tags and in-app tax payments, plus 1.50% interest on up to $20,000. | DLite is $23 a month, right at this category's middle, but it bills only 5 clients and has tax-time reports only. Accounting reports and bank reconciliation start on Plus at $43, and every extra team member is $11 a month on top. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free plan is business checking with a debit card, 20 sub-accounts, sorted spending, receipts, a P&L, tax estimates, unlimited invoices and free 1099 e-filing. One person could live on it, as long as all the business money goes through Found. | CA 30-day free trial with no card needed, which is fair. There's no free plan, though, and the 80% off for 4 months is a discount, not a trial: after that you pay the full $23, $43 or $70. |
| Features | CIt sorts card spending into write-offs, keeps receipts and a P&L and balance sheet, sets tax aside, makes Schedule C forms, sends invoices and pays contractors. The gap is in the listing: it's a bank account, so the books only see other accounts on paid plans. | BInvoices, estimates, proposals, retainers, online payments, unlimited time tracking, expenses, double-entry reports, bank reconciliation, accounts payable on Premium and payroll run with Gusto. That's the whole job for a business that bills clients. |
| Ease of use | A4.79 from 34,650 App Store ratings, the top band. Spend on the card and the sorting happens as you go, so there's no separate bookkeeping app to feed. | A4.7 from 10,979 App Store ratings, the top band for accounting apps. It's built around sending an invoice, which is the first thing most small business owners need to do. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with money in from Venmo and PayPal and a Mastercard debit card. There's no desktop app, and syncing other bank accounts needs a paid plan. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with card payments through Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Affirm and Afterpay, and payroll through Gusto. There's no desktop app, which keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | self-employed people who want banking and books together | invoicing first, with the books behind it |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Found and FreshBooks. How we grade
Price against what you get
Found starts at $35 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. FreshBooks starts at $23 a month and scores 3.3.
FreshBooks scores higher and starts $12 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Found for less, and 1 scores higher than FreshBooks for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Found starts at $35 per month, billed monthly. FreshBooks starts at $23 per month, billed monthly.
- Found has a free plan. FreshBooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- FreshBooks also covers time tracking and payroll.
At a glance
| Found | FreshBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $35 per month, billed monthly | $23 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Found: business checking with a Mastercard debit card, team cards, 20 sub-accounts, expense categorizing, receipt scanning, P&L, tax estimates, unlimited invoices and 1099 e-filing. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Found Plus or Found Pro, then charged to your Found balance | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Found | FreshBooks |
| Price read from | found.com | freshbooks.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Found
- US sole proprietors who want banking and books in one app
- Freelancers who want taxes set aside automatically as they are paid
- Small businesses that pay contractors and file 1099s
FreshBooks
- Freelancers and consultants who bill a handful of clients for their time
- Service businesses that send estimates, proposals and retainers
- Owners who want invoicing first and accounting reports second
Worth knowing
Found
- Found is a bank account, not standalone software: the bookkeeping works on money that runs through it, and other accounts can be imported only on paid plans.
- Only US-based businesses can open an account, and the owner needs a Social Security number.
- Some banking costs extra: domestic wires are $15 each ($10 on Pro) and paper checks $1 each (free on Pro).
- Found Assistant is in beta, and Found says it gives no legal or tax advice.
FreshBooks
- The advertised prices are 80% off for 4 months; plans then renew at $23, $43 or $70 a month.
- Lite bills only 5 clients and Plus 50, counting archived clients; each extra team member costs $11 a month.
- Payroll costs $40 a month plus $6 per employee, files US federal and state taxes, and is not available during the free trial.
- Advanced Payments is a $20 a month add-on on every plan except Select.
Key features
Found
- Business checking and cards
- A checking account held at Lead Bank, Member FDIC, with physical and virtual Mastercard debit cards and team cards with spending limits.
- Automatic bookkeeping
- Card spending is categorized and flagged as write-offs, receipts attach by photo, and P&L, balance sheet and expense reports are kept current.
- Taxes set aside
- Found estimates taxes in real time and moves money into a Taxes Pocket as you are paid. It generates Schedule C and 1120 or 1120-S forms.
- Invoices
- Unlimited invoices, scheduled and recurring invoices, estimates and payment requests on every plan.
- Contractor payments
- Pay contractors by ACH, text or email with no per-contractor fee, collect W-9s and generate and e-file 1099-NECs for free.
- Found Assistant
- An AI assistant, in beta, that answers questions about your income and taxes and can draft invoices.
FreshBooks
- Invoices, estimates and proposals
- Recurring invoices, late fees and automatic reminders on every plan. Proposals and client retainers start on Plus.
- Online payments
- Clients pay by card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Affirm and Afterpay. Card payments through FreshBooks Payments cost 2.9% plus $0.30.
- Time tracking and projects
- Unlimited time tracking on every plan, with project budgets and billing. Project profitability reports need Premium.
- Expenses and receipts
- Bank import, mileage tracking on mobile and unlimited expenses. Receipt scanning starts on Plus, and bill line-item capture on Premium.
- Double-entry accounting
- Accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access start on Plus. Lite has tax-time reports only.
- FreshBooks Payroll
- Payroll run with Gusto inside FreshBooks: unlimited pay runs, free direct deposit, and federal and state payroll tax filing.
Plans
Found
Found$0
Banking, automatic expense categorizing, receipts, P&L and balance sheet, tax estimates, unlimited invoices and contractor payments.
Found Plus$35
per month, billed monthly
Or $315 a year. Adds imports from up to 10 other accounts, categorizing rules, custom tags, in-app tax payments, 1.50% APY up to $20,000 and priority phone help.
Found Pro$80
per month, billed monthly
Or $720 a year. Adds 2.50% APY on all balances, 1% cash back on card purchases, free checks, cheaper wires and an account manager.
FreshBooks
Lite$23
per month for 5 billable clients, billed monthly
Advertised at $4.60 a month for the first 4 months. Invoices, estimates, expenses, online payments and tax-time reports.
Plus$43
per month for 50 billable clients, billed monthly
Advertised at $8.60 a month for the first 4 months. Adds proposals, retainers, accounting reports, receipt scanning and accountant access.
Premium$70
per month for unlimited clients, billed monthly
Advertised at $14 a month for the first 4 months. Adds project profitability, accounts payable, bill line-item capture and custom email templates.
SelectCustom
Unlimited clients, lower card fees, Advanced Payments included, 2 team members, unbranded emails and dedicated phone support.
Ways to pay less
Found
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Found Plus costs $315 a year instead of $35 a month, and Found Pro $720 a year instead of $80 a month.
FreshBooks
- Other savings
80% off the first 4 months
New customers pay 20% of the Lite, Plus or Premium price for 4 months, then the full monthly price. The page calls it a limited-time offer.
- Annual discount
10% off with yearly billing
Yearly plans cost $248.40 for Lite, $464.40 for Plus and $756 for Premium, 10% less than paying monthly.
