FreshBooks vs Hiveage (2026): which should you pick?

Pick FreshBooks if

• Fits if you're a freelancer billing up to 5 clients for your time
• Works for service businesses that send proposals and take retainers, which start on Plus at $43 a month

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you need accounting reports or bank reconciliation, as they start on Plus at $43 a month
• Tight if you bill more than 5 clients on Lite or 50 on Plus, and archived clients count toward both
• Watch out: the advertised prices are 80% off for 4 months only, then $23, $43 or $70 a month
• Pricey if you add people or payments: $11 a month per extra team member, $20 a month for Advanced Payments
• Skip it if you need payroll outside the US: it files US taxes only, costs $40 a month plus $6 an employee, and isn't in the trial

Pick Hiveage if

• Fits if you bill fewer than 5 clients and want invoices without a subscription
• Works for freelancers who want an invoice, a timer and a payment link

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you have more than 5 clients, as the free plan stops there
• Not for you if you need bookkeeping, since there is no general ledger
• Watch out: financial reports start on Basic, team members on Pro and the API on Plus
• Pricey if you bill monthly, at $19 on Basic against $16 annually

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.

Hiveage

• The free plan stops at 5 clients, and financial reports are listed only from Basic upward.
• Team members start on Pro (5) and Plus (10); Basic has none listed.
• API access is limited to the Plus plan.
• The site says it has no accounting features; it covers invoicing, not a general ledger.

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.

Hiveage

Invoices and estimates

Branded invoices and estimates with taxes, discounts and shipping, and estimates that clients accept online and convert to invoices.

Online payments

Clients can pay through more than a dozen gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, Square and Braintree, with partial payments supported.

Recurring billing

Invoices can be scheduled daily, weekly, monthly or annually and sent automatically or after manual approval.

Time, expense and mileage tracking

Billable hours, expenses and trip mileage are logged and can be turned into invoices.

Financial reports

Reports cover income and expenses, invoice details and accounts aging, with CSV import and export of data.

Teams and multiple businesses

Pro and Plus allow team members with access levels, and the site says they can manage several businesses in one account.

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.

Hiveage

• Free$0

  5 clients with unlimited invoices, estimates, time and expense tracking and payment gateways.

• Basic$16

  per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)

  50 clients, plus recurring billing and financial reports.

• Pro$25

  per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)

  250 clients and 5 team members, with your own domain, email from your domain and automatic payment reminders.

• Plus$42

  per month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)

  1,000 clients and 10 team members, with API access and personalized help migrating data from other services.

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.

Hiveage

• Annual discount

  Save up to 17% with yearly billing

  The pricing page offers yearly billing at a lower monthly rate, for example Pro at $25 a month against $29 billed monthly.