FreshBooks vs Hurdlr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hurdlr grades higher than FreshBooks: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
FreshBooks grades higher on features and ease of use. Hurdlr grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FreshBooks
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses
Hurdlr
Mileage, expense and tax tracking app for freelancers
Which one is for you
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 Hurdlr if
- Fits if you are a US freelancer or gig worker who needs mileage and expenses logged
- Works for people who want a free tracker before they decide on Premium
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want automatic mileage and finance tracking for free, because both are Premium
- Not for you if you are outside the US, as annual tax filing is a US feature
- Watch out: the help-centre price articles are dated 2023 and 2024 and the main site has no pricing page, so check prices in the app
- Watch out: subscriptions bought directly from Hurdlr are non-refundable under its terms
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFreshBooksGood | 2.8GPAHurdlrGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | APremium is $100 a year, about $8.34 a month, under 60% of the $14 where the cheaper quarter of accounting tools starts. Pro is $200 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day free trial with no card needed. 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. | BThe free version has semi-automatic mileage tracking, manual income and expense entry, real-time tax estimates and report exports, with no trial needed. Automatic tracking is Premium. |
| Features | 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. | CMileage, expenses, tax estimates, invoicing, reports and US tax filing. The filing is a US feature, and it is a freelancer tool, not full accounting. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You connect bank accounts and set up rules before it runs on its own. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with 5 integrations on record. No desktop program. |
| Best for | invoicing first, with the books behind it | a freelancer tracking mileage and expenses in a phone app |
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: FreshBooks and Hurdlr. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreshBooks starts at $23 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Hurdlr starts at $8.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
FreshBooks scores higher, and starts $14.67 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than FreshBooks for less, and 4 score higher than Hurdlr 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
- FreshBooks also covers time tracking and payroll.
At a glance
| FreshBooks | Hurdlr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $23 per month, billed monthly | $8.34 per month, billed annually ($100 a year; $9.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Unlimited semi-automatic mileage tracking, manual income and expense tracking, real-time tax estimates and report exports. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FreshBooks | Hurdlr, Inc. |
| Price read from | freshbooks.com | university.hurdlr.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Hurdlr
- Pro is priced at $200 a year; the help page read shows no monthly Pro price.
- Annual tax filing is a US feature and is not included on enterprise accounts.
- Subscriptions bought directly from Hurdlr are non-refundable under its terms; app-store purchases follow Apple's or Google's refund rules.
- The help-center pricing articles read are dated 2023 and 2024, and the main site has no pricing page, so recheck prices in the app.
Key features
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.
Hurdlr
- Mileage tracking
- Free accounts get semi-automatic tracking; automatic trip detection comes with Premium.
- Income and expense tracking
- Links to bank and credit card accounts and to Square, Stripe, Shopify, PayPal and Uber, with rules for categorizing expenses.
- Tax estimates
- Real-time federal, state and self-employment tax estimates with payment reminders; Premium adds detailed calculations and payment tracking.
- Invoicing
- Branded invoices with credit card payment collection, on the Pro plan.
- Accounting and reports
- Pro adds double-entry accounting, a chart of accounts, journal entries and statements such as the income statement and balance sheet.
- Annual tax filing
- Pro includes annual tax filing for US users, covering federal plus one state, unless the account is provided through an employer or tax professional.
Plans
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.
Hurdlr
Free$0
Semi-automatic mileage tracking, manual finance tracking, tax estimates and exports.
Premium$8.34
per month, billed annually ($100 a year; $9.99 billed monthly)
Adds automatic mileage and finance tracking, custom expense and mileage rules, detailed tax estimates, tax payment tracking and work hours.
Pro$200
per year
Premium plus invoicing, general ledger, journal entries, accountant invites and annual tax filing (federal plus one state) for US non-enterprise users.
Ways to pay less
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.
Hurdlr
- Annual discount
Annual Premium plan
Premium is $100 a year, against $9.99 a month on the month-to-month plan.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or Hurdlr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hurdlr is cheaper to start with: $8.33 a month when paid by the year, against $23 a month for FreshBooks. FreshBooks starts at $23 per month, billed monthly, and Hurdlr starts at $8.34 per month, billed annually ($100 a year; $9.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, FreshBooks or Hurdlr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hurdlr has a free plan. FreshBooks does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.