FreshBooks vs Square Invoices
We give FreshBooks a 2.6 GPA and Square Invoices a 2.8, out of 4.0. FreshBooks grades higher on features. Square Invoices grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and 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
Square Invoices
Free invoicing, estimates and contracts inside Square's payment plans
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFreshBooksGood | 2.8GPASquare InvoicesGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DPlus is $49 a location a month, where the dearest tenth of accounting tools starts. For invoicing it mostly buys a lower card fee, 2.9% instead of 3.3%, plus batch invoices and payment schedules. That fee cut only pays for itself past about $12,000 a month in card payments. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AUnlimited invoices, recurring invoices, deposits, reminders, estimates and contracts cost nothing a month, with no cap. You pay per payment instead: 3.3% + 30¢ on an online card, and 1% on a bank transfer. |
| 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. | CInvoices on any schedule, deposits, auto-pay, estimates, e-signed contracts, a project workspace and cards, Cash App Pay, ACH or Afterpay. It does invoicing fully, but that's the smaller job: it keeps no books and takes one currency only. |
| 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. | A4.8 from 93,229 App Store ratings, the top band in this category. If you already take payments with Square, invoices sit in the same account. |
| 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, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Afterpay, Cash App Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. There's no desktop app, which keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | invoicing first, with the books behind it | free invoicing for businesses already on Square |
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 Square Invoices. 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. Square Invoices starts at $49 a month and scores 3.0.
FreshBooks scores higher and starts $26 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than FreshBooks for less, and 3 score higher than Square Invoices 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 starts at $23 per month, billed monthly. Square Invoices starts at $49 per location / month, billed monthly.
- Square Invoices has a free plan. FreshBooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- FreshBooks also covers time tracking, bookkeeping, expense tracking and payroll.
At a glance
| FreshBooks | Square Invoices | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $23 per month, billed monthly | $49 per location / month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | Square Free: unlimited invoices, recurring invoices, deposits, reminders, estimates, contracts and projects. Online card payments cost 3.3% + 30¢. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | 30-day free trial of Square Plus or Square Premium |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FreshBooks | Block, Inc. |
| Price read from | freshbooks.com | squareup.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Square Invoices
- Service businesses that want to send invoices without a monthly fee
- Businesses already taking in-person payments with Square
- Contractors who send estimates and contracts before billing
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.
Square Invoices
- Invoices come with Square's general plans, which also cover point of sale and bookings; Plus and Premium are charged per location.
- Each payment has a fee: invoice card payments are 3.3% + 30¢ on Free and 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus or Premium, ACH 1% ($1 minimum).
- It does not keep books: Square sends payments to QuickBooks Online or Xero, and it accepts one currency only.
- Square Payroll is a separate product, from $35 a month plus $6 per person paid.
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.
Square Invoices
- Invoices and recurring billing
- Send unlimited invoices by email, text or link, on daily to yearly schedules, with deposits, automatic reminders and auto-pay from a saved card.
- Ways to pay
- Customers pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, ACH bank transfer or Afterpay, online or in person.
- Estimates and contracts
- Send estimates and e-signature contracts built from reusable templates. Plus adds multi-package estimates and automatic conversion to invoices.
- Project workspace
- Keep each job's invoices, estimates, contracts and notes in one place and track what is paid, unpaid or overdue.
- Payment schedules and batch invoices
- Square Plus splits one invoice into milestone payments and sends one invoice to many customers at once.
- Fast access to funds
- Transfers to your bank arrive the next business day for free, or instantly for a fee, or land at once in a Square Checking account.
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.
Square Invoices
Square Free$0
Unlimited and recurring invoices, deposits, reminders, estimates, contracts with e-signature and a project workspace. You pay only processing fees.
Square Plus$49
per location / month, billed monthly
Adds batch invoices, milestone payment schedules, custom templates and fields, multi-package estimates, lower online card fees and a $10 ACH fee cap.
Square Premium$149
per location / month, billed monthly
Everything in Plus, with the lowest in-person card fees and 24/7 phone support.
Square ProCustom
For businesses processing over $250,000 a year: custom pricing and processing fees, onboarding help and account management.
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.
Square Invoices
No public discounts listed.
