FreshBooks
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses
FreshBooks report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for invoicing first, with the books behind it
FreshBooks is invoicing software that grew a proper set of books, and billing clients is where it's strongest: estimates, proposals, retainers, time tracking and late reminders. The catch is the price ladder. Lite at $23 a month bills only 5 clients and skips the accounting reports, so most people end up on Plus at $43.
Who FreshBooks is for
- Great if you're a freelancer billing a handful of clients for your time
- Handy when you send proposals and take retainers before the work starts
- Good for service businesses that want invoicing first and the books second
Who FreshBooks is not for
- Pricey if you need real accounting reports, as they start on Plus at $43 a month
- Tight if you bill more than 5 clients, since archived ones count toward Lite's limit
- Skip it if you want payroll outside the US, as it files US federal and state taxes only
Why FreshBooks gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyLite 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.
- CFree plan and trialA 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.
- BFeaturesInvoices, 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.
- AEase of use4.7 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from FreshBooks' own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/freshbooks#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/freshbooks.svg" alt="FreshBooks: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where FreshBooks stands among accounting and invoicing tools
FreshBooks's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 10 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 13 of 17) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $23 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 9 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. FreshBooks’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 17, level with 1
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 17, level with 9
- BFeaturesAbove 13 of 17, level with 4
- AEase of useAbove 13 of 17, level with 4
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 17, level with 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 18 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep FreshBooks, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace FreshBooks you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $276 a year.
What you could make
- Invoicing, expense tracking, time tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Gusto, Stripe and Apple Pay among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. FreshBooks’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is FreshBooks?
FreshBooks is invoicing and accounting software built around billing clients. It handles invoices, estimates, proposals, retainers, time tracking and expenses, with double-entry accounting reports and bank reconciliation for the bookkeeping side. Plans are priced by how many clients you bill, and extra team members are charged per person.
FreshBooks is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $23 per month, billed monthly. See every plan
Good for
- 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
- 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
- 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.
FreshBooks pricing
- Starts at
- $23 per month, billed monthly
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $23per 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 | $43per 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 | $70per 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. |
| Select | Custom | Unlimited clients, lower card fees, Advanced Payments included, 2 team members, unbranded emails and dedicated phone support. |
Read from freshbooks.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with FreshBooks before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Other savings80% 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.
Stated on freshbooks.com - Annual discount10% off with yearly billing
Yearly plans cost $248.40 for Lite, $464.40 for Plus and $756 for Premium, 10% less than paying monthly.
Stated on freshbooks.com
How people rate the FreshBooks app
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars83%
- 4 stars11%
- 3 stars3%
- 2 stars1%
- 1 star3%
10,979 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Gusto
- Stripe
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Affirm
- Afterpay
FreshBooks alternatives
- FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
- FreshBooks vs Xero
Free trial · from $27/mo
- FreshBooks vs Wave
Free plan · from $19/mo
- FreshBooks vs Zoho Books
Free plan · from $15/mo
- FreshBooks vs Bonsai
Free trial · from $9/mo
Common questions
Is FreshBooks free?
No, FreshBooks is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does FreshBooks cost?
FreshBooks lists 4 plans. Lite: $23 per month for 5 billable clients, billed monthly. Plus: $43 per month for 50 billable clients, billed monthly. Premium: $70 per month for unlimited clients, billed monthly. Select: custom pricing. Prices were read from freshbooks.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does FreshBooks work on?
FreshBooks is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does FreshBooks offer any discounts?
FreshBooks publicly lists the following: 80% off the first 4 months; 10% off with yearly billing.
How is FreshBooks rated?
FreshBooks's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10,979 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does FreshBooks have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. FreshBooks is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does FreshBooks have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. FreshBooks is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is FreshBooks open source?
FreshBooks is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does FreshBooks integrate with?
FreshBooks's listing names Gusto, Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Affirm and Afterpay. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes FreshBooks?
FreshBooks is made by FreshBooks. It dates from 2003.
What are the alternatives to FreshBooks?
The closest alternatives to FreshBooks in our directory are QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave, Zoho Books and Bonsai. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with FreshBooks.
How does FreshBooks compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?
FreshBooks's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 10 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 1. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 13 of 17) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Is FreshBooks good value for money?
ToolGPA grades FreshBooks D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $23 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 9 of the 16 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Could I make my own version of FreshBooks?
To replace FreshBooks you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $276 a year. What you could not make: Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. It plugs into other products, Gusto, Stripe and Apple Pay among them. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.