Listed whether or not they pay us. Prices from each tool's own pricing page, checked Oct 16, 2026.

FreshBooks

Invoicing first accounting for service businesses and freelancers, with expenses, time tracking, projects and reports.

Best for Freelancers and service businesses that bill clients

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What it does

FreshBooks is cloud accounting and invoicing software designed for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small businesses with employees or contractors. Users enter expenses, track work hours, and manage client details to produce invoices, run financial reports, process payments, and manage payroll. It helps business owners keep their books organized, track daily operations, and bill their clients.

Read more: 5 features and how people use themShow less
  1. Invoicing

    Builds and sends customized invoices in minutes while calculating taxes automatically. It can pull tracked time and recorded expenses directly into the bill.

    Use caseA freelancer compiles logged hours and business expenses into a customized bill for a client.

    From freshbooks.com
  2. Billing and payments

    Accepts online payments through cards, bank transfers, or digital wallets with automated billing and late payment reminders. It allows clients to pay bills without needing direct follow ups.

    Use caseA business owner collects payment through bank transfers or credit cards and sends automated reminders to avoid chasing unpaid bills.

    From freshbooks.com
  3. Expense tracking

    Records business expenditures by importing bank account feeds and scanning receipts with mobile devices. It automatically assigns transactions to specific spending categories.

    Use caseA self employed worker snaps pictures of paper receipts to log business purchases without typing in details manually.

    From freshbooks.com
  4. Payroll

    Calculates payroll tax deductions, issues direct deposits, and records employee benefit details. It creates corresponding bookkeeping transactions automatically for every pay run.

    Use caseA business owner pays team members via direct deposit and submits state and federal payroll tax filings.

    From freshbooks.com
  5. FreshBooks: Team management

    Team management

    Organizes staff members into custom roles such as manager, employee, contractor, or accountant with distinct access permissions. It tracks project performance, time logs, and submitted costs across workers.

    Use caseAn administrator invites an external accountant to inspect the chart of accounts and complete bank reconciliations.

    From freshbooks.com/team-management · image from FreshBooks

Written from FreshBooks's own website, checked . Each feature links to the page it comes from; images are FreshBooks's own.

Every plan

PlanMonthlyBilled yearlyPerWhat it includes
Lite$23Not listedper account5 billable clients; extra team members $11/mo
Plus$43Not listedper account50 clients; extra team members $11/mo
Premium$70Not listedper accountUnlimited clients; extra team members $11/mo
SelectNot listedNot listedper accountcontact sales; unlimited clients, 2 team members included, Advanced Payments included

From FreshBooks's own pricing page, checked . Prices are in US dollars per month; "billed yearly" is the monthly price when you pay for a year up front. A few figures (often the yearly price) are derived rather than printed on the page.

Before you pay

Refunds
FreshBooks offers a risk free 30 day money back guarantee.
What FreshBooks saysRisk Free. 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. Source page
Refund window
30 days
What FreshBooks saysRisk Free. 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. Source page
Card needed for the trial
No
What FreshBooks saysNo credit card required. Cancel anytime. Source page
Data retention
After the completion of the collection purpose, data is deleted or anonymized, or retained where an ongoing legitimate business purpose exists.
What FreshBooks sayswe will either delete the Personal Information or, to the extent permitted under applicable law, anonymize it. Source page
Export your data
Yes, CSV and PDF formats are supported for exporting reports
What FreshBooks saysExport for Excel - Download the report as a CSV file Print or Save PDF - Print the report or save the report as a PDF Source page
Support
Phone, help center
What FreshBooks saysGain access to dedicated phone support Source page

Only what FreshBooks's own pages state, with the quote behind each answer. Anything they don't publish is left out rather than guessed.

Getting started with FreshBooks

  1. Sign up for a FreshBooks account.
  2. Add your business details.
  3. Navigate to the FreshBooks dashboard to explore invoicing features and add billable clients.
  4. Choose to accept credit card payments with FreshBooks payments.
  5. Download the FreshBooks mobile app to handle your accounting and mileage tracking on the go.

Tips

  • During the 30 day free trial, you receive access to all features except Advanced Payments.
  • Invite up to 10 Accountants per business at no extra cost on Plus and Premium plans.
  • All of your information stays in your account when transitioning from a free trial to a paid plan.

Written from FreshBooks's own help pages: freshbooks.com/

FreshBooks video tutorials

Ultimate FreshBooks Tutorial 2026 | Accounting Software for Service BusinessesStewart Gauld · 16 min

Independent creators on YouTube, not FreshBooks or us. The video loads from YouTube only when you press play.

The free trial

Trial only: 30 day free trial, no credit card required

Questions people ask about FreshBooks

How much does FreshBooks cost?

Paid plans start at $23 a month (Lite). 4 plans are listed above, from FreshBooks's own pricing page.

Is FreshBooks free?

There is a free trial but no free plan: 30 day free trial, no credit card required.

Can I get a refund from FreshBooks?

FreshBooks offers a risk free 30 day money back guarantee. The refund window stated is 30 days. Source

Do I need a credit card to try FreshBooks?

No, you can start without a credit card. Source

Does FreshBooks have an API?

Yes.

What do I get in my 30 day free trial of FreshBooks?

During a trial, small business owners get access to all FreshBooks features except Advanced Payments (like FreshBooks invoicing, time tracking, and expensing). Source

What is accounting software?

Accounting software is a tool that allows you to track and manage the day to day finances of your businesses. It allows you to create invoices, track expenses, run reports, accept payments, and monitor business finances. Source

Where this came from

Plans, prices and limits were copied from FreshBooks's own pages, then checked .

How we collect prices and rank tools · Is something wrong? Correct this listing

Others that do the same job

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