FreshBooks
Cloud accounting software built for small business owners
What it does
FreshBooks is cloud accounting software built specifically for freelancers, self-employed people, and small service businesses that invoice clients rather than sell products. Invoicing, time tracking, expense capture, basic project profitability, and online payment collection, wrapped in a simpler interface than QuickBooks. It's the "I bill clients by the hour or the project and need to look professional doing it" tool, not a full double-entry accounting system for a business with inventory or complex payroll.
Free tier
No
Starts at
$17/mo
Setup
easy
Key features
Integrates with
Gusto, Stripe, Zapier, G Suite
Who this fits
- Freelancers and solo consultants who invoice clients and need to look professional doing it
- Small agencies (2-20 people) tracking time against client projects and billing hourly or by retainer
- Trades businesses that quote, invoice, and collect payment per job
- Anyone who finds QuickBooks' interface overwhelming and just needs clean invoicing plus basic bookkeeping
Who it does NOT fit
- Businesses with inventory, COGS tracking, or multi-location accounting needs — QuickBooks or Xero handle that depth better
- Companies needing payroll built in — FreshBooks doesn't run payroll natively, pairs with Gusto instead
- Larger businesses (50+ employees) needing multi-entity consolidation, advanced reporting, or a controller-grade general ledger
- Anyone whose accountant specifically wants QuickBooks files — QuickBooks remains the accounting-firm default and FreshBooks export/import isn't always a clean handoff
Pricing
Real gotchas
- The "billable clients" cap is per-tier and easy to hit faster than expected — Lite's 5-client limit fits a brand-new freelancer but most established solo consultants outgrow it within the first year, forcing an upgrade to Plus
- No native payroll — pairs with Gusto or a dedicated payroll tool, factor that into total stack cost when comparing against QuickBooks (which has payroll add-ons in the same ecosystem)
- Multi-currency and more advanced accounting features live on higher tiers — verify the specific tier supports a client's actual invoicing needs (recurring billing, late fees, deposits) before committing
- Accountants and bookkeepers overwhelmingly default to QuickBooks — if the business plans to hand books off to an outside accountant, confirm they're comfortable working in FreshBooks first, since it's a less universal standard than QuickBooks
- Payment processing fees (via Stripe or FreshBooks Payments) apply on top of the subscription, standard card-processing rates apply
Integrations that matter
Otto’s take on this tool
Recommend FreshBooks when: the user is a freelancer, solo consultant, or small service-based agency (2-20 people) that invoices clients by project or hour and wants clean, professional invoicing without QuickBooks' complexity. Strong fit for trades businesses that quote and invoice per job. Do NOT recommend for businesses with inventory, complex payroll needs, or plans to scale past ~50 employees — QuickBooks or Xero fit that trajectory better. Always ask whether the business's accountant has a QuickBooks preference before committing, since handoff friction is real. Pairs with Gusto for payroll and Stripe for payment collection.
Affiliate disclosure: if you sign up through the link above, Ottomately may earn a referral commission at no cost to you. We only feature tools we have actually used or vetted through our recommendation engine.Partnership: $10/trial + up to $200/sale via Direct.
Editor's curated reviews
1,036 reviews across TrustPilot - avg 3.7/5Curated by Otto from TrustPilot public reviews (fetched 2026-08-31). FreshBooks TrustPilot mix (1,036 reviews) is 58% 5-star and 18% 1-star, with critical reviews clustering on payment settlement delays and cancellation friction; positive reviews consistently cite responsive human support. G2 and Capterra were consulted for aggregate context but not directly cited due to source-access limits. Not user-submitted on Ottomately.
“Love your product and how responsive you are to issues. Your customer service rivals any I've experienced!”
“Excellent customer service as always, even when not currently a client.”
“A very personable staffer helped me and resolved the matter quickly.”
“Being able to connect with a person for help.”
“I've spent the last hour trying to cancel my account. They have made it very hard to cancel.”
“They hold remittances for days. Their settlement rate is terrible now and you're going to grow a beard waiting for your money.”
“I would NOT recommend FreshBooks. Got the runaround for a week.”
More in Accounting
Not Sure FreshBooks is Right?
Otto can pick for you.
30 seconds, one form, get a personalized stack with pricing and integration paths.
Get my recommendations