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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    BigTime Software

    Score6.2 out of 10
    N/ABigTime IQ is time and expense tracking software from Chicago-based BigTime Software.

    $20

    User per Month

    FreshBooks

    Score9.2 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    FreshBooks is an accounting service for small businesses. The solution enables users to send and manage invoices, track billable time and collect online payments. The vendor’s value proposition this that their solution provides a straightforward service that simplifies the billing process.

    $21

    per month

    Pricing
    BigTime SoftwareFreshBooks
    Editions & Modules
    Essentials
    $20
    User per Month
    Advanced
    $35
    User per Month
    Premier
    $45
    User per Month
    Projector
    $60
    Lite
    $21
    per month
    Plus
    $38
    per month
    Premium
    $65
    per month
    Select
    Custom Pricing
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    BigTime SoftwareFreshBooks
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details10% discount for annual pricing.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    BigTime SoftwareFreshBooks
    Considered Both Products
    BigTime Software
    No answer on this topic
    FreshBooks
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    25 Answers
    69%
    Would buy again
    9 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    22 Answers
    82%
    Delivers good value for the price
    9 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    25 Answers
    54%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    90%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    19 Answers
    64%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    70%
    Implementation went as expected
    16 Answers
    62%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    Features
    BigTime SoftwareFreshBooks
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of BigTime Software and FreshBooks
    Feature
    BigTime Software
    -
    Ratings
    FreshBooks
    9.1
    35 Ratings
    18% above category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings9.330 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings9.026 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of BigTime Software and FreshBooks
    Feature
    BigTime Software
    -
    Ratings
    FreshBooks
    10.0
    41 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings10.041 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of BigTime Software and FreshBooks
    Feature
    BigTime Software
    -
    Ratings
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    57 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings9.057 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings8.855 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings4.82 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of BigTime Software and FreshBooks
    Feature
    BigTime Software
    -
    Ratings
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    56 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings8.041 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.455 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings7.03 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings7.02 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings6.651 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings7.642 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings6.021 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings9.13 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of BigTime Software and FreshBooks
    Feature
    BigTime Software
    -
    Ratings
    FreshBooks
    9.5
    49 Ratings
    25% above category average
    Pricing00 Ratings8.839 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings9.337 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings9.741 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    BigTime SoftwareFreshBooks
    Small Businesses
    Autotask PSA
    Score7.7 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.3 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Workday Professional Services Automation
    Score8.2 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Planview AdaptiveWork
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    BigTime SoftwareFreshBooks
    Likelihood to Recommend
    6.2
    (33 ratings)
    7.6
    (75 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (4 ratings)
    7.6
    (18 ratings)
    Usability
    6.1
    (4 ratings)
    9.6
    (20 ratings)
    Availability
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (5 ratings)
    6.0
    (11 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    BigTime SoftwareFreshBooks
    Likelihood to Recommend
    BigTime Software
    I'd like to start by saying, I rarely give 10's on anything, almost always 9's, the main reason for my 10 rating is the support I've received from this team/company. BigTime Software has been well suited for our company b/c it's giving a window into the project budget and time frames to our Project Managers to proactively manage their projects and look for areas to improve and celebrate with support staff. I would say efficiency in time management. BigTime Software is not an accounting software and I love that about it. We were looking for a tool for staff to manage their projects and stay on budget and track time and generate invoices all in one place and we've found that with BigTime Software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    I recommend FreshBooks to anyone running a service-based business that needs invoicing, time reporting, and accounting tools. FB is adept in all three of these scenarios and isn't overly complicated like similar accounting packages I have used. I love how I can write estimates and proposals, manage the business development process from the software, and quickly convert prospects to invoiced clients.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    BigTime Software
    • I like the functionality of being able to make payments electronically and the amount of banks and payment methods that are available.
    • Another very useful feature of this tool is that the system allows to set a parameter to perform automatic invoices.
    • I also really like the amount of templates that this tool has. Since it allows us to make customizable reports to our clients.
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    • Invoicing - FreshBooks basically ensures our accountants spend less time on invoices via its automated invoicing system, which sends invoices to our customers and clients alike and also send them regular reminders for them to pay up their bills.
    • Collecting business insights - FreshBooks enable our company analysts measure our business performances via data reports provided by FreshBooks' intuitive dashboard. Allowing us do a comparative analysis of key business metrics of a current month against past months and determine if the business is growing.
    • Expense tracker - We have recently embraced FreshBooks as an expense tracker for teams at our company branch. Thusfar, FreshBooks has performed very well, making our expense management a perfect operation; ensuring teams do not exceed their planned budget and also eliminating the need for tracking expenses on excel spreadsheets.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    BigTime Software
    • For some types of projects, we are unable to use BigTime's invoicing feature. It would be nice if we could further customize invoices to fit our needs. We still have to use Quickbooks to complete certain invoices.
    • Being able to create Purchase Orders in BigTime would be extremely useful to us. We currently use Quickbooks for this.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    • I can brand invoices with my business logo, but I might like to change colours of the invoices themselves to match the rest of my business documents. That isn't a major point at all, but it's something that I'd like to see.
    • Freshbooks doesn't remember the categories that similar expenses were previously assigned to. It would be nice if Freshbooks would suggest a category for an already saved vendor, to ensure the consistency of expense reporting.
    • The home page of a Freshbooks account has a great graph display of expenses and income, but it only shows the last 6 months. This is still very useful, but I'd like to be able to see this kind of graph for different periods of time.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    BigTime Software
    Its been a huge help in saving time and making billing more efficient. Would like to see the product grow and be able to continue to use it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    At the current needs of our business, FreshBooks suits us perfectly - it allows online access by our accountant to the system for GST purposes, easy input of expenses and tracking of Profit and Loss statements. FreshBooks customer service is great as well - very understanding and accommodating.
    Read full review
    Usability
    BigTime Software
    Overall most areas of the software are easy to use. I tend to spend a lot of time in analytics and reports. Those are not as user friendly, in my opinion, and could use some improvements. I think it just takes time to get familiar with where items are stored in the program and what changes affect what.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is very easy to use even for novices. If you're looking for an online accounting software that is full of features, has great aesthetics and is user-friendly, then this is definitely the software for you. I've been using it for several years now and despite being tempted to switch by other vendors, I like the feel of FreshBooks and it's mobile features.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    BigTime Software
    BigTime is available 99% of the time. At times there are bugs, but most are resolved quickly
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is easy to use and always works!
    Incentivized
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    Performance
    BigTime Software
    have not noticed a slow integration issue using QBO
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    BigTime Software
    The support is amazing! They are always available through the chat interface in the program. Each support person has fully answered my questions the first time. I have had a positive experience with each inquiry. It is very important to me that I am able to get instant access to help so that I can make the most of the software and all of its capabilities.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    I think the support level for FreshBooks is on par with a 6 because the folks behind this application do a fairly good job at providing support for their customer base. I still don't think they are at an elite level when it comes to supporting but are getting there although too slow in my opinion.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    BigTime Software
    I touched on this briefly, in another survey section, but my implementation manager, Kevin, was exceptional. The actual implementation process took 3 months, not 1 before I was comfortable rolling it out to staff. We also had to wait/schedule time and coordinate for our custom xml. invoice to be generated and in a place we felt comfortable sending it out to clients. In the end I was very satisfied, but during the first few months it was challenging.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    I haven't changed my mind since my first evaluation. Freshbooks is still meeting my needs, easy to use, etc.
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    BigTime Software
    I liked the client management, but it didn't do time tracking, billing or syncing with quickbooks. It was too robust for my needs. I tried it for the client management and thought I might use it along with bigtime, but it was too cumbersome and would involve too much double entry. And it didn't track time or bill which are necessary functions
    Incentivized
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    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks does very well in comparison, especially since it is free software for Barclays bank users. Sage software is much worse than FreshBooks. However, Xero and QuickBooks, the market leaders, are still ahead with usability, additional features, reporting, and connection with third-party software providers. We chose FreshBooks as it does everything we require from this type of software.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    BigTime Software
    The product is useful for faster billing and efficient timesheet logs. I do like the report features however there are many options and can be overwhelming for the user. It is most helpful to set up reports speaking to an agent to ensure the right fields are set, etc.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    BigTime Software
    • Before BigTime, we were using Excel to track everything, creating invoices, and run reports. Getting on BigTime has saved us tons of time and effort which equates to dollars saved on labor.
    • From a legal standpoint, BigTime has allowed us to be organized and prepared in the event we would need to present financial details to anyone.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    FreshBooks
    • In reality, we do not implement all of its use at the moment in order to determine an adequate ROI.
    • In our approach to the use of the system, it seems to us a considerable time saving by achieving the integration of the Mexican subsidiary with its parent located in the US.
    • Financial reports meet the necessary USGAAP requirements.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    BigTime Software Screenshots

    Screenshot of BigTime Wallet provides clients with a personalized experience to pay on time from anywhere, in one click.Screenshot of A big-picture view into operational insights to make adjustments to how resources are managed.Screenshot of Real-time, actionable insights for professional services firms.Screenshot of The platform is designed to work within existing workflows and software stack, acting as a single source of truth for data.Screenshot of BigTime's invoicing engine supports dozens of industry-standard billing scenarios and enough options to satisfy exacting customer needs.

    FreshBooks Screenshots

    Screenshot of the dashboardScreenshot of an invoice overviewScreenshot of an example of a customizable invoiceScreenshot of an invoice appearing across devicesScreenshot of expensesScreenshot of time tracking