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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    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

    QuickBooks Desktop Pro

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/AQuickbooks Desktop Pro is accounting software from Intuit, Inc. It includes core accounting features, plus analytics and exportable reports. It is offered in on-premise and SaaS forms.N/A
    Pricing
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Editions & Modules
    Lite
    $21
    per month
    Plus
    $38
    per month
    Premium
    $65
    per month
    Select
    Custom Pricing
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details10% discount for annual pricing.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Considered Both Products
    FreshBooks
    Chose FreshBooks
    FreshBooks was easier for me to use - and it's also less expensive.
    Incentivized
    Chose FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is better than many other apps because it is so efficient and combines many different features that other programs don't integrate in one place.

    I appreciate FreshBooks for its overall integration of invoicing, keeping track of hours, managing projects, and keeping …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreshBooks
    We use QuickBooks for all of our reporting, payroll, taxes, and expenses. But Freshbooks makes invoicing way more user friendly for our clients since it is web based rather than a downloaded program.
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    FreshBooks I believe is a better service-industry and solo-business tool, however for businesses that are mainly retail-based and are smaller than 100 employees, I would use QuickBooks. However, I would not recommend Desktop Pro to anyone who trusts the cloud. For the skeptics, …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    FreshBooks is an online system that doesn't have the granularity of QuickBooks.
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    We selected Quickbooks pro based solely on the recommendation of our accountant. We have recently looked into other options like Mint & Freshbooks but decided to remain with Quickbooks as it offers everything we need and when Quickbooks makes updates to their programs they are …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    We have used Sage and Peachtree as alternatives to QuickBooks Pro and have found for the money and ease of use for any employee QuickBooks is a better option for our firm. Sage and Peachtree require more training to use and some reporting is harder to locate in the program than …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    We like QuickBooks more because it processes journal entries/transactions quicker.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    69%
    Would buy again
    9 Answers
    88%
    Would buy again
    29 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    82%
    Delivers good value for the price
    9 Answers
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    28 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    54%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    32 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    64%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    20 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    62%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    25 Answers
    Features
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.1
    35 Ratings
    18% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    5.7
    43 Ratings
    28% below category average
    API for custom integration9.330 Ratings6.535 Ratings
    Plug-ins9.026 Ratings5.039 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    10.0
    41 Ratings
    20% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    8.5
    101 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Single sign-on capability10.01 Ratings8.482 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.041 Ratings8.695 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    57 Ratings
    4% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    8.5
    117 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Dashboards9.057 Ratings8.4100 Ratings
    Standard reports8.855 Ratings8.9117 Ratings
    Custom reports4.82 Ratings8.1114 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    56 Ratings
    2% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    7.5
    124 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Accounts payable8.041 Ratings9.3119 Ratings
    Accounts receivable9.455 Ratings9.2121 Ratings
    Cash management7.03 Ratings9.2107 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation7.02 Ratings9.7119 Ratings
    Expense management6.651 Ratings9.4108 Ratings
    Time tracking7.642 Ratings7.451 Ratings
    Multi-currency support7.01 Ratings6.931 Ratings
    Regulations compliance6.021 Ratings8.342 Ratings
    Self-service portal9.13 Ratings5.941 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings5.669 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings8.958 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.355 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings4.217 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.140 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings7.943 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings4.219 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.876 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings6.838 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings7.647 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings5.427 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.555 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.5
    49 Ratings
    25% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    6.8
    77 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Pricing8.839 Ratings7.555 Ratings
    Order entry9.337 Ratings8.555 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.741 Ratings7.251 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.01 Ratings8.063 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings5.220 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings6.123 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings5.218 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    6.6
    69 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings6.364 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings6.338 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings6.656 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings6.352 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.754 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    5.8
    59 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.056 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.035 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings6.032 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings5.218 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Small Businesses
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.6
    (75 ratings)
    8.5
    (135 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.6
    (18 ratings)
    8.0
    (19 ratings)
    Usability
    9.6
    (20 ratings)
    9.1
    (42 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    8.3
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.0
    (11 ratings)
    1.2
    (29 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (6 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.5
    (22 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Likelihood to Recommend
    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
    Intuit
    For a small business, QuickBooks Desktop Pro is great! For a larger, more complex business, another system may be more beneficial. We actually run multiple businesses on QuickBooks Desktop Pro, but all are very small. The help feature is sometimes so beneficial, and sometimes it seems like you just can't get the right answer and need to find a workaround - but this is usually for more complex issues.
    Read full review
    Pros
    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
    Intuit
    • It is easy to manage and adjust inventory on hand.
    • It is easy to make reports and customize them to your needs.
    • We also use it to pay our employees directly.
    • It is easy to make year-to-year comparisons to see where we can make improvements and the current financial situation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    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
    Intuit
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro has been around for a few years and after an update[,] they force you to look at the changes/updates before you can use [them] after updating.
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro does not have 2FA.
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro should offer a way to store backups to a personal cloud without having to map a local network drive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    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
    Intuit
    I'd love to keep using it, and do intend to - though we've not been pleased with price increases over the past several years. In fact, we used to subscribe to the payroll service, but QuickBooks priced themselves out of reach for us, so we discontinued that. Currently, pricing would be the primary reason for NOT renewing, if we didn't.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    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
    Intuit
    The set up was quite easy. I took some online training causes, and figured our the rest pretty quickly. The only issue I had during the implementation process was it was very hard to change some of the GL Account name to reflect the needs of a non-profit organization, such as Net Assets. At the end I had to scratch what I did, and used the existing formats that the third-party bookkeeping firm shared. Everything else is simple and easy to manage and implement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is easy to use and always works!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I haven't experienced a time when QuickBooks Pro was unavailable when I needed it in the entire 20 years of using the software
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    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
    Intuit
    They are awful. Intuit doesn't spend real money on support. They appear to have typically said, first-level script readers who are sending messages to the senior people for anything even a little bit difficult. Many of them don't speak particularly good English. Considering that they recently doubled (or, if you are paying annually, tripled) their pricing, and touted as one of the benefits that it includes [..] support, it's a real ripoff. However, we have to use the product because it is ubiquitous. I look forward to the day a competitor comes up with something good enough, which has excellent support, that matches all the features QuickBooks Desktop Pro currently has [...] or at least gives us a way to have all the functionality we currently have without excessive sacrifice [...] so that we can switch. I was very satisfied with QuickBooks for many years. This latest [rise] in price, and their sheer gall at touting the benefit of the 100 to 200% increase as being [the] inclusion of support, is what turned me so far against them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    Best thing I ever did was to attend a two day training seminar on QuickBooks, I learned an immense amount in a short time with hands on training by experts. I strongly recommend such training for anyone using any part of the software. It will pay for itself in the first month.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    FreshBooks
    I haven't changed my mind since my first evaluation. Freshbooks is still meeting my needs, easy to use, etc.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    We implemented the software ourselves. The training we received on the software was done by taking a community course teaching us how to use QuickBooks. It allowed me to get started with some basics of how to use the program and have not needed much assistance since completing the course work.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    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
    Read full review
    Intuit
    We tried switching from QuickBooks Desktop Pro to QuickBooks Online, but there were a lot of issues and bugs so we ultimately decided to stay with Desktop Pro. Unfortunately, we are losing a lot of Online Banking capabilities on 5/31 as we have an older version of QB, but we plan to stick with Desktop Pro. In terms of invoicing, SaaSOptics beats QuickBooks in almost all aspects as it's all automated and takes seconds to create and send invoices. However, SaaSOptics is not really a full ERP program so it wouldn't serve us as a main bookkeeping software like QB.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    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
    Intuit
    • Training time is low compared to other accounting packages
    • It was difficult to adapt to DCAA requirements, [which] required [the] hiring of [a] special consultant for that
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro is a standard for small companies and makes it easy to hire bookkeepers
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    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