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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 Self-Employed (discontinued)

    Score4.2 out of 10
    N/AA now discontinued accounting solution, QuickBooks Self-Employed featured tools to help the self-employed drive growth and financial stability. It is replaced by the more advanced QuickBooks Solopreneur.N/A
    Pricing
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    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 Self-Employed (discontinued)
    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 Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Considered Both Products
    FreshBooks
    Chose 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 …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreshBooks
    I selected FreshBooks because it combined Toggl, Harvest and Quickbooks features into a single system. This simple move allowed for me to save money on the tools and in turn bring all client data into a single portal.

    FreshBooks is easy to use and automatically generates the …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreshBooks
    FreshBooks allows for more than one payment portal, automatically creates, sends, and/or auto charges invoices, and has a more robust automatic emailing system, as compared to PayPal Payments. PayPal Payments is more suited to "one-off" transactions, in my opinion. Also, it is …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreshBooks
    I am not a full time bookkeeper and when I used to use QuickBooks I felt like I had to relearn the software each time. When I had to do something unusual I frequently got frustrated trying to figure out how to do it. FreshBooks has eliminated that with its ease of use and their …
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    FreshBooks limited my ability to categorize transactions, specifically removing duplicates or excluding them. I selected QuickBooks Self-Employed because it allowed me to be in control of items. Sometimes accounting is just making sure things are organized the way YOU think, …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    I selected QBSE because no other system fit my needs as a freelancer and as of now, I've not become aware of a program like this that I would opt out for.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    69%
    Would buy again
    9 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    82%
    Delivers good value for the price
    9 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    54%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    64%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    62%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.1
    35 Ratings
    18% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    5 Ratings
    28% above category average
    API for custom integration9.330 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Plug-ins9.026 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    10.0
    41 Ratings
    20% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    8 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Single sign-on capability10.01 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.041 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    57 Ratings
    4% below category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    14 Ratings
    24% above category average
    Dashboards9.057 Ratings10.012 Ratings
    Standard reports8.855 Ratings10.014 Ratings
    Custom reports4.82 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    56 Ratings
    2% below category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    15 Ratings
    27% above category average
    Accounts payable8.041 Ratings10.09 Ratings
    Accounts receivable9.455 Ratings10.010 Ratings
    Cash management7.03 Ratings10.09 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation7.02 Ratings10.010 Ratings
    Expense management6.651 Ratings10.014 Ratings
    Time tracking7.642 Ratings10.07 Ratings
    Multi-currency support7.01 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Regulations compliance6.021 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Self-service portal9.13 Ratings10.08 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings10.013 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings10.06 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.5
    49 Ratings
    25% above category average
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    5 Ratings
    30% above category average
    Pricing8.839 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Order entry9.337 Ratings10.04 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.741 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.01 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    7.8
    3 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings5.02 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    10.0
    3 Ratings
    31% above category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Small Businesses
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.3 out of 10
    Zoho Books
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.5 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.6
    (75 ratings)
    10.0
    (15 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.6
    (18 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    9.6
    (20 ratings)
    9.4
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.0
    (11 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    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
    QuickBooks is a great tool for new SoleTraders that need basic accounting software and require digital invoicing for their clients to send via email and access key features via a mobile app on the go. QuickBooks is a straightforward tool to use with a simple design and learning curve for business owners that are not very tech-savvy. For businesses that operate on a larger scale and need to provide access to other users on their team, QuickBooks is limited. This type of business may also require more insights into the business outside of accounting, and QuickBooks won't be able to supply insights outside of that.
    Incentivized
    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
    • QuickBooks Self-Employed does keep a running total of your income and estimated taxes. Of course, this requires that your entries are accurate.
    • The mileage feature is particularly helpful. One just needs to either use the phone app in conjunction with QuickBooks Self-Employed, or keep a log of all mileage.
    • When tax time comes around, it's easy to use TurboTax software and import your data from QuickBooks.
    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
    • Doesn't integrate with Mint, which I use for my home expenses. I think this would be a nice addition to the program, so I could keep track of my whole financial situation.
    • A Windows 10 app would be a nice addition to the program, so I could access it securely from my desktop.
    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
    No answers on this topic
    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
    I have been using this software for several years now and it has always put out my data in beautiful generated reports that I can use for verification purposes with my financial institute and the IRS. It has all the tools I need to run my business without loosing track of anything
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is easy to use and always works!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    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
    I have never faced any difficulties that required me to contact QuickBooks customer service. QuickBooks has plenty of online tutorials, blog posts, and helpful tips and advice for almost any issues you may face using the desktop or app version of the software. Even if you can not find the right answer on the QuickBooks webpages, there are loads of YouTube videos from experts.
    Incentivized
    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
    No answers on this topic
    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
    FreshBooks limited my ability to categorize transactions, specifically removing duplicates or excluding them. I selected QuickBooks Self-Employed because it allowed me to be in control of items. Sometimes accounting is just making sure things are organized the way YOU think, and FreshBooks wasn't doing that for me.
    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
    • Overall, tagging expenses and mileage has saved me thousands in taxes, for a relatively low cost of around $8/mo.
    • QuickBooks allows me to get invoices to clients quickly and accept online payments, which helps with cashflow.
    • The app has stopped tracking mileage automatically on my device, so I worry that sometimes I am not tracking business miles effectively, which could end up costing me at the EOY.
    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