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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

    Sage 500

    Score6.2 out of 10
    N/ASage 500 ERP includes accounting and finance, distribution and supply chain, and manufacturing operations support modules. The latest Sage 500 release includes accounts payable enhancements, credit card processing, and general updates, as well as updates to the solution's modules.N/A
    Pricing
    FreshBooksSage 500
    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
    FreshBooksSage 500
    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
    FreshBooksSage 500
    Considered Both Products
    FreshBooks
    No answer on this topic
    Sage
    No answer on this topic
    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
    FreshBooksSage 500
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.1
    35 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.5
    3 Ratings
    12% above category average
    API for custom integration9.330 Ratings9.03 Ratings
    Plug-ins9.026 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    10.0
    41 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.5
    3 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Single sign-on capability10.01 Ratings7.03 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.041 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    57 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Dashboards9.057 Ratings6.03 Ratings
    Standard reports8.855 Ratings8.03 Ratings
    Custom reports4.82 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    56 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Accounts payable8.041 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Accounts receivable9.455 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Cash management7.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Expense management6.651 Ratings00 Ratings
    Time tracking7.642 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-currency support7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Regulations compliance6.021 Ratings00 Ratings
    Self-service portal9.13 Ratings00 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.5
    49 Ratings
    25% above category average
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.8
    2 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Pricing8.839 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Order entry9.337 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.741 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.01 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    7.0
    2 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings7.02 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    8.0
    3 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.03 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
    Subledger and Financial Process
    Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    5.9
    2 Ratings
    24% below category average
    Billing Management00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Cash and Asset Management00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Travel & Expense Management00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
    Period Close00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Project Financial Management
    Comparison of Project Financial Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    6.9
    1 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Budgeting and Forecasting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Project Costing00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
    Cost Capture00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Capital Project Management00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Customer Contract Compliance00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Project Revenue Recognition00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Project Execution Management
    Comparison of Project Execution Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    4.5
    1 Ratings
    44% below category average
    Task Insight for Project Managers00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Project Mobile Functionality00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
    Grants Management
    Comparison of Grants Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    7.5
    1 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Award Lifecycle Management00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Procurement
    Comparison of Procurement features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    17% below category average
    Contract Authoring00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Contract Repository00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Supplier Management00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
    Risk Management
    Comparison of Risk Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    4.3
    1 Ratings
    44% below category average
    Risk Repository00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
    Control Management00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Control Efficiency Assessments00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
    Remediation and Certification00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
    Supply Chain
    Comparison of Supply Chain features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    1.3
    1 Ratings
    140% below category average
    Forecasting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Inventory Planning00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
    Performance Monitoring00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Product Lifecycle Management
    Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of FreshBooks and Sage 500 ERP
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Sage 500 ERP
    5.3
    1 Ratings
    33% below category average
    Proposal Management00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Product Master Data Management00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    FreshBooksSage 500
    Small Businesses
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Zoho One
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics AX (discontinued)
    Score4.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FreshBooksSage 500
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.6
    (75 ratings)
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.6
    (18 ratings)
    6.3
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    9.6
    (20 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.0
    (11 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FreshBooksSage 500
    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
    Sage
    Sage 500 ERP is great for companies with core accounting needs, distributors, and discrete manufacturers. Some areas, such as process manufacturing, would require a companion product from an ISV for the software to be truly functional. Some areas, such as construction or retail apparel, may simply not be well-served.
    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
    Sage
    • Sage is the one-stop-shop for all of our needs. We're able to control contracts, subcontracts, and field reports from the program.
    • Another strength is the ability to database all the information and export it to excel. This makes data-based investigations a breeze.
    • The ability for Timberscan to be imported to Sage is a huge help with invoice management. Prior to this it all had to be done manually and slowed the process to an essential halt as there are thousands of invoices per month.
    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
    Sage
    • The biggest concern/complaint of Sage 500 users is speed. Some of the screen take a while to load.
    • The user interface needs some refreshing. Screens need to be updated to take advantage of shortcuts and to be more intuitive.
    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
    Sage
    It's too pricey for our size of company.
    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
    Sage
    I have been using Intacct for almost 10 years in 2 different companies and I just simply love it. I tried SAP (GUI) and Netsuite and they dont come close to what Ive seen.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is easy to use and always works!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Sage
    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
    Sage
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    Sage
    The online training courses are not up to date. We experienced technical issues with two of the classes.
    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
    Sage
    Keep your database and application in different servers.
    Install Microsoft Office on your application server so you can use some of the data analysis tools in Sage.
    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
    Sage
    500 seems much smoother at handling some of the basic accounting tasks, for example both issuing and later reconciling checks in Dynamics AX seems a little tedious.
    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
    Sage
    • Positive: The program allows for a lot of data entry and splitting of information. It has the capability of replacing multiple programs and therefore saving cost.
    • Negative: The modules are cumbersome and not user friendly at all. As a result not many user are comfortable using it. This means that the program is not being used to its capacity.
    • Negative: Although the program has the capacity to be great, the user interface destroys that potential. Sage needs to seriously work on their program to simplify it. It's as if it still uses Command-line entries from 1995. Needs to be updated ASAP.
    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