TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    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

    Square Customers

    Score8.7 out of 10
    N/ASquare's Customer Engagement Suite, or Square Customers, is a suite of solutions that enables Square users to connect with existing customers, reach new ones, and grow relationships using tools that integrate with Square Point of Sale and Square Online.

    $0

    Pricing
    FreshBooksSquare Customers
    Editions & Modules
    Lite
    $21
    per month
    Plus
    $38
    per month
    Premium
    $65
    per month
    Select
    Custom Pricing
    Customer Directory
    $0
    Gift Card Starter Pack
    $2
    per card (plus 2.6% + 10¢ processing fee)
    Email Marketing
    starting $15
    per month
    Text Message Marketing
    starting at $10
    per month
    Loyalty
    starting at $45
    per month
    Quick Cards
    from 99c
    per card (plus 2.6% + 10¢ processing fee)
    Custom Cards
    from 81c
    per card (plus 2.6% + 10¢ processing fee)
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    FreshBooksSquare Customers
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details10% discount for annual pricing.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    FreshBooksSquare Customers
    Considered Both Products
    FreshBooks
    No answer on this topic
    Block, Inc (Square)
    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
    FreshBooksSquare Customers
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.1
    35 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Square Customers
    6.9
    2 Ratings
    10% below category average
    API for custom integration9.330 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Plug-ins9.026 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom fields00 Ratings3.72 Ratings
    Scripting environment00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    10.0
    41 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Square Customers
    9.5
    3 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Single sign-on capability10.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.041 Ratings9.03 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    57 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Square Customers
    -
    Ratings
    Dashboards9.057 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standard reports8.855 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom reports4.82 Ratings00 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    56 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Square Customers
    -
    Ratings
    Accounts payable8.041 Ratings00 Ratings
    Accounts receivable9.455 Ratings00 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
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.5
    49 Ratings
    25% above category average
    Square Customers
    -
    Ratings
    Pricing8.839 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order entry9.337 Ratings00 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.741 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Sales Force Automation
    Comparison of Sales Force Automation features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    7.1
    4 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Customer data management / contact management00 Ratings9.04 Ratings
    Workflow management00 Ratings8.13 Ratings
    Territory management00 Ratings5.33 Ratings
    Opportunity management00 Ratings4.02 Ratings
    Integration with email client (e.g., Outlook or Gmail)00 Ratings9.53 Ratings
    Contract management00 Ratings8.04 Ratings
    Quote & order management00 Ratings6.94 Ratings
    Interaction tracking00 Ratings7.74 Ratings
    Channel / partner relationship management00 Ratings5.83 Ratings
    Customer Service & Support
    Comparison of Customer Service & Support features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    6.8
    2 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Case management00 Ratings7.32 Ratings
    Call center management00 Ratings6.82 Ratings
    Help desk management00 Ratings6.32 Ratings
    Marketing Automation
    Comparison of Marketing Automation features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    8.9
    2 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Lead management00 Ratings8.92 Ratings
    Email marketing00 Ratings8.92 Ratings
    CRM Project Management
    Comparison of CRM Project Management features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    7.9
    3 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Task management00 Ratings5.73 Ratings
    Billing and invoicing management00 Ratings9.53 Ratings
    Reporting00 Ratings8.43 Ratings
    CRM Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of CRM Reporting & Analytics features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    8.7
    2 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Forecasting00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Pipeline visualization00 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    Customizable reports00 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    Social CRM
    Comparison of Social CRM features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    6.6
    2 Ratings
    13% below category average
    Social data00 Ratings6.32 Ratings
    Social engagement00 Ratings6.82 Ratings
    Integrations with 3rd-party Software
    Comparison of Integrations with 3rd-party Software features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    6.0
    1 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Marketing automation00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Compensation management00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
    Platform
    Comparison of Platform features of FreshBooks and Square Customers
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    Square Customers
    9.0
    3 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Mobile access00 Ratings9.03 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    FreshBooksSquare Customers
    Small Businesses
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    Salesflare
    Score10 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Kintone
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    Oracle Sales
    Score8.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FreshBooksSquare Customers
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.6
    (75 ratings)
    8.7
    (4 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.6
    (18 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.6
    (20 ratings)
    9.6
    (3 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.0
    (11 ratings)
    7.6
    (3 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FreshBooksSquare Customers
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    Square is absolutely brilliant if you are just starting out and your business has both an in-person and an online component to it, as Square will solve both in-person POS and online booking/billing. Square also offers the option to create a free website for your company, though it is a very basic site, if you don't have a website yet, this is a VERY helpful option, as it takes away a huge cost. Square allowed us to be up and running in no time, taking away the need to worry about an expensive appointment-setting add-on from our current website provider (Square integrates quite nicely with our current site). Square is probably less ideal for more advanced users or companies with a need for more detailed inventory/service management. But even then, Square will more than likely be able to get the job done!
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    • Sales pipeline
    • Customer engagement
    • Marketing
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    • Some of the build quality on the peripherals could feel a bit better.
    • Have more options for businesses with more credit card transactions such as monthly or discounted per transaction once a certain number is reached.
    • Have functionality to allow for a typed card number without the higher fee if the software verifies there is a hardware/read error with the card.
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    The user interface is easy to navigate - that's not always the case for some software! I look for something that is intuitive, easy to use, and doesn't take a ton of training to get up and running quickly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is easy to use and always works!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Block, Inc (Square)
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    Square is mostly focused on FAQs and online support, and they do a very good job creating a rich knowledge base. But, if you are not very tech savvy, it could be easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. I would recommend that they add a direct line or chat feature to call, rather than email or Knowledge base first. This might be due to staffing issues at Square, so perhaps it is the best they can do for now.
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    A lot easier to use than Infusionsoft!!
    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
    Block, Inc (Square)
    • This has allowed me to accept credit / debit transactions without having to have a monthly subscription to a service and lose money on times of no to little use, allowing me to have a broader customer range as checks are risky.
    • All of my initial equipment was free and there were no startup costs so my return was immediate.
    • The small fee taken out of the transaction is very much worth the ability to accept nearly all plastic transactions.
    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