Skip to main content
TrustRadius
FreshBooks

FreshBooks

Overview

What is FreshBooks?

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…

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

FreshBooks is a user-friendly accounting software that has been highly praised by users for its ability to streamline invoice creation, …
Continue reading

Know what you are buying first

2 out of 10
November 02, 2023
Our main use for FreshBooks is invoicing and estimates, linking with our credit union is very spotty so not reliable enough to do any …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 20 features
  • Dashboards (52)
    4.6
    46%
  • Standard reports (50)
    4.1
    41%
  • Expense management (46)
    2.9
    29%
  • Accounts receivable (50)
    2.4
    24%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing

Lite

$15

Cloud
per month

Plus

$30

Cloud
per month

Premium

$55

Cloud
per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttp://www.freshbooks.com/?ref=11573&ut…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Return to navigation

Product Demos

Working Better Together with FreshBooks

YouTube

InfoPoc: Freshbooks Connector for Salesforce - Demo

YouTube

Create Freshbooks Invoices for New WooCommerce Orders

YouTube

FreshBooks Demo

YouTube

Freshbooks Demo

YouTube

Become a Certified FreshBooks Accounting Partner

YouTube
Return to navigation

Features

Customization

This addresses a company’s ability to configure the software to fit its specific use case and workflow.

1.2
Avg 7.1

Security

This component helps a company minimize the security risks by controlling access to the software and its data, and encouraging best practices among users.

6.3
Avg 8.0

Reporting & Analytics

Users can report on and analyze usage, performance, ROI, and/or other metrics of success.

4.5
Avg 7.6

General Ledger and Configurable Accounting

Financial management solution, including capabilities for general ledger and configurable accounting

4.6
Avg 7.4

Order Management

The ability to process orders, and track them from quote to cash.

3.9
Avg 7.4
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is FreshBooks?

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.

FreshBooks Features

General Ledger and Configurable Accounting Features

  • Supported: Accounts payable
  • Supported: Accounts receivable
  • Supported: Expense management
  • Supported: Time tracking
  • Supported: Regulations compliance

Order Management Features

  • Supported: Pricing
  • Supported: Order entry
  • Supported: Credit card processing

Reporting & Analytics Features

  • Supported: Dashboards
  • Supported: Standard reports

Customization Features

  • Supported: API for custom integration
  • Supported: Plug-ins

Security Features

  • Supported: Role-based user permissions

FreshBooks Screenshots

Screenshot of DashboardScreenshot of Invoice OverviewScreenshot of Beautiful, Customizable InvoicesScreenshot of Invoice seamlessly across devicesScreenshot of ExpensesScreenshot of Time TrackingScreenshot of Time TrackingScreenshot of Time TrackingScreenshot of Time TrackingScreenshot of App IntegrationsScreenshot of Recurring BillingScreenshot of PaymentsScreenshot of ReportsScreenshot of Projects

FreshBooks Videos

Accounting, for the Non-Accountant.
Say Hello to FreshBooks Cloud Accounting

FreshBooks Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Mac
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android
Supported LanguagesEnglish

Frequently Asked Questions

QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Zoho Invoice are common alternatives for FreshBooks.

Reviewers rate Self-service portal highest, with a score of 9.1.

The most common users of FreshBooks are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).

FreshBooks Customer Size Distribution

Consumers0%
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)95%
Mid-Size Companies (51-500 employees)5%
Enterprises (more than 500 employees)0%
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(202)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

FreshBooks is a user-friendly accounting software that has been highly praised by users for its ability to streamline invoice creation, email tracking, and expense management. With FreshBooks, users can effortlessly create, email, and track invoices, as well as set up recurring invoices. The detailed reports provided by FreshBooks allow users to efficiently manage their financials and gain insights into their expenses and client details. Clients also appreciate the convenience of accessing their accounts, viewing/printing invoices, and even filing disputes through FreshBooks. Another notable aspect of FreshBooks is its responsive and helpful customer support team, which is always ready to address any issues or questions that users may have.

Freelancers in particular rely on FreshBooks to stay organized and generate reports for estimating, invoicing, expense tracking, and timekeeping. However, the versatility of FreshBooks extends beyond freelancers. It has been widely used across industries for invoicing clients and keeping the process organized and efficient. For example, Picobarn implemented FreshBooks as a mandatory tool for its employees, enabling them to streamline the invoicing process and provide real-time project tracking. Additionally, FreshBooks has been adopted by organizations to integrate accounting and bookkeeping activities, simplifying day-to-day tasks and ensuring security. By replacing manual bookkeeping processes with FreshBooks, users have saved time and resources while improving client understanding of financial documents.

FreshBooks handles all invoicing needs effectively by making invoice creation quick and easy while enabling online payments. The software has become a valuable tool for independent representatives in various business sectors such as graphic design, helping them track business expenses effortlessly. Similarly, freelance writers and editors find FreshBooks indispensable for tracking hours worked, invoicing clients accurately, and managing their one-person operations smoothly. Companies also utilize FreshBooks to track time and expenses for both staff and consultants working on client projects. In addition to customer invoicing and expense tracking capabilities, it provides direct access for tax advisors, facilitating bank account reconciliation and ensuring accurate financial reporting.

While FreshBooks has garnered positive feedback from users, some have experienced challenges with credit card integrations and payment processing, leading them to explore alternative options. Despite this, FreshBooks has remained a popular choice for businesses seeking to centralize invoicing and accounting processes, improving efficiency and organization. Consultants and support teams have also found value in FreshBooks as it helps them track time, invoice clients, and consolidate tasks within one program.

FreshBooks has successfully helped users streamline their invoicing process, resulting in faster invoice creation, professional-looking invoices, and improved payment tracking. By allowing users to set automatic reminders for overdue invoices, FreshBooks ensures timely follow-up for payment. However, some users prefer to send manual reminders.

FreshBooks has been praised for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to navigate and use for multiple purposes. It is particularly beneficial for small businesses and freelancers who need a simple accounting solution without the complexity of tools like QuickBooks. Users appreciate the ease of use and simplicity of FreshBooks for handling administrative tasks such as bookkeeping, expense tracking, and invoicing. The software eliminates the need for more complex tools and reduces the need to hire additional staff.

One of the key advantages of FreshBooks is its cloud-based nature, allowing users to access and send invoices from their smartphones and tablets. This flexibility enables users to manage their financials on the go, keeping them connected to their business at all times. The ability to track time spent on projects, calculate project estimates, invoice clients, and accept payments all within FreshBooks makes it a valuable tool for freelancers and small businesses alike. Additionally, FreshBooks offers a free trial without requiring credit card information, allowing users to test the software before committing.

FreshBooks caters to a wide range of industries and has been used by marketing and manufacturing customers to properly track invoices and increase productivity and cost savings. It is also utilized across entire organizations for account receivables, setting up and sending invoices, collecting payments, tracking hours on projects, and efficiently managing billing. Moreover, FreshBooks has found its place in small family businesses that depend on it for managing expenses, logging hours, invoicing companies, and tracking total sales. Users have even customized FreshBooks using its API to automate payment entry and tracking according to their specific needs.

Overall, FreshBooks has proven itself as a reliable accounting software that simplifies the invoicing process, tracks expenses effectively, provides comprehensive financial insights, and offers user-friendly features. Its extensive range of functionalities makes it a valuable tool for freelancers, small businesses, and organizations looking to streamline their financial management processes.

Based on user recommendations, FreshBooks receives the following common suggestions:

  1. Familiarize yourself with the interface: Users recommend purchasing the free version of FreshBooks to get acquainted with the interface. This allows users to understand how the software works before committing to a paid plan.

  2. Suitable for small businesses: FreshBooks is highly recommended for small businesses. It is seen as a valuable program that caters to their day-to-day transactions and accounting needs. The software's simplicity and user-friendly interface make it an ideal choice for small business owners.

  3. Try before committing: Users suggest trying the trial version or taking advantage of the 1-month free trial offered by FreshBooks. This allows potential users to test out the software and assess its suitability for their specific business needs before making any financial commitments.

Overall, users find FreshBooks to be a valuable and user-friendly tool for online accounting, billing, invoicing, and expense tracking. They recommend giving it a try, especially for small businesses looking for a simple and easy-to-use accounting or invoicing program.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-20 of 20)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 2 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Our main use for FreshBooks is invoicing and estimates, linking with our credit union is very spotty so not reliable enough to do any actual accounting. We do still use for keeping track of total sales, and categorized sales. We do also utilize their online payment processing and payment logging features.
  • User friendly interface
  • quick reports
  • dashboard
  • Mobile app
  • partial invoicing
  • payments
  • included services
Part of our move to FreshBooks was the lower monthly cost over quickbooks, but quickly learned to get the same amenities as quickbooks, In my experience, FreshBooks will just nickel and dime you for each little feature and end up costing more.

In my opinion, the mobile app is garbage, basically only good for looking up customer information on the go.

FreshBooks recently changed their bank transfer payment policy to hold onto your money for what they say is 5 business days. They did this with no notice to my knowledge, which was a switch from next day payments. currently it is taking 8 days from the customer paying to us actually getting paid.

Sending invoices through email always causes us issues with customers since, in my experience, FreshBooks makes it always appear that your are invoicing the total amount to the customers, the customer needs to open the invoice to see how much they are actually being invoiced.
Antonio Piraino | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I use FreshBooks for my customer invoicing, expense and bank account reconciliation and enjoy sharing direct access to my account with my tax advisor. There were hiccups in setup as the connection to my credit cards and bank occasionally suffered from a broken link since the company used a third party to facilitate the integrations which made things worse for a while. I stuck around since customer service was trying to help me. The last couple of months have seen the credit card integrations finally working much better in pulling in expenses. Unfortunately, FreshBooks partnered up with WePay at some point and it became extremely difficult to receive payments for any of my larger invoices (above $5k) and I couldn't get clarity on why the payments were being canceled and sent back to my clients. WePay was exceptionally unhelpful, and FreshBooks customer support was not particularly helpful in this case. At this point I'm forced to look for an alternative to FreshBooks - essentially anyone not using WePay.
  • Invoice creation.
  • Time Capture for work done.
  • Access for tax advisor.
  • WePay integration is a giant mistake - I can't receive payments directly from clients.
  • If work is only assigned to a client, without the project tag, it will be missed off invoice creation without the user realizing that those hours haven't been accounted for.
Mike Calabro | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Freshbooks for my invoicing, estimates and lite accounting work. I am a freelance photographer and have recommended Freshbooks to any of my colleagues. It is easy to use and for myself as well as my clients. It does a good job of showing when clients are late to pay, which is often in the freelance world.
  • Invoicing - Creating invoices is easy. This helps me to get the invoices out faster. It automatically keeps items so that I can re-use them later. as an example, if I want to charge the client for a digital transfer fee, I can pick that item form a drop-down menu and it will even fill in the rate that I used in the past.
  • Templates- The template allows me to keep my branding cohesive and professional. You can add your logo and pick a theme color so that it matches your brand. There are two different template layouts to choose from.
  • Automatic Expense Importing - I use two separate credit cards for my business. One card for non-billable items and another for items that I bill my clients for. The auto importing makes adding those billable items to invoices easy.
  • Templates- One of my biggest gripes about Freshbooks is that if you change the Terms section on an invoice, it will change it for every future invoice across the board. I often need to change my terms depending on the client and job. This makes it's very hard to keep everything organized.
  • Price- If you do not use all of the Freshbook features, it is a bit expensive for what you get unless you only have a few clients.
  • Importing of expenses - When automatically importing expenses, Freshbooks often miscategorized items and often does not fill out the vendor section when I use my Chase accounts.
There might be a few better options for someone like me who is running a photography business. I have been using Freshbooks for a long time and my fear of having to learn a new system has kept me from trying the other options out there. It excels in sending and organizing invoices but I am not sure if it is the best. My accountant often has issues using the exported data as compared to one of the well-known apps. Freshbooks adds new features a few times a year, but most of the features seem more like a bandaid than an actually useful feature. If you need to keep track of your invoices and make them easy to create than Freshbooks is what you want.
Ryan Freeman | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Due to currency limitations within FreshBooks, we run two accounts. One bills our Canadian customers in CAD, and the other bills USA and International clients in USD.
FreshBooks is our primary invoicing system. As a SaaS and consulting company the majority of our billing is based on recurring contracts, so we looked to FreshBooks as a replacement for manual processing of credit cards. FreshBooks automatically generates invoices according to the client's billing profile, and securely stores the card on file. The late fee/interest system is rudimentary, but does a solid job for what we need.
Invoices, payment notifications, and invoice reminders are emailed automatically.
The Time Tracking feature allows us to log time to projects and have that automatically added to invoices when they recur.
For the first several years we were very happy with FreshBooks, especially as their customer service team was really efficient and friendly. Unfortunately, that's changed a lot over the past few years as FreshBooks has tried to evolve from an invoicing tool into a full accounting system. They have increased prices, limited options, and service has degraded. We're now one competitive feature away from canceling both accounts.
  • Recurring invoicing, with a credit card on file.
  • Time tracking added to invoices automatically.
  • Access to a record of emails sent to the customer.
  • The new version does not allow 3rd party payment processors -- only FreshBooks billing via Stripe.
  • The new version has higher costs, with some features removed, and no new features that we need.
  • FreshBooks seems to have lost their identity and their sense of who their customer is.
  • No ability to customize interest/late fees per client or per invoice. Only one structure and a yes/no toggle per client.
Billing/invoicing is a pretty critical function for any business. When your provider aims to pull the rug out from under you and force you into a more expensive credit card processing system (that doesn't integrate with the rest of your business!), that's a significantly problematic issue. I can't recommend a company that has a track record of doing this to their clients.
FreshBooks might be ok for a new/small company that has minimal billing activity and doesn't want to bother with getting their own merchant services account. For anyone with even moderate volume, though, the processing fees are too high.
Coby Pfaff | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
FreshBooks handles all of our invoicing needs. It makes invoice creation quick and easy and allows clients to pay online.
  • Creates Invoices. Invoice creation is easy and fast.
  • Manages Client Info. It's like a mini CRM that stores client contact data and invoice history.
  • Accepts payments online. Integrates seamlessly with our payment provider to accept credit cards online.
  • There are two version of FreshBooks. The newer ones do some things well that the classic version doesn't, for example, allow individual payment terms rather than global payment terms. But the newer version does not do everything that the classic version does.
FreshBooks is great for business of most sizes to invoice clients online. It may not be powerful enough for large enterprise companies, but it's definitely well suited for small to mid-sized businesses.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
FreshBooks allows us to put client billing and business finances on auto-pilot. Our clients pay us via different methods: card, check, PayPal, and FreshBooks supports it all. In addition to client billing, business expenses are easily managed, many of them being auto tracked. FreshBooks makes it super easy to generate tax related reports as well.
  • Handles manual and auto-charged payments as well as dunning (expired cards, declined charges, etc.)
  • Expense tracking is a breeze, especially with recurring expenses.
  • Financial reports can be generated at the click of a button.
  • Customer support is best in the industry (or any industry in my opinion). Phone support is included and they pick up on the first ring every time.
  • New version lacks functionality from the old version that our company uses.
  • Mobile app lacks some desired functionality.
  • Customer portal could use some improvements.
If you're tired of manually keeping up with which clients have paid and not paid, FreshBooks is for you.

FreshBooks is a no brainer for those who want to combine client billing, client management, expense tracking, and reporting into one service/app.

If you're tired of paid services that don't respond to your phone calls or emails, FreshBooks will be a breath of fresh air.
Soneeka Arora | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We have been using Freshbooks for invoicing our customers since last three years. It is pretty seamless with capabilities to send estimates to our customers. Creating a duplicate invoice from an invoice is a nice feature for recurring invoices. It also allows users to set automatic reminders for overdue invoices. Since there is no notification if and when the reminders are sent, we prefer sending manual reminders over automatic reminders. It allows the clients/customers to pay the invoices via the credit card and in return, it charges a fee for each transaction.
One limitation is that it does not allow multiple accounts for one client so in case we have to send multiple invoices to different cost units within the same client, we have to create separate clients.
But overall, it is simple and easy software to handle.
They do not have chat support rather a call-in support or email support which is great and very responsive.
  • It is easy to create the clients and invoices.
  • It is easy to see the status of each invoice, along with the aging on each invoice.
  • It creates easy to use reports that can be shared if required.
  • They must establish One client many departments concept.
  • They do not allow fixed amount discounts. The only allow percentage discounts.
  • There should be notifications when the reminders are sent.
We used Freshbooks as an alternate source of invoicing (we use Stripe for recurring billing) and it works well in this setup. It is not meant for invoicing for Software-as-a-Service products.
Kristina Kadykeeva | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I used to receive and give invoices using Excel and Word. It required a lot of time for me to do this. I wound up procrastinating a couple of times in getting invoices out, which led me to get paid more slowly. Utilizing FreshBooks has facilitated this process for me, so I am ready to make and send invoices significantly faster. Likewise, the invoices I send now are extremely professional looking, and being able to track my customer's progress on the invoices spares me from doing as much follow up with them to get paid.
  • FreshBooks gives independent businesses a very thoughtful and instinctive UI that can be used for a wide range of functions, most outstandingly charging, and invoicing. User are offered a variety of templates to browse while making invoices, taking into consideration snappy, yet proficient looking records.
  • FreshBooks also gives you tools for group collaboration, monitoring, and operations, which can all be effortlessly explored and set up to build your business's capacity to increase communication, send regular updates, submit recommendations, and secure jobs without hardly lifting a finger.
  • As a bookkeeping bundle, FreshBooks offers some crucial accounting and bookkeeping functions, and has some banking functions. It lets you see online credit card charges, and alerts you via their fully-functional app.
  • FreshBooks gives amazing support from the beginning. Users can get started with a detailed and easy-to-follow startup guide, while their well-prepared staff is always available to give clients answers to any questions or issues they may experience. FreshBooks is extremely proud of their client support and their consumer loyalty rating, and you can really see that when you talk with one of their agents.
  • Its estimates, goal setting, and detailing highlights can be better. One user also discovered bugs in FreshBooks' email click-throughs and computerized costs which he did not like. Aside from these minor glitches, however, FreshBooks is a first class bookkeeping software.
  • Rather than representatives focusing on one complete ticket, FreshBooks adds an additional task where you need to utilize a clock and ensure that they get the job done. The representatives are generally paid less every day regardless of whether they were available or online inside their given planned hours. Pay isn't credited right away and will be on pending for 3 days regardless of whether it was at that point affirmed by the Manager.
If you need to use Paypal to acknowledge installments, then the new form of Freshbooks won't suit you. If not, though, I very, truly exceedingly suggest Freshbooks for anybody requiring a cloud based invoicing, venture time following, and overseeing cost framework. Consultants, small administration organizations working on the web, and offices all will profit extraordinarily. The iPhone application is easy to use to oversee costs and can do most everything you can do on the web application, and is fast and intuitive.
David Kaufer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use FreshBooks in our marketing agency to invoice clients and to track accounts receivable. We've also used it a bit for some small project bids.
  • VERY easy to set up and manage.
  • Provides great info in an easy-to-read and navigate manner.
  • Multiple credit card processing options (as well as other payment options).
  • Customer support is outstanding.
  • The bid/estimate area is pretty light. It would be nice to be able to do more editing (including adding images etc) to help make it look better.
  • We don't really use it but I think the time tracking function is also pretty basic.
I've recommended FreshBooks to other small business/agency owners who needed an easy way to invoice clients/customers (and to track everything). It's well-suited for nearly every small-medium sized business.
Abiola Ademosu | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Freshbooks to integrate our accounting and bookkeeping activities across my organization. From invoicing clients to tracking expenditure, tracking projects, setting proposal cost etc., thereby making our day to day activity at work fast, easy and secure.
  • Estimates and proposals: Freshbooks enables us to make a concise estimate on new projects. With just a few clicks we and our client get on the same page, start a project and streamline billing. From the beginning of new projects to the end, Freshbooks gets us covered.
  • Mobility: Freshbooks enables us to keep tabs on our finances even while on the move - courtesy of its mobile app.
  • With the FreshBooks mobile apps, we stay connected with our clients, while also taking care of our accounting from anywhere and everywhere.
  • Financial-report: FreshBooks enable us to measure our business performance. Via its dashboard and reports, we are able to stay in touch with our business performance and growth. Making the job of the accounting department, much more easier.
  • Currency support: Freshbooks doesn't support all currencies. That has been a major hindrance to our using this tool for some of our bookkeeping activity.
  • Credit card payment: As of the moment, Freshbooks doesn't support all credit card providers. They seem to have credit card payments providers, whose cards they accept.
Freshbooks is suited for measuring the performances of a business, allows users accept online payments from their clients; making it faster to close sales. However, Freshbooks is best used for bookkeeping needs as against full-time accounting tasks.
Suyi Harrison Iwalewe | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Freshbooks to manage our startup's finances from day to day basic book-keeping to ticketing, setting reminders and invoicing customers, alongside responding to customer query regarding the invoice we send them.
  • Integration with a third-party application.
  • Time-tracking and invoice booking.
  • Payments.
  • Payments; Freshbooks sometimes doesn't accept certain credit cards.
  • Poor chat and phone support.
  • Subscription can be better.Probably a pay as you use model, as against the monthly, yearly model.
Freshbooks is a top choice for basic book-keeping, making payments, time tracking and basic accounting. However, it is not a full accounting software.
Matthew Robinson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Freshbooks to track time against projects for our consulting business. We also use Freshbooks to issue invoices to our clients on a periodic basis. The system is used by our employees and contractors to log their time and provides real-time visibility to time entries that we can provide to our customers on a timely basis.
  • Time Tracking - Simple, Intuitive, Easy to use.
  • Invoicing - Simple, Easy to Understand.
  • Online Payments - Can accept credit cards through multiple providers.
  • Accounting - The reports are very time and invoice centric. There are no easily accessible A/R, A/P type invoices, the data is there but must be manipulated manually.
  • Reporting - This could be stronger, more flexibility vs. the static pre-canned reports.
Businesses which track time against projects are a perfect fit for the tool. The tool allows you to set a budget and employees for projects. You can assign a project rate or varying rates per employee depending on the project arrangement and this works hand in hand with the billing.
Mandy Cramer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
FreshBooks is a really practical tool for invoicing, keeping track of time and expenses, etc... It's a particularly useful tool if you don't already know how to keep your own books.

Another great thing about FreshBooks is that you are able to do a trial which is free, I mean, completely free. You don't have to enter any credit card information, so if you decide it's not for you, you can quit using it. I'll admit I didn't continue using it because I already had a pretty in-depth system in place that worked for me as far as invoicing and keeping track of my hours and expenses, but I would definitely recommend FreshBooks overall to any new business owner.
  • Great Trial
  • Perfect for streamlining your accounting
  • Accept payments from multiple sources
  • Lovely Design
  • Client limits are sometimes a downer.
  • Credit Card fees still cost you when accepting payments via credit card.
  • Lite Services isn't worth the cost.
  • Unable to perfectly maintain my established branding with FreshBooks. Of course I can upload my logo, but it is not entirely consistent with my overall branding.
It is perfect for new business owners or businesses that want to be able to keep their own books. Of course it is still important to check with an accountant, but this can certainly save some time and money.

This is also great for freelancers because you can choose between billing by project or hourly. You can even keep track of how many hours you are working for each project.

I don't think FreshBooks would work as well with a large company because they might have tons of clients or accounts to keep track of. In those situations, it is best if they have their own accountant.
Jeff Looby, CPA | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is used for tracking time and expenses, invoicing said time and expenses and was once used for reporting purposes. Originally, the software was used across the organization but now it is only being used by the employees who insist on design considerations over a robust functionality. The invoices look satisfactory at best.
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Invoices are easy to edit
  • The mobile app provides notifications
  • The projects functionality is good in theory
  • The reporting functionality is poor - behaves more like a ledger than financial reporting tool
  • Transaction fees are very high unless your dollar volumes are very high
  • The estimates tool is nothing more than an excel spreadsheet

FreshBooks is potentially well suited for a freelancer graphic designer who often collaborated with others who were also accessing FreshBooks and had a lot of non-professional customers who highly valued being able to pay online by credit card to the point where one may notice a material uptick in collections.

FreshBooks is not well suited for business owners who have professional, established businesses who prefer to pay by check or ACH - not credit card.

Matthew Lee | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use FreshBooks for time tracking, estimating and invoicing. FreshBooks has greatly simplified the process of monthly invoicing. I can now complete in 5-10 minutes what used to take me hours. I am more likely to bill for small items because it is so quick and easy which has improved my bottom line.
  • Very easy to use.
  • Excellent customer service.
  • Excellent connectivity to my bank and other financial institutions.
  • The estimating module is too rigid. It would be great if it offered more flexibility in its layout.
FreshBooks is great for small businesses looking for a very simple way to handle their invoicing. It is particularly good if you work with subcontractors who also use FreshBooks as their time can be logged directly into your projects allowing you to bill for their time even before they invoice you.
Raylene Wall | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use FreshBooks for all of our expense tracking, client invoicing, and project time tracking. I use it personally and each of my contractors/service providers have accounts as well. My contractors also invoice me directly through FreshBooks. We can also coordinate with our bookkeeper to export the information she needs.
  • Invoices branded for my company are sent directly to my clients from within FreshBooks.
  • FreshBooks will request reviews of my services from my clients when they make payments.
  • Online payments can be made by my clients directly from the invoice.
  • 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.
If accounting isn't your 'thing', but you need a good basic accounting software for your small- to medium-size business, FreshBooks is a great option. We often recommend FreshBooks to other businesses just getting started. The user-interface is very fast to learn and easy to use. It can be used simply as an invoicing tool, or in a more advanced manner for detailed accounting.
LaToya M. Davidson-Perez | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I'm a sole proprietor of an administrative services business as well as its only employee. When I decided to go into business for myself I looked at the list of vendors who I could efficiently use for my bookkeeping needs. I use FreshBooks to track all of my expenses as well as my income (in a round about way). FreshBooks makes it easy to invoice and keep up with billing and also has a nice aesthetic. However, be sure it's what you want to use because it can be pricey. I used the free version for as long as I could, which at the time only allowed you to have three clients (now it's one), and then had to pay the monthly fee of $19.95 plus tax. And that's the cheapest plan they have. Plus, it only allows you to have 25 clients. There are other vendors now out there who will charge you less including Nutcache (which is free) so if you don't need something quite as robust as FreshBooks, then use a free option. However, FreshBooks has a solid reputation and a solid product that I would recommend to anyone.
  • FreshBooks is, in general, very user friendly, robust and uncomplicated.
  • You have the ability to access FreshBooks via your mobile devices.
  • FreshBooks has the ability for you to set up recurring expenses.
  • You can track your work with the great timer that you can use online, on your phone or, if you're using a Mac, via a widget.
  • Invoicing is very easy and professional.
  • Integrates with PayPal for easy payments.
  • FreshBooks isn't a full-service solution for your accounting/bookkeeping needs as it doesn't allow you to easily track income. You have to add in dummy accounts (which takes up client spots and counts against your total number of clients) and then manually add in the information.
  • FreshBooks doesn't allow you to have staff members on your account unless you pay them at least $39.95 plus tax per month.
  • In order to have no limit on the number of clients you have you have to pay at least $29.95 plus tax per month.
  • Doesn't allow you to have your payments deposited into your bank account.
If you're a small business owner then you may want to consider FreshBooks. But if you don't need the bells and whistles like automatically importing expenses from your bank account or credit card, then try something like Nutcache. FreshBook is a great cloud-based accounting system for businesses of any size. Just know that there are limitations to what it can do. You may need something more robust like QuickBooks. However, I find that as a whole FreshBooks is worth the expense.
Kathleen Allardyce | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
As a small business owner, I needed an easy way to issue invoices, track payments and expenses, track revenue and P&L. The problem FreshBooks solves for me is eliminating the need for using something like Quickbooks (which requires a long learning-curve), or hiring someone to do tasks that are basically simple, but can be time consuming, especially since I don't perform those tasks on a regular enough basis to feel comfortable.
  • FreshBooks is pretty intuitive to use. I did have some questions when I first started using the system, but it wasn't a long learning curve.
  • FreshBooks provides more capability than other billing applications such as PaySimple or BlinkSale. FreshBooks does provide an easy invoicing function. It's easy to create invoices that can be sent via email or snail mail to one or more individuals (for example, the decision-maker and the accounting dept). Clients can pay online or send a check and then I note that the payment has been received. If paid by credit card, the system automatically marks the invoice paid. Your business accounts such as bank accounts can be linked to FreshBooks. Then, the system can automatically draw in expenses and will create simple P&L reports, overdue invoices, client history, etc. If you don't have inventory and complex payroll, etc. FreshBooks provides just the right level of capability to make financial tracking simple.
  • FreshBooks integrates with a number of credit card companies. I use Stripe, which has fees similar to Paypal, but much more reliable processing. I can accept all credit cards, including American Express, for a reasonable fee.
  • Can't really think of negatives.
I think FreshBooks is most useful for service-based companies, but there may be capabilities I'm not aware of because I don't need them, that would make it useful in other situations. I'd recommend FreshBooks for any small business, service-based company. For others, I'd recommend a thorough needs analysis before making a decision.
Paul Shapiro | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it to send out invoices and accept credit card payments. We're a small company, but we do all our billing through it.
  • Easily create and send invoices
  • Accept credit cards
  • Easily create and send estimates
  • See when clients viewed invoices
  • Send automatic reminders for open invoices after 30, 60 and 90 days
  • Ability to send invoices for partial payment (can do, could be better)
  • Multiple addresses for clients (billing, mailing, contact, etc.)
It's best suited for companies that don't have dedicated AR and AP teams. If you have to create and track invoices along with your regular job, FreshBooks is great.
December 11, 2013

Freshbooks AOK

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Easy to use interface
  • Responsive customer support
  • Would like to see better customization of overdue payment reminders.
  • Integration with collection agency services in Canada. i.e. escalate to collections.
Check out their integration page before you buy. They don't integrate with very many CRMs.
Return to navigation