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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…

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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, …
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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 …
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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)
    3.1
    31%
  • Accounts receivable (50)
    2.6
    26%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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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
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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
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Features

Customization

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

1.2
Avg 7.0

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.

6.4
Avg 7.9

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

4.7
Avg 7.4

Order Management

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

3.9
Avg 7.4
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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%
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(204)

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

(1-4 of 4)
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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.
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting (5)
72%
7.2
Accounts payable
90%
9.0
Accounts receivable
90%
9.0
Expense management
90%
9.0
Time tracking
90%
9.0
Regulations compliance
N/A
N/A
Inventory Management
N/A
N/A
Order Management (3)
90%
9.0
Pricing
90%
9.0
Order entry
90%
9.0
Credit card processing
90%
9.0
Payroll Management
N/A
N/A
Reporting & Analytics (2)
70%
7.0
Dashboards
70%
7.0
Standard reports
70%
7.0
Customization (2)
N/A
N/A
API for custom integration
N/A
N/A
Plug-ins
N/A
N/A
Security (1)
N/A
N/A
Role-based user permissions
N/A
N/A
  • I don't feel the lite version is worth the cost since you can only have 5 clients, so unless you have a higher premium account, it can still cost quite a lot.
  • I feel like the cost of accepting payments via credit card on top of the cost of the app is not the most cost-effective for a small business who doesn't have to manage too many clients or accept so many payments.
FreshBooks is better than many other apps because it is so efficient and combines many different features that other programs don't integrate in one place.

I appreciate FreshBooks for its overall integration of invoicing, keeping track of hours, managing projects, and keeping records. I am used to keeping track of receipts, invoices, and projects using Excel or other programs like it, and that works, but I can't send those invoices directly from the app.
1
I am the owner of my own freelance Graphic Design business. I do everything from managing the business, creating the designs for my clients, meeting with clients, keeping track of my hours and managing invoices. I also have to remind clients when they don't pay me on time. It's a lot of pressure so apps like FreshBooks can save me time.
1
I do my own support or look up anything I need to solve any problems I have in my business. FreshBooks is a simple to use app that can be accessed via computer or via mobile phone or tablet. So the least skills you'd need are at least proficiency with basic tech.

It can help if you are also already pretty good at managing your time and keeping on top of your own books.
  • Managing Invoices
  • Managing Projects
  • Keeping track of time
  • Keeping track of hours
  • Importing expenses which is great for organization and keeping track of company spending
  • Multiple ways to accept payment
  • If I was able to have unlimited clients
  • Creating Proposals or quotes for projects
  • Automated reminders
My main concern is not being able to have a higher amount of clients. The lite version is $15/mo which only allows you to invoice to up to 5 clients. My business manages about 12 regularly and a few random extra clients per a month. This means that I have to pay an extra $10 a month to do something I can do for free by myself. Yes, this app can save you time, but if you're good at staying on top of your expenses, hours, etc, there is no reason you can't do this without expending too much extra time on your own.
  • It is easy to send an invoice
  • The design looks great for FreshBooks
  • It is easy to navigate and manage multiple functions of the app
  • It can be a little bit too many steps to set up an account or project
  • You can have multiple rates, but the limit on clients makes it feel somewhat pointless
  • You can't customize your invoicing to a full brand
Yes
It works really well. I actually set up my account initially using the app. I was able to navigate it easily and make changes to my account or clients at the touch of a button. I was able to move around with ease and not have to deal with normal interface problems that some apps like this can have.
It's a fantastic app, and it's very easy to use. I will admit, I don't use it so much anymore however because I already have great systems in place and I also don't like the limit on clients for the lite cost. I feel at $15/mo you should be able to manage more clients than 5. I don't use as many as 50 clients a month, but I certainly manage more than 5 as a freelancer.

But overall, the usability is easy and I'd recommend it to people who don't already know how to manage their books.
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.
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting (5)
54%
5.4
Accounts payable
N/A
N/A
Accounts receivable
90%
9.0
Expense management
90%
9.0
Time tracking
90%
9.0
Regulations compliance
N/A
N/A
Inventory Management
N/A
N/A
Order Management (3)
93.33333333333334%
9.3
Pricing
100%
10.0
Order entry
100%
10.0
Credit card processing
80%
8.0
Payroll Management
N/A
N/A
Reporting & Analytics (2)
100%
10.0
Dashboards
100%
10.0
Standard reports
100%
10.0
Customization (2)
50%
5.0
API for custom integration
N/A
N/A
Plug-ins
100%
10.0
Security (1)
90%
9.0
Role-based user permissions
90%
9.0
  • Since implementing FreshBrooks, 80% of invoices created are paid in less than 30 days from the time the invoice is sent via email to the client. Prior to FreshBooks, we were mailing or hand-delivering our invoices and payment on those invoices was in the 45-90 day range.
  • Time tracking is done directly in FreshBooks (or through a plugin that's connected directly to FreshBooks) and is very easy to use. With this feature we're much better able to track all business activities. This has helped us to quantify the time we're spending on non-billable business-related work in addition to our billable client hours. We've been able to adjust our pricing accordingly, as well as being more efficient with our non-billable activities.
  • When FreshBooks online payments is set-up in your account, payments made with this method are automatically sent to your bank account. We choose between FreshBooks payments and PayPal payments in order to manage how much money stays in the PayPal account for online expenses vs. how much is transferred directly to the bank account.
QuickBooks felt very accounting centered. FreshBooks feels more like business software instead of accounting software. I don't know all of the accounting terms, and I don't have time to learn them all. So FreshBooks was just much easier to sit down and use right away. QuickBooks was obviously very robust, but I needed something a little more intuitive to jump in and run with as a new business owner.
  • Invoicing clients (creating invoice and emailing it to client)
  • Time tracking
  • Expense tracking
  • Sharing client reviews - there is no single location where all client reviews can be shared for others to see.
  • Credits in the system can sometimes be a bit finicky. When a client overpays on an invoice, a credit is created. When applying that credit to a future invoice, the 'credit' stays in the system, even though it was applied. I haven't had to use it much so it's not been a big issue though.
  • I haven't tried to use recurring payments in FreshBooks in a while because my first experience with them a while ago was not positive. The recurring invoice was created but not automatically sent. I believe that the feature has been improved much since then, but I've not tried it again.
Yes
The Mobile FreshBooks app interface is very similar to the full online web interface. The app is particularly useful for capturing expense receipts for in-person purchases as you can take a picture of the receipt right from the app. All of the basic features I need on a regular basis are available in the mobile app.
The FreshBooks user interface is easy to learn. In terms of ongoing, every day use, FreshBooks is very simple and allows me to do all the things I need to with an accounting software, while not having to be an accountant. I can use FreshBooks on the go with the mobile app as well.
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.
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting (8)
72.5%
7.3
Accounts payable
90%
9.0
Accounts receivable
90%
9.0
Cash management
70%
7.0
Bank reconciliation
70%
7.0
Expense management
70%
7.0
Time tracking
50%
5.0
Multi-currency support
70%
7.0
Self-service portal
70%
7.0
Inventory Management
N/A
N/A
Order Management
N/A
N/A
Payroll Management
N/A
N/A
Reporting & Analytics (2)
80%
8.0
Dashboards
70%
7.0
Standard reports
90%
9.0
Customization (1)
80%
8.0
API for custom integration
80%
8.0
Security (2)
90%
9.0
Role-based user permissions
80%
8.0
Single sign-on capability
100%
10.0
  • Faster time-to-pay
  • Better AR tracking and higher on-time payments
  • Faster time to send estimates and invoices also leads to faster time-to-pay
  • Harvest,QuickBooks Online,Xero,TimeFox
FreshBooks is better at it's core job of creating and sending invoices. Most of the other products I saw did other things which I didn't need but didn't do the invoices as simply or as well.
  • Creating invoices
  • Accepting credit card payments
  • Running aging report
  • Running payments collected report
  • Creating invoices for partial payments
  • Creating clients with multiple divisions or addresses
Yes
Very well.
Easy to use, quick to learn with a simple, uncluttered interface.
Deryk Wenaus | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Freshbooks to track employee time on various client projects. Then we bill clients for that time. We also use Freshbooks to create estimates. We use it to send automated late payment reminders as well as subscription payments. Finally we use it to run reports on invoices, accounts due, employee time tracking and taxes.
  • Invoicing is quite quick and flexible
  • Creating estimates is also quick and easy to do
  • Entering time, assigning that to clients, entering expenses and assigning to clients
  • Pricing structure is very poor for us. $10/user per month when we have staff that comes and goes. And it's impossible to change a free contractor to a paid staff and vice-versa. This is my biggest complaint.
  • They only allow one admin owner user. Emails must come from that account. This is annoying, as other staff cannot log in with the same power.
  • The user interface is quite dated. I've made recommendations to improve it and all have been ignored. It's skinny and not fluid. Also, there is no way to link between invoices and clients.
If you are a one or two person shop, then it might be perfect for you. Or if you have employees that do a lot of client billing, then the $10/user cost is worth it. Otherwise look for something more modern, perhaps Xero.
  • Helped us track and bill for our time better
  • Helped us track overdue invoices and get payments online
  • When we were small,our monthly fee was quite high. I've found this very frustrating and the main reason to move away.
High cost is the main reason. Lack of real accounting abilities is a secondary reason. We're moving to Xero.
  • Creating invoices from logged time is quite well implemented
  • Adding time is easy, and it's easy to move time from one day to another if you made an error
  • Sending invoices is super easy
  • It's impossible to change a staff member to a contractor or vice versa. You need to call support and even then it's not always done.
  • If you remove an item from an invoice that was generated from your time sheet, it will show up on the next invoice. You need to manually find it in your timesheet to not bill it.
Yes
It's horrible. Many times I'd try to use it and it would just fail, freeze. I gave up.
Well, it's pretty easy to get around and find what you're looking for. But certain things such as search and linking the company in the invoice would make it better.
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