FreshBooks -- You Used To Be Great!
February 13, 2019
FreshBooks -- You Used To Be Great!
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with FreshBooks
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.
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.
- The ROI is solid on the old platform at the old rates. We cannot find any justification for moving to the new more restrictive platform at a higher cost.
- FreshBooks was built to do one job and do it well. And they did. Then the expansion of services and drive for profits took over.
- If Xero ever improves their invoicing tool we'll be leaving FreshBooks. The value is diminishing as we're on a platform that is no longer developed.
FreshBooks is an invoicing software that wants to do accounting.
Xero is an accounting software that wants to do billing.
Both are pretty solid at their core functionality, and weak on the other. However, it's a shorter step for Xero to add interest and recurring CC billing, so that's where we anticipate our future path leading.
Xero is an accounting software that wants to do billing.
Both are pretty solid at their core functionality, and weak on the other. However, it's a shorter step for Xero to add interest and recurring CC billing, so that's where we anticipate our future path leading.