Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
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Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
The best FreshBooks alternatives vary in complexity but can all track invoices, income and expenses while remaining affordable and easy to use. While all accounting software options listed below can accommodate freelancers’ accounting needs, some are more scalable than FreshBooks and can be a great fit for larger small businesses, too.
Why you can trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including accounting, payment processing and payroll. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Here are our top alternatives to FreshBooks and how they stand out among the competition.
Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero allows unlimited users at every subscription tier, a valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance.
Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero allows unlimited users at every subscription tier, a valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance.
Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set, scalability and ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex financial needs. With millions of users worldwide, your accountant will likely be familiar with it.
Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set, scalability and ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex financial needs. With millions of users worldwide, your accountant will likely be familiar with it.
Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Zoho Books packs an impressive collection of features and capabilities for an affordable price, and higher-tier plans let users automate workflows and track project profitability. It’s an especially good choice for users that already use the company’s other in-house apps.
Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
Zoho Books packs an impressive collection of features and capabilities for an affordable price, and higher-tier plans let users automate workflows and track project profitability. It’s an especially good choice for users that already use the company’s other in-house apps.
Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Cons
Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails.
Must subscribe to Wave’s Pro plan or other paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
No mileage tracking feature and must use Zapier for third-party integrations.
Unlike some “freemium” software products, Wave doesn’t put out a bare-bones free product as bait, then load it down with costly upgrades. The free accounting software lets you add unlimited collaborators, along with unlimited bank and credit card connections. It can be a simple solution for small, service-based businesses.
Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Cons
Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails.
Must subscribe to Wave’s Pro plan or other paid services (payroll, payments, advisor, etc.) to receive customer support from a human.
No mileage tracking feature and must use Zapier for third-party integrations.
Unlike some “freemium” software products, Wave doesn’t put out a bare-bones free product as bait, then load it down with costly upgrades. The free accounting software lets you add unlimited collaborators, along with unlimited bank and credit card connections. It can be a simple solution for small, service-based businesses.
Free plan supports unlimited invoicing for up to five clients.
Integrates with a dozen payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square and more.
Assign different billable rates to each type of task.
Direct clients to your own custom domain with the Plus plan.
Cons
No built-in, direct integrations with bookkeeping or accounting software.
All plans have client limits (highest-tier Plus plan caps at 1,000).
If you are looking for an invoicing-only option, Hiveage is worth considering. Creating invoices is easy, its dashboard is user-friendly and even the free version includes expense tracking. You will need to opt for the most-expensive plan to accept offline payments via cash, check and bank transfer, however.
Free plan supports unlimited invoicing for up to five clients.
Integrates with a dozen payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square and more.
Assign different billable rates to each type of task.
Direct clients to your own custom domain with the Plus plan.
Cons
No built-in, direct integrations with bookkeeping or accounting software.
All plans have client limits (highest-tier Plus plan caps at 1,000).
If you are looking for an invoicing-only option, Hiveage is worth considering. Creating invoices is easy, its dashboard is user-friendly and even the free version includes expense tracking. You will need to opt for the most-expensive plan to accept offline payments via cash, check and bank transfer, however.
Jump to
NerdWallet’s picks for the best FreshBooks alternatives
Why we like it: QuickBooks Online is good for businesses that are still growing or plan to grow, thanks to its reporting capabilities and granular transaction tracking tools that let you group transactions by department or location, among other categories. Reporting capabilities scale up with each plan, but even the least expensive Simple Start plan includes more than 50 reports. It integrates with more POS systems and payroll software platforms than FreshBooks does, and also offers its own in-house bookkeeping support, in case you need additional assistance down the road. Read our full QuickBooks Online review.
Why we like it: If the software you need to sync with isn’t included in FreshBooks’ list of more than 130 integrations, you might find it in Xero’s app store. This accounting software integrates with more payroll and POS products than FreshBooks does and lets you add as many users as you want. FreshBooks charges $11 per additional user, per month, which can get expensive if you want to give employees access to the software. Xero is also known as a very user-friendly platform that sidesteps the potentially confusing accounting jargon you may find with other providers. Read our full Xero review.
Why we like it: If you appreciate the ease of use and functionality of FreshBooks’ mobile app, Zoho Books could be a great alternative. Its mobile app lets you send invoices via iMessage or add widgets to your phone’s home screen so that you can easily access timers and overdue invoices. You can track time, send payment reminders and review outstanding invoices from the Apple Watch app, too. Zoho Books can also be more affordable than FreshBooks — its free plan allows for up to 1,000 invoices per year. Read our full Zoho Books review.
Why we like it: Unlike FreshBooks, Wave’s accounting software is completely free to use. Features include income and expense tracking, automated invoice reminders, unlimited bank and credit card connections and a dashboard showing cash flow and invoice statuses. Wave also offers different invoice templates depending on the type of business you run: consulting, freelance, legal services, marketing or professional services. Read our full Wave Accounting review.
Why we like it: ZipBooks’ free accounting plan stands out for its Square and PayPal payment integrations, a feature some companies only provide in paid plans or as an add-on. Aside from payments, free plan subscribers can also integrate with business apps like Gusto and Slack. The company offers a separate Growth plan for generating customer reviews and managing your business listings, too. This could be a valuable feature for businesses that are just getting started and want to increase their brand awareness.
$19 per month for the Basic plan (or $16 per month billed annually).
$29 per month for the Pro plan (or $25 per month billed annually).
$49 per month for the Plus plan (or $42 per month billed annually).
Why we like it: If you primarily need an invoicing solution, Hiveage is a worthy alternative to Freshbooks. It stands out for its simplicity. Creating one-time and recurring invoices is straightforward, the dashboard is easy to navigate, and it offers time and expense tracking even in the free version. You can accept online payments with any plan, but to accept offline payments through cash, check and bank transfer, you’ll have to subscribe to the most expensive Plus plan. Hiveage can also integrate with accounting, CRM and project management software via Zapier.
When to choose an alternative to FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a simple and affordable accounting solution for freelancers and small businesses that don’t require many users and prioritize being able to operate on the go via mobile app. It’s an especially inexpensive choice for those who can work within lower-tier plans’ billable client limits.
While it can be a great fit for freelancers and contractors who need to track time, keep tabs on mileage and send invoices, it’s not the best choice for growing businesses that require features like audit trails.
NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.
NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, reasonably priced, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. The best accounting software received top marks when evaluated across 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories. Learn more about how we rate small-business accounting software.
These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.