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7 Best FreshBooks Alternatives of October 2023

These accounting and invoicing products rival FreshBooks in at least one of the following areas: price, feature set or customer support.
Last updated on March 20, 2023
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

⏰ Estimated read time: 2 minutes

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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.
Here are our top alternatives to FreshBooks and how they stand out among the competition.

Best FreshBooks Alternatives

Product
Promotion
Learn more

Wave Accounting

3.5/5

Best for Free, unlimited invoicing

$0

Free (Wave makes money via paid money management products).

N/A

QuickBooks Online

Learn more

on QuickBooks Online's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Scalability

$30/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, $90, $200.

50% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

on QuickBooks Online's secure website

Zoho Books

Learn more

on Zoho Books' secure website

4.0/5

Best for Mobile-first features

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

Learn more

on Zoho Books' secure website

Xero

Learn more

on Xero's secure website

4.5/5

Best for Unlimited users, more integrations

$13/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $37, $70.

30-day free trial

or monthly discount (terms vary).

Learn more

on Xero's secure website

Sage Accounting

Learn more

on Sage Accounting's secure website

3.5/5

Best for Budget accounting software

$10/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $25.

70% off

of the Sage Accounting plan for six months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

on Sage Accounting's secure website

ZipBooks

Best for Free third-party payment integrations

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $15, $35, custom.

30-day free trial

Hiveage

Best for Invoicing-only solution

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49.

14-day free trial

of the Pro plan.

Our pick for

Free, unlimited invoicing

Wave Accounting

Starting at

$0

Free (Wave makes money via paid money management products).

Promotion

N/A

Our pick for

Scalability

QuickBooks Online

Learn more

on QuickBooks Online's secure website

Starting at

$30/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, $90, $200.

Promotion

50% off

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Our pick for

Mobile-first features

Zoho Books

Learn more

on Zoho Books' secure website

Starting at

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Premium plan.

Our pick for

Unlimited users, more integrations

Learn more

on Xero's secure website

Starting at

$13/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $37, $70.

Promotion

30-day free trial

or monthly discount (terms vary).

Our pick for

Budget accounting software

Sage Accounting

Learn more

on Sage Accounting's secure website

Starting at

$10/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $25.

Promotion

70% off

of the Sage Accounting plan for six months or free 30-day trial.

Our pick for

Free third-party payment integrations

ZipBooks

Starting at

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $15, $35, custom.

Promotion

30-day free trial

Our pick for

Invoicing-only solution

Hiveage

Starting at

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49.

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Pro plan.

Who is FreshBooks best for?

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.

What are the pros and cons of FreshBooks?

Here are some of the reasons we rate FreshBooks as one of the best accounting software picks for freelancers and small businesses:
  • Its intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
  • Its mobile app stands out for its usability and features, like the ability to respond to clients’ questions from anywhere.
  • It lets you automatically track mileage and label trips as business or personal.
  • You can track time and add billable hours, plus other billable expenses, to invoices.
  • All plans include weekday phone support.
These drawbacks, however, could be limiting for some entrepreneurs:
  • The least-expensive Lite plan does not include double-entry accounting reports, accountant access or bank reconciliation.
  • The Lite and Plus plans limit billable clients to five and 50, respectively.
  • The highest-tier Select plan comes with only two users (additional users add $10 per month).
  • There are no audit trails for accountants to review.

How FreshBooks compares

Last updated on March 20, 2023

Methodology

NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including scope of features and integrations, customer support and cost, among others. 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 and growth trajectory and which features you need most. Simplicity doesn't always translate into ease of use. Less scalable products are typically simpler, but diminished functionality can cause headaches down the road for growing businesses. 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.