FreshBooks Review: Pros, Cons, Features & Pricing

FreshBooks excels in user-friendly invoicing and expense tracking, making it a top choice for small businesses and freelancers looking for straightforward accounting software.

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By Bradley Clifford

VP Finance & FCCA with 15+ years scaling finance at high-growth SaaS companies.Last updated on Sep 25, 2026

We review tools independently, and commissions help fund our testing. See our transparency policy, our methodology, or suggest a tool.

Why Trust Our Reviews?

FreshBooks is an accounting software built for freelancers, self-employed professionals, and small service-based businesses that need to invoice clients, track expenses, and manage cash flow without a dedicated finance team. I'd consider it most seriously if you find QuickBooks too complex for your day-to-day needs—FreshBooks keeps the feature set focused and the interface approachable, without sacrificing core financial reporting or client billing functionality.

FreshBooks Evaluation Summary

FreshBooks simplifies invoicing, expenses, and time tracking for freelancers.

Customer rating

4.5/5

Pricing

From $12/month (billed annually)
Free demo + 30-day free trial available

Why Trust Our Software Recommendations

6,700+

Reviews

Industry experts

16+

Evaluation factors

Years

Our team has been testing and reviewing software since 2012. As finance leaders ourselves, we know how difficult—and important—it is to choose the right software.

For this guide, we evaluated tools using hands-on testing and independent research, scoring tools using our selection criteria.

Our reviews reflect our human editorial judgment, not a sales pitch.

FreshBooks Overview

FreshBooks is a valuable choice for freelancers and small business owners who need a straightforward accounting solution. It stands out for its intuitive interface and excellent customer support, making it easier for users to manage their finances without much hassle.

However, its feature set might not be as extensive as competitors like QuickBooks or Xero. Overall, FreshBooks is best suited for companies who need ease of use and customer service over a broad range of advanced features.

Pros

You’ll find the invoicing feature easy to use and customize.
Its customer support is responsive and helpful.
The interface is intuitive, making navigation simple for your team.

Cons

FreshBooks lacks advanced accounting features for complex needs.
Some users find reporting options limited compared to alternatives.
You might experience occasional syncing issues with bank accounts.

Is FreshBooks Right For Your Needs?

Who Would be a Good Fit for FreshBooks?

If you're a freelancer, small business owner, or self-employed entrepreneur, FreshBooks is a great start. With customizable templates, invoicing features, online payment options, and expense tracking, FreshBooks accounting is easy to use for any business.

Along with these features, the software’s intuitive interface and helpful customer support can also help save you time and reduce stress, especially if your business is scaling and onboarding a lot of team members.

All in all, FreshBooks simplifies your financial management, so you can focus more on your core business activities.

Freelancers
FreshBooks's easy invoicing and expense/mileage tracking help you manage your finances efficiently.
Small Agencies
Your team will benefit from FreshBooks's user-friendly interface and responsive support.
Consultants
Use FreshBooks to streamline billing and time tracking for your consulting work.
Graphic Designers
You can customize invoices to reflect your brand's unique style and professionalism.
Ecommerce Businesses
FreshBooks simplifies cash flow for your ecommerce operations, keeping things manageable.
Solo Entrepreneurs
The software’s financial management tools, like double-entry accounting and accounts payable, let you focus on growing your business effectively.

Who Would be a Bad Fit for FreshBooks?

If your business requires complex accounting functions or handles large volumes of transactions, FreshBooks might not meet your needs.

Larger corporations, manufacturing industries, or finance departments needing advanced features—like deep financial reporting or retainers—may find FreshBooks lacking. Overall, FreshBooks is not designed for enterprises that need strong, multi-layered accounting tools.

Large Corporations
FreshBooks' features don’t scale well for large teams with complex accounting needs, such as global financial management or multi-corporation bank reconciliation.
Manufacturing Industries
You’ll find FreshBooks lacks the detailed inventory management and advanced billable clients features required for manufacturing.
Finance Departments
FreshBooks doesn’t offer the detailed financial reporting or invoicing tools your department might need.
Enterprise-Level Teams
The software’s limited scalability can’t support the intricate accounting processes of large enterprises.
Retail Chains
FreshBooks isn’t equipped to handle the high transaction volumes or supply chain operations typical in retail.
Nonprofit Organizations
You might need more specialized features, like stronger phone support and more detailed project profitability, than FreshBooks provides.

How We Test & Score Tools

We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.

Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.

Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)

The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.

Standout Features (25% of final scoring)

Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.

We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.

Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)

We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring)

We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring)

We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)

Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.

Value for Money (10% of final scoring)

Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.

Core Features

Invoicing: FreshBooks offers customizable professional invoices, which allow you to create high-level invoices in minutes. You can automate reminders and track payment status easily.

Expense Tracking: You can snap photos of receipts and log expenses on the go. FreshBooks also lets you categorize and organize them to see where your money goes.

Time Tracking: Track your billable hours with a built-in timer. You can easily add these hours to invoices for accurate client billing.

Project Management: Manage projects and collaborate with your team within FreshBooks. You can easily keep your work organized and track progress in real-time.

Reporting: Generate simple financial reports to understand your business's health. You’ll get insights into profit and loss, tax summaries, and more.

Client Portal: FreshBooks provides a client portal where your clients can view invoices and make payments. This feature streamlines communication and payment collection.

FreshBooks screenshot — FreshBooks lets you create professional invoices and automate reminders.

Ease of Use

FreshBooks is incredibly user-friendly, making it a top choice for those new to accounting software. You’ll find its interface intuitive and easy to navigate, with clear instructions and a clean layout for most processes.

The software offers key features like balance sheet management and credit card processing, which require minimal setup. FreshBooks also simplifies complex tasks, so you can focus on your work without getting bogged down in details.

Integrations

FreshBooks integrates natively with Hubspot, Gusto, Wagepoint, Zapier, Shopify, Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, Trello, and Slack. It also offers an API and connects with third-party integration tools like Zapier.