How Much Does
FreshBooks Cost in 2026?
FreshBooks is what happens when someone builds accounting software for people who hate accounting. If you're a freelancer or consultant who'd rather be doing actual work than categorizing expenses, this is probably your pick.
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Prices in USD, verified from the United States. Regional pricing may vary.
Plans & Pricing
From the StackScored blog
Features
Our Verdict
Let's be real: FreshBooks isn't trying to be QuickBooks. It doesn't do payroll, it doesn't track inventory, and it won't manage your manufacturing supply chain. What it does — invoicing, time tracking, and proposals — it does better than anyone else in this list. The workflow for freelancers is seamless: track your time, turn it into an invoice, send a proposal, get paid. That's four tools in one. QuickBooks can invoice, sure, but it doesn't have built-in time tracking or proposals. You'd need to bolt on something like Toggl or HoneyBook, and suddenly you're juggling subscriptions. Pricing is mid-range. Lite at $23/mo is reasonable, but the 5-client cap is a dealbreaker for anyone with a growing business. Most freelancers will land on Plus ($43/mo for 50 clients), which comes to $516/year. Compare that to Wave's free plan... but Wave doesn't track time or create proposals. You get what you pay for. The 70% off promo right now is wild — that drops Lite to about $6.90/mo and Plus to $12.90/mo for 4 months. If you've been thinking about switching, this is the time. The catch? Once you outgrow freelancing into a "real business" with employees and inventory, FreshBooks hits a wall. No payroll (QuickBooks has it built in), no inventory tracking (Xero and Zoho have it on mid-tier plans). You'll eventually migrate, and migrations always hurt. Go in with your eyes open.
Pros
- Time tracking is baked into every plan — no one else in this list does that natively, and it turns logged hours into invoices with one click
- Proposals and estimates are built in, which saves you a separate tool subscription ($15-30/mo elsewhere)
- The invoicing UX is genuinely the best in the category; clients actually pay faster because the payment experience is polished
- 70% off for 4 months makes Plus just $12.90/mo — cheaper than Zoho Standard and almost as cheap as Wave Pro
Cons
- No payroll at all, period — if you hire even one employee, you need a separate payroll service or you switch to QuickBooks
- 5-client cap on Lite is borderline insulting; most freelancers hit that within their first month and get forced into the $43/mo Plus plan
- Zero inventory support means product-based businesses shouldn't even look at FreshBooks — try Xero or Zoho Books instead
- Adding team members costs $11/user/mo on top of your plan, which adds up fast compared to Xero's unlimited-users-included approach
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does FreshBooks cost per month?
- FreshBooks plans start at $23/mo. They offer 4 plans total.
- Does FreshBooks offer a free trial?
- Yes, FreshBooks offers a free trial for 30 days. No credit card is typically required to start.
- Is FreshBooks worth the price?
- With a score of 8.7/10 and plans from $23/mo, FreshBooks delivers strong value for the price.
- What are cheaper alternatives to FreshBooks?
- Cheaper accounting software alternatives include Wave ($19/mo), Zoho Books ($20/mo). See all options on our [Accounting Software pricing comparison](/pricing/accounting-software/) page.