5 FreshBooks Alternatives

Alternatives to FreshBooks accounting software

Here are some of our picks for the top alternatives to FreshBooks.

QuickBooks Online

According to a 2025 StockOpine analysis, Intuit’s QuickBooks manages finances for more than 7 million small and mid-market businesses, with over 18 million U.S. workers being paid through QuickBooks Payroll. There’s a reason for this ubiquity. If your main focus is getting your accounting software up and running as quickly as possible, QuickBooks Online is a great option. With its easy setup and intuitive interface, QuickBooks Online is perfect for small businesses that want to spend as little time as possible figuring out and using their accounting software.

QuickBooks Online includes a wide array of features, which depend on the plan you select. All plans come with essential tools like:

• Sales tax tracking
• Invoicing
• Payment acceptance
• Estimates 
• Receipt capture

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Advanced plans also include:

• Business data analytics
• Time tracking 
• Inventory management
• My Accountant (the ability to communicate and collaborate with your accountant)
• Connected bank account overviews
• Expense categorization

“QuickBooks Online gives you that next-level financial control FreshBooks just can’t match,” said Matt Bowman, the CEO and founder of Thrive Local. “You get true double-entry accounting, real-time insights when you need them, and it plays nice with practically any business app worth using. When you’re juggling multiple employees or need to really dig into your numbers, QuickBooks Online simply offers more room to breathe than FreshBooks ever could.”

QuickBooks Online pricing

There are four QuickBooks Online plans, as well as a separate solopreneur solution designed for freelancers and independent contractors: 

QuickBooks Online pros and cons

Xero

Xero is an excellent alternative to FreshBooks for budget-conscious businesses. This cloud-based accounting platform is designed for organizations that need an affordable, straightforward, scalable solution with essential features like: 

• A clean, user-friendly interface
• Bank account reconciliation
• Invoicing
• Inventory management
• Payroll integration (via Gusto)
• Numerous integrations (over 1,000, including finance, retail, expense, and many of the best CRM software platforms)
• Impressive reporting capabilities
• Real-time cash flow updates (great for business owners who want more control over their financial visibility)

Xero is also a fantastic choice for companies with remote work plans that require multi-user access, as it allows unlimited users on all plans. “The thing I absolutely love about Xero is its unlimited users feature — no more paying extra for team access,” said Andrew Lokenauth, founder and CEO of TheFinanceNewsletter.com. “Their reporting is fantastic, too, with customizable options that’ve helped me create better insights for my clients. The bank reconciliation is practically automatic (saves about three to four hours weekly).”

Lokenauth also highlighted Xero’s multi-currency option. “Xero’s been my go-to for clients with international business needs,” Lokenauth said. “The multi-currency features work like a charm, and their inventory management system is much more sophisticated than FreshBooks.”

Xero pricing

As our detailed Xero accounting software review notes, Xero offers three plans, with the higher tiers providing more features and functionality:  

Xero pros and cons

Zoho Books

Zoho Books is another excellent alternative to FreshBooks, especially for small businesses already enmeshed in the Zoho ecosystem. (Read our review of Zoho CRM and our Zoho Assist review to learn more about these two popular tools.) Its robust feature set includes:

• Automated workflows
• Time tracking
• Expense categorization 
• Customer portals
• Tax calculator 
• Customizable reports (ideal for freelancers and growing service-based businesses)
• Multi-currency transaction support
• Mobile apps

Lokenauth likes the platform’s impressive automation features. “I’ve set up workflows that handle everything from invoice creation to payment reminders without any manual input,” Lokenauth shared, noting that Zoho Books’ customer portal functionality is also more advanced than FreshBooks. (Our detailed Zoho Books review covers even more of its standout capabilities.)

Zoho Books pricing

Zoho Books provides exceptional value for the money and even offers a free plan for businesses with revenue under $50,000 annually.

Zoho Books pros and cons

Sage 50

Sage 50 is a strong choice for small and midsize businesses that prefer desktop-based accounting software and need advanced features with plenty of customization options. Key tools include:

• Extensive customization options
• Inventory tracking
• Cash flow forecasting
• Job costing 
• Detailed reporting
• Custom business invoices 
• Support for multi-user environments 
• Integration with Microsoft 365 tools

“Sage 50 is my recommendation for manufacturing and distribution clients who need serious inventory management,” Lokenauth said. “It’s more complex than FreshBooks, but that complexity brings power. The fixed asset management features are particularly strong.”

Sage 50 pricing

Sage 50’s subscriptions are on the pricier side. However, as we explain in our Sage 50 review, this platform is feature-rich and provides robust security and compliance options for industries that need detailed project tracking and financial oversight.

Sage 50 pros and cons

Oracle Netsuite

Oracle NetSuite is a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution with powerful accounting tools. It’s best for medium to large businesses that need scalable software to manage complex financial operations, including:

• Global accounting
• Tax compliance 
• Multi-subsidiary reporting. 
• Automated order management
• Supply chain optimization 
• Financial consolidation

Lokenauth says Oracle NetSuite’s scalability is a huge selling point. “It’s built to handle complex business structures, multiple entities and international operations,” Lokenauth explained. “The reporting capabilities are enterprise-grade, with real-time dashboards and customizable KPIs that make FreshBooks look like a calculator in comparison.”

While NetSuite is expensive and requires a longer setup time, it delivers extensive customization options and robust analytics. It also offers industry-specific editions tailored to sectors like manufacturing, retail and nonprofit, making it a strong fit for organizations that have outgrown basic accounting software.

Oracle NetSuite pricing

Oracle NetSuite pricing isn’t publicly disclosed. To get accurate pricing, you’ll need to speak with an Oracle sales rep, who can prepare a custom quote based on your company’s size, industry and specific needs. According to our research, pricing typically starts at around $99 per user per month, plus a monthly licensing fee of $999. That said, costs can vary widely — some sources report annual pricing anywhere from $30,000 to over $1 million, depending on the scope of your implementation.

Read our review of Oracle NetSuite Accounting to learn more. 

Oracle NetSuite pros and cons

FreshBooks pros and cons

FreshBooks is a popular program, and there are numerous reasons businesses choose it to manage their accounting. But it’s not for everyone. Here are some pros and cons to help you decide if FreshBooks is a good fit for your business.

Pros of FreshBooks

• Professional invoicing: Unlike some competitors, FreshBooks allows you to create and send professional-looking invoices at no additional charge. You can even track the invoice after you send it to the client, so you know when they’ve received and viewed it — a useful feature for follow-up. “The platform makes invoicing painless with professional templates that get you paid faster, while its time tracking captures every billable minute without the hassle,” Bowman said.
• Ability to track billable time and expenses: In addition to letting you track billable time and expenses — a feature not all competitors offer — FreshBooks lets you effortlessly use this data to create invoices. This feature is especially useful for freelancers, marketing agencies and other professional service companies. “Unlike clunky alternatives, FreshBooks brings project management directly into your financial workflow — budget, track and bill in one place,” Bowman said. “What do business owners love most? The automation that handles everything from payment reminders to monthly invoices, freeing up your evenings and weekends.”
• Easy-to-use platform: The intuitive interface makes it easy for small businesses without a dedicated bookkeeper or accountant to manage their money. “FreshBooks shines with its super clean interface,” Lokenauth said. “I’ve found their time-tracking features save me about five-plus hours each month.”
• Affordable plans: FreshBooks plans are reasonably priced, ranging from $21 to $65 monthly, but the company frequently offers steep discounts for the first few months of usage.
• Excellent visibility into payments: FreshBooks syncs with PayPal and Stripe accounts, making it easy for customers to pay and for you to instantly see that payment in the accounting software. It also connects directly to your business’s checking and credit card accounts. “Their invoicing system makes it dead simple to get paid — my clients actually comment on how professional the invoices look,” Lokenauth said. “Plus, the expense tracking lets me snap photos of receipts on the go, which has saved my bacon more than once when I’m rushing between client meetings.
• Ability to set up recurring payments: If you have a membership-based or subscription business model, you can benefit from recurring billing. You can set it up weekly, monthly, annually or at any other frequency. Automatic payment reminders improve collection times, and you can enable automatic interest and late fees on past-due invoices.

Cons of FreshBooks

• No automatic bank reconciliation: Unlike some other accounting software, such as Xero, FreshBooks does not use AI to handle bank statement reconciliation.
• No built-in payroll capabilities: FreshBooks charges extra for payroll ($40 per month plus $6 per user). “No built-in payroll means adding yet another system to your tech stack,” Bowman noted. “And while it’s great when you’re small, it starts feeling cramped as your business grows. What initially seemed like a smart, simple solution eventually becomes the thing holding you back from taking your business where it needs to go.”
• Few features in the lowest and middle plans: The lowest plan, Lite, does not include financial or accounting reports — a key feature for growing businesses. Only the highest plans (Premium and Select) allow you to track project profitability.
• Limited batch invoicing functionality: FreshBooks restricts the number of invoice-related actions you can perform simultaneously, which can slow down the process if you bill multiple clients for the same service. For example, you can only print 50 invoices and mark 30 unpaid invoices as paid in one batch.
• No free plan: Several other alternatives offer free plans that are great for startups, but FreshBooks does not.

No matter the size of your business, there are plenty of accounting software options to consider. The most popular platforms are popular for a reason, but don’t let brand recognition keep you from exploring lesser-known tools — one of them might be the perfect fit for your business.

Dachondra Cason contributed to this article.