FreshBooks

FreshBooks is cloud accounting software built around the way freelancers, consultants and service businesses actually get paid: send an estimate or proposal, track the time, invoice the client and collect payment online. Bookkeeping, expenses and reports sit underneath, but invoicing is the centre of the product.

That focus is what separates it from general ledgers like QuickBooks and Xero. FreshBooks is designed for people who aren't accountants. The interface is simple, invoices look professional out of the box, and features such as time tracking, retainers, project profitability and a client portal are built in rather than added through apps.

It's sold in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU in local currencies. In the UK, every plan can submit Making Tax Digital-compliant VAT returns directly to HMRC.

The main thing to understand before buying is the client limit. FreshBooks prices its plans by the number of billable clients you can invoice — 5 on Lite, 50 on Plus and unlimited on Premium — and team members cost extra on every plan except Select.

How FreshBooks works

A typical client workflow is:

1. Add a client and send an estimate or proposal they can accept online.
2. Track time against the project with the built-in timer or timesheets.
3. Turn approved work and tracked time into an invoice, or set up recurring invoices and retainers on higher plans.
4. Get paid by card, bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Buy Now, Pay Later in the US, or by direct debit and card in the UK.
5. Snap receipts and connect your bank so expenses are recorded automatically.
6. Run profit and loss, tax-time and project profitability reports, and invite your accountant.

Key capabilities

Invoicing — Unlimited professional invoices on every plan (within your billable-client limit), recurring invoices and retainers on higher plans, and a client self-service portal.

Estimates and proposals — Send estimates on every plan; proposals and client retainers from Plus.

Online payments — Clients can pay by card, bank transfer and wallets in the US. In the UK, direct debit fees are capped at £4 per transaction, or £2 on Premium and Select.

Time tracking — Track billable hours and add them straight to invoices.

Projects — Organise work by project and check project profitability on Premium and Select.

Expenses and receipts — Track expenses on every plan, scan receipts from Plus and capture bill line items on Premium.

Accounting and reports — Tax-time reports on every plan, plus financial and accounting reports from Plus, with accountant access.

VAT and Making Tax Digital (UK) — Submit MTD-compliant VAT returns directly to HMRC on every UK plan.

Payroll (US) — FreshBooks Payroll is an add-on at $40 a month plus $6 per person.

Bill Pay and financing — Newer features for paying suppliers and accessing business financing.

Mobile app — Invoice, track time and capture receipts on iOS and Android.

FreshBooks plans explained (US)

Lite — $23 a month: unlimited invoices to 5 billable clients, real-time expense tracking, estimates, online payments and tax-time reports.

Plus — $43 a month: 50 billable clients, proposals and retainers, financial and accounting reports, receipt scanning and accountant access.

Premium — $70 a month: unlimited clients, bill receipt scanning with line items, project profitability and customised email templates.

Select — custom pricing: unlimited clients, lower card fees and capped ACH fees, removal of FreshBooks branding, Easy Switch data import, dedicated phone support, 2 team member accounts included and Advanced Payments included.

Add-ons: team members $11 per person a month, Advanced Payments $20 a month and FreshBooks Payroll $40 a month plus $6 per person. Yearly billing saves 10%. These prices took effect from 5 March 2026.

FreshBooks plans explained (UK)

Lite £16 a month (5 clients), Plus £30 (50 clients) and Premium £42 (unlimited clients), with Select on request. Every UK plan includes MTD-compliant VAT submission. Team members cost £8 per person a month and Advanced Payments £15 a month. Yearly billing saves 10% (£172.80, £324 and £453.60 a year).

Trial, discounts and refunds

FreshBooks offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required and full access to features. It also promises a full refund if you contact it within 30 days of purchase. Introductory discounts are frequent — recently 80% off for 4 months in the US and 50% off for 3 months in the UK — so check what the price becomes when the discount ends.

Who FreshBooks is for

Freelancers and solo professionals — invoicing, time tracking and expenses without learning accounting.

Agencies and consultancies — proposals, retainers and project profitability.

UK sole traders and small service businesses — MTD for VAT on every plan.

Businesses that bill by the hour — time goes straight onto invoices.

Getting the most out of FreshBooks

Count your active clients before choosing a plan — the 5-client cap on Lite is reached quickly.

Use the trial to send real invoices and connect your bank before deciding.

Budget for team members: every person beyond the owner costs extra except on Select.

If you hold stock or need full UK payroll, compare Xero or QuickBooks before committing.