FreshBooks vs Patriot Accounting
Verified ratings, feature by feature comparison and real pricing. Everything a North American business needs to pick between these two.

FreshBooks
Invoicing first accounting for people who bill for their time

Patriot Accounting
Plain accounting for people who did not want a platform
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. FreshBooks against Patriot Accounting, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
14FreshBooks 1, Patriot Accounting 4
FreshBooks vs Patriot Accounting, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0.5
Patriot Accounting leads on value for money
Verified reviews
302
96 for FreshBooks, 206 for Patriot Accounting
96 verified reviews
206 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- FreshBooks
- Patriot Accounting
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- FreshBooks96
- Patriot Accounting206
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
Patriot Accounting is the cheaper way in. Lower is not automatically better, so weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| FreshBooks | Patriot Accounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 96 | 206 |
| Ease of use | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Value for money | 4.3 | 4.8 |
| Customer service | 4.6 | 4.8 |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| Starting price | $21/mo | $20/mo |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free version | No | No |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | FreshBooks | Patriot Accounting |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing and recurring billing | ||
| Automatic late payment reminders | ||
| Client retainers and deposits | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Project profitability | ||
| Expense tracking and receipt capture | ||
| Online card and bank payments | ||
| Double entry accounting | ||
| Mileage tracking | ||
| Client portal | ||
| Proposals and estimates | ||
| Unlimited invoices, customers and vendors | ||
| Automatic bank imports | ||
| Account reconciliation | ||
| Standard financial reporting | ||
| Estimates on Premium | ||
| Recurring invoices and payment reminders | ||
| User based permissions | ||
| Receipt and document management | ||
| Payroll available from the same vendor | ||
| US based phone support at no extra cost |
Pricing
Both price lists, side by side
Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.
FreshBooks plans
Lite
Up to 5 billable clients.
$21/mo
per month
- 5 billable clients
- Unlimited invoices
- Expense tracking
- Online payments
- Sales tax on invoices
Plus
Up to 50 billable clients. Adds recurring billing and retainers.
$38/mo
per month
- 50 billable clients
- Recurring invoices
- Client retainers
- Double entry accounting
- Accountant access
Premium
Unlimited clients and project profitability.
$65/mo
per month
- Unlimited billable clients
- Project profitability
- Accounts payable
- Customized email templates
- Advanced reporting
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with FreshBooks for the figure you will actually pay.
Patriot Accounting plans
Accounting Basic
Core bookkeeping with unlimited invoices and vendors.
$20/mo
per month
- Unlimited customers and invoices
- Unlimited vendors and payments
- Automatic bank imports
- Income and expense tracking
- Financial reporting
- Account reconciliation
Accounting Premium
Adds estimates, permissions, reminders and receipt management.
$30/mo
per month
- Everything in Basic
- Estimates
- Recurring invoices
- Invoice payment reminders
- User based permissions
- Receipt and document management
Full Service Payroll
Sold separately. 37 base plus 5 per worker, filings included.
$37/mo
per month
- 37 dollars base plus 5 per worker
- Federal tax filings and deposits
- State and local tax filings
- Year end filings at no extra charge
- Free direct deposit
- Unlimited payroll runs
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Patriot Software for the figure you will actually pay.