FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online
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
QuickBooks Online
The default accounting system for small business in North America
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. FreshBooks against QuickBooks Online, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
41FreshBooks 4, QuickBooks Online 1
FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+1.5
FreshBooks leads on customer service
Verified reviews
383
96 for FreshBooks, 287 for QuickBooks Online
FreshBooks96 verified reviews
QuickBooks Online287 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- FreshBooks
- QuickBooks Online
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- FreshBooks96
- QuickBooks Online287
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
FreshBooks 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 | QuickBooks Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3 | 3.9 |
| Reviews | 96 | 287 |
| Ease of use | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| Value for money | 4.3 | 3.5 |
| Customer service | 4.6 | 3.1 |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Starting price | $21/mo | $38/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 | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Automated bank feeds | ||
| Bank reconciliation with learned rules | ||
| Invoicing and online payments | ||
| Sales tax and GST/HST tracking | ||
| 1099-NEC contractor tracking | ||
| Inventory management | ||
| Class and location tracking | ||
| Multi currency | ||
| Receipt capture | ||
| Custom reporting | ||
| Budgeting and forecasting | ||
| Accountant access |
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.
QuickBooks Online plans
Simple Start
One user. Enough for a sole proprietor or a first hire.
$38/mo
per month
- Income and expense tracking
- Invoicing and payments
- Bank feed and reconciliation
- Sales tax tracking
- 1 user plus your accountant
Essentials
Adds bill pay and time tracking. The common starting point.
$75/mo
per month
- Everything in Simple Start
- Bill management and A/P
- Time tracking
- Multi currency
- 3 users plus your accountant
Plus
Inventory and project profitability. Where most growing teams land.
$115/mo
per month
- Everything in Essentials
- Inventory tracking
- Project profitability
- Class and location tracking
- 5 users plus your accountant
Advanced
For businesses that have outgrown Plus but not accounting software.
$275/mo
per month
- Everything in Plus
- Batch invoicing
- Custom user permissions
- Workflow automation
- 25 users plus your accountant
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Intuit for the figure you will actually pay.