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QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks

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

QuickBooks Online logo

QuickBooks Online

The default accounting system for small business in North America

3.9(287)
Visit Intuit website
FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Invoicing first accounting for people who bill for their time

4.3(96)
Visit FreshBooks website

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Ratings

Every score, at a glance

Verified user ratings across every dimension. QuickBooks Online against FreshBooks, nothing weighted.

Dimensions won

14QuickBooks Online 1, FreshBooks 4

QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks, across 5 rating dimensions

Widest rating gap

+1.5

FreshBooks leads on customer service

Verified reviews

383

287 for QuickBooks Online, 96 for FreshBooks

QuickBooks Online logoQuickBooks Online
3.9 out of 5

287 verified reviews

FreshBooks logoFreshBooks
4.3 out of 5

96 verified reviews

Ratings by dimension

  • QuickBooks Online
  • FreshBooks
Overall
3.9
4.3
Ease of use
3.6
4.6
Value for money
3.5
4.3
Customer service
3.1
4.6
Functionality
4.1
4.0

Share of verified reviews

Which product reviewers actually write about.

383verified reviews
  • QuickBooks Online287
  • FreshBooks96

Cost to get started

Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.

QuickBooks Online$38/mo
FreshBooks$21/mo

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.

QuickBooks Online against FreshBooks, row by row
QuickBooks OnlineFreshBooks
Overall rating3.94.3
Reviews28796
Ease of use3.64.6
Value for money3.54.3
Customer service3.14.6
Functionality4.14.0
Starting price$38/mo$21/mo
Free trialYesYes
Free versionNoNo

Features

Feature by feature, checked off

Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.

Features QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks each ship
FeatureQuickBooks OnlineFreshBooks
Automated bank feeds
Bank reconciliation with learned rules
Invoicing and online payments
Sales tax and GST/HST tracking
1099-NEC contractor tracking
Inventory management
Project profitability
Class and location tracking
Multi currency
Mileage tracking
Receipt capture
Custom reporting
Budgeting and forecasting
Accountant access
Invoicing and recurring billing
Automatic late payment reminders
Client retainers and deposits
Time tracking
Expense tracking and receipt capture
Online card and bank payments
Double entry accounting
Client portal
Proposals and estimates

Pricing

Both price lists, side by side

Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.

QuickBooks Online plans

Simple Start

One user. Enough for a sole proprietor or a first hire.

$38/mo

per month

Start free trial
  • 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

Start free trial
  • 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

Start free trial
  • 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

Start free trial
  • Everything in Plus
  • Batch invoicing
  • Custom user permissions
  • Workflow automation
  • 25 users plus your accountant
Straight from the vendor

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.

Visit Intuit

FreshBooks plans

Lite

Up to 5 billable clients.

$21/mo

per month

Start free trial
  • 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

Start free trial
  • 50 billable clients
  • Recurring invoices
  • Client retainers
  • Double entry accounting
  • Accountant access

Premium

Unlimited clients and project profitability.

$65/mo

per month

Start free trial
  • Unlimited billable clients
  • Project profitability
  • Accounts payable
  • Customized email templates
  • Advanced reporting
Straight from the vendor

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.

Visit FreshBooks