Software review
FreshBooks review: we ran a full month of books in it
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The short answer
FreshBooks suits a freelancer whose main job in the software is invoicing a few clients. Invoices and payments were quick once set up, a reminder goes when you choose, and its text was editable on the trial. Its cash-basis September profit and loss matched our answer key exactly.
Four things held it back in our test. We found no way to upload a bank statement file in the trial. It put 9 of our 20 expenses in "Uncategorized". The cash report sits in the "Old Report", and the new report is billed (accrual) only, so it left out invoices still in draft. The expense list's Grand Total also disagreed with its own rows.
Task by task
We ran the same made-up month that we use for every tool; the method is at the end of this page. Our record sheet does not show which plan the trial ran on.
| Task | FreshBooks |
|---|---|
| 1. Set up the business, add 5 clients | Two settings pages, then three import screens for a CSV of clients; the columns had to be matched by hand, and the import showed the first row of each column choice. The first save of business details failed with no message at the top: a required Industry field sat at the bottom of a long form. A "Leave and discard changes" prompt followed. |
| 2. Create 12 invoices | Typed one by one, about 9 actions each. The due date defaults to 30 days; we changed it once to 14 and FreshBooks kept 14 for every new invoice. The item was remembered after the first save. All 12 saved as drafts and the grand total was $8,425.00, matching the key. Drafts do not count toward "overdue" or "total outstanding". The invoice list also offers an AI option to read details from an uploaded invoice; we did not use it. |
| 3. Record 20 expenses | CSV import with a 5-field match. Our first file failed: one file column cannot feed two fields, and Description cannot be left unmatched, so we added separate columns. All 20 arrived with correct dates and amounts ($612.28). 11 matched a FreshBooks category; 9 (software and subscriptions, meals, education) became "Uncategorized Expenses". The expense list's Grand Total showed $554.93, even after a reload; both profit and loss reports used $612.28. |
| 4. Import the bank statement, match it | We found no statement-file upload in the trial. Bank Connections offered live connections only (through Yodlee, per FreshBooks), and its "Want to use CSV import instead?" link led to data import help. Connecting a real bank needs a bank login, which we did not enter. We recorded the 8 deposits by hand as payments on their invoices instead, about 6 actions each. |
| 5. Check a partial payment, send a reminder | The partial payment was recorded by hand, so there was no match to check. The $150 paid and $150 owed showed correctly. "Send Reminder" worked from the invoice's More Actions menu; the subject and body were editable on the trial, with merge fields and a preview. The Send button needed a second click after the window shifted. |
| 6. September profit and loss | The new report is billed (accrual) only: income for 2026 to date $5,725.00, because the 4 draft invoices ($2,700) were left out. The "Old Report" has the cash basis, and it matched the key exactly: income $5,575.00, expenses $612.28, net profit $4,962.72. Export: "Export for Excel" (a CSV download) or print; the new report adds "Print or Save PDF", which opens the browser's print window. No direct PDF download. |
Tasks were not fully comparable with other tools in two places. FreshBooks had no statement upload we could find, so its partial payment was recorded by hand rather than matched. And its invoices began as drafts, which changes what the billed report shows.
What it did well
- Invoicing day to day. Once the due-date default was set, each invoice was a short, repeatable routine, and the item was remembered for next time.
- Payments without surprises. Recording a payment sent no email to the client unless you tick the box.
- Reminders on request. A reminder goes when you send it, its subject and body were editable on the trial, and the automatic-reminders box is unticked by default.
- Client import. The CSV import previewed the first row of each column choice.
- Cash report accuracy. The cash-basis profit and loss matched our answer key exactly.
Where it tripped us up
- A silent failed save on setup. The required Industry field is flagged only at the bottom of the form.
- No statement-file upload that we could find in the trial. Bank Connections was live connections only.
- Nine expenses uncategorized. FreshBooks had no category named as in our file for software and subscriptions, meals or education.
- A payment changed an invoice's status. Recording a payment took a draft invoice out of Draft with no send, and it then showed as overdue.
- A Grand Total that disagreed with its own rows ($554.93 against $612.28), not explained on screen.
- Cash basis only in the "Old Report". The new report is billed only, and Settings has no basis switch.
- Invoice email text locked on the trial. FreshBooks said: "Upgrade to a paid plan to edit this email message."
- Easy to click the wrong thing. "Mark as Sent" sits directly next to "Send by Email" in the More Actions menu, and the Send Invoice button needed a second click both times.
- Sign-up details on invoices. The business details printed on each invoice included the phone number FreshBooks took from sign-up, until we replaced it.
Price check
| Plan | Monthly price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks Lite | $23.00 | Invoices to 5 clients |
| FreshBooks Plus | $43.00 | Invoices to 50 clients; accountant access |
| FreshBooks Premium | $70.00 | Unlimited clients |
| FreshBooks Select | Quote | Talk to a consultant |
Prices are the regular monthly prices on FreshBooks' own pricing page, read on October 22, 2026. The page also showed lower introductory prices for the first months. Prices change; check the pricing page before you buy.
FreshBooks Lite's 5-client limit matters: our test business had exactly 5 clients. The page also lists add-ons, including Team Members at $11 a month per user.
Who it suits
- You invoice a handful of clients and want that to be easy: FreshBooks fits. Check the client limit on the plan you choose.
- You want your books to start from a bank statement file: we found no way to upload one in the trial, so check this before you commit. Our FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks vs Xero pages show tools that did import our statement.
- You need cash-basis reports: they are there, but in the "Old Report" in our trial.
- You want a free option: FreshBooks' pricing page lists only paid plans (Lite, Plus, Premium and Select). It offers a free 30-day trial, and the sign-up page said no credit card is required.
Compare it
How we tested
We made up one month for a one-person web design business, Riley Park Design (September 2026): 5 clients, 12 invoices totaling $8,425, 20 expenses totaling $612.28, and a 28-line bank statement with one partial payment. We ran six tasks in FreshBooks' free trial and checked its profit and loss against an answer key worked out from the test files.
An AI assistant carried out the tasks in our own trial account. A person did the sign-up and logins and approved every email and download. So we report the steps and problems for each task, not minutes. Test emails went to our own address, and every client in the test is made up.
The test files are the same for every tool we review, so results line up across pages. How we test lists every task and the answer key.
Tested October 20, 2026. Screenshots on file.
Try it: FreshBooks