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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    FreshBooks

    Score8.6 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    FreshBooks is an accounting service for small businesses. The solution enables users to send and manage invoices, track billable time and collect online payments. The vendor’s value proposition this that their solution provides a straightforward service that simplifies the billing process.

    $21

    per month

    QuickBooks Desktop Pro

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/AQuickbooks Desktop Pro is accounting software from Intuit, Inc. It includes core accounting features, plus analytics and exportable reports. It is offered in on-premise and SaaS forms.N/A
    Pricing
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Editions & Modules
    Lite
    $21
    per month
    Plus
    $38
    per month
    Premium
    $65
    per month
    Select
    Custom Pricing
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details10% discount for annual pricing.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Considered Both Products
    FreshBooks
    Chose FreshBooks
    FreshBooks was easier for me to use - and it's also less expensive.
    Incentivized
    Chose FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is better than many other apps because it is so efficient and combines many different features that other programs don't integrate in one place.

    I appreciate FreshBooks for its overall integration of invoicing, keeping track of hours, managing projects, and keeping …
    Incentivized
    Chose FreshBooks
    We use QuickBooks for all of our reporting, payroll, taxes, and expenses. But Freshbooks makes invoicing way more user friendly for our clients since it is web based rather than a downloaded program.
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    FreshBooks I believe is a better service-industry and solo-business tool, however for businesses that are mainly retail-based and are smaller than 100 employees, I would use QuickBooks. However, I would not recommend Desktop Pro to anyone who trusts the cloud. For the skeptics, …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    FreshBooks is an online system that doesn't have the granularity of QuickBooks.
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    We selected Quickbooks pro based solely on the recommendation of our accountant. We have recently looked into other options like Mint & Freshbooks but decided to remain with Quickbooks as it offers everything we need and when Quickbooks makes updates to their programs they are …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    We have used Sage and Peachtree as alternatives to QuickBooks Pro and have found for the money and ease of use for any employee QuickBooks is a better option for our firm. Sage and Peachtree require more training to use and some reporting is harder to locate in the program than …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    We like QuickBooks more because it processes journal entries/transactions quicker.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    69%
    Would buy again
    9 Answers
    90%
    Would buy again
    27 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    82%
    Delivers good value for the price
    9 Answers
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    25 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    54%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    29 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    64%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    82%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    18 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    62%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    23 Answers
    Features
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.1
    35 Ratings
    17% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    7.9
    39 Ratings
    3% above category average
    API for custom integration9.330 Ratings8.032 Ratings
    Plug-ins9.026 Ratings7.836 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    10.0
    41 Ratings
    18% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    10.0
    94 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Single sign-on capability10.01 Ratings10.076 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions10.041 Ratings10.089 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    57 Ratings
    5% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    10.0
    109 Ratings
    24% above category average
    Dashboards9.057 Ratings10.094 Ratings
    Standard reports8.855 Ratings10.0109 Ratings
    Custom reports4.82 Ratings10.0107 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    7.5
    56 Ratings
    4% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    9.5
    113 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Accounts payable8.041 Ratings10.0108 Ratings
    Accounts receivable9.455 Ratings10.0110 Ratings
    Cash management7.03 Ratings10.098 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation7.02 Ratings10.0109 Ratings
    Expense management6.651 Ratings10.0100 Ratings
    Time tracking7.642 Ratings8.747 Ratings
    Multi-currency support7.01 Ratings10.028 Ratings
    Regulations compliance6.021 Ratings7.239 Ratings
    Self-service portal9.13 Ratings9.738 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings10.065 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings10.053 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings10.051 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings7.015 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.837 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings10.039 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings8.517 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings10.066 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings10.034 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings10.042 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings10.025 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings10.049 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    9.5
    49 Ratings
    21% above category average
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    8.3
    71 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Pricing8.839 Ratings10.051 Ratings
    Order entry9.337 Ratings10.050 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.841 Ratings7.148 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold10.01 Ratings10.059 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings9.018 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings9.021 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings3.216 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    9.3
    65 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Pay calculation00 Ratings9.961 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration00 Ratings9.835 Ratings
    Direct deposit files00 Ratings9.953 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings9.949 Ratings
    Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.350 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of FreshBooks and QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Feature
    FreshBooks
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop Pro
    6.7
    56 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.453 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.132 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings6.229 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings8.216 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Small Businesses
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.4
    (75 ratings)
    9.9
    (125 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.6
    (18 ratings)
    10.0
    (18 ratings)
    Usability
    9.6
    (20 ratings)
    10.0
    (32 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    8.3
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.0
    (11 ratings)
    1.2
    (29 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (6 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.5
    (22 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    FreshBooksQuickBooks Desktop Pro
    Likelihood to Recommend
    FreshBooks
    I recommend FreshBooks to anyone running a service-based business that needs invoicing, time reporting, and accounting tools. FB is adept in all three of these scenarios and isn't overly complicated like similar accounting packages I have used. I love how I can write estimates and proposals, manage the business development process from the software, and quickly convert prospects to invoiced clients.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    What I think the QuickBooks Desktop Pro is well suited: 1) Easy to use and effective to navigate while satisfying our financial and accounting functions' needs 2) We upgraded the version from the QuickBooks Desktop to Desktop Pro for its advanced functions and the ability to track the different projects/programs that are essential to organization.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    FreshBooks
    • Invoicing - FreshBooks basically ensures our accountants spend less time on invoices via its automated invoicing system, which sends invoices to our customers and clients alike and also send them regular reminders for them to pay up their bills.
    • Collecting business insights - FreshBooks enable our company analysts measure our business performances via data reports provided by FreshBooks' intuitive dashboard. Allowing us do a comparative analysis of key business metrics of a current month against past months and determine if the business is growing.
    • Expense tracker - We have recently embraced FreshBooks as an expense tracker for teams at our company branch. Thusfar, FreshBooks has performed very well, making our expense management a perfect operation; ensuring teams do not exceed their planned budget and also eliminating the need for tracking expenses on excel spreadsheets.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • It is easy to manage and adjust inventory on hand.
    • It is easy to make reports and customize them to your needs.
    • We also use it to pay our employees directly.
    • It is easy to make year-to-year comparisons to see where we can make improvements and the current financial situation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    FreshBooks
    • I can brand invoices with my business logo, but I might like to change colours of the invoices themselves to match the rest of my business documents. That isn't a major point at all, but it's something that I'd like to see.
    • Freshbooks doesn't remember the categories that similar expenses were previously assigned to. It would be nice if Freshbooks would suggest a category for an already saved vendor, to ensure the consistency of expense reporting.
    • The home page of a Freshbooks account has a great graph display of expenses and income, but it only shows the last 6 months. This is still very useful, but I'd like to be able to see this kind of graph for different periods of time.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro has been around for a few years and after an update[,] they force you to look at the changes/updates before you can use [them] after updating.
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro does not have 2FA.
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro should offer a way to store backups to a personal cloud without having to map a local network drive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    FreshBooks
    At the current needs of our business, FreshBooks suits us perfectly - it allows online access by our accountant to the system for GST purposes, easy input of expenses and tracking of Profit and Loss statements. FreshBooks customer service is great as well - very understanding and accommodating.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I'd love to keep using it, and do intend to - though we've not been pleased with price increases over the past several years. In fact, we used to subscribe to the payroll service, but QuickBooks priced themselves out of reach for us, so we discontinued that. Currently, pricing would be the primary reason for NOT renewing, if we didn't.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is very easy to use even for novices. If you're looking for an online accounting software that is full of features, has great aesthetics and is user-friendly, then this is definitely the software for you. I've been using it for several years now and despite being tempted to switch by other vendors, I like the feel of FreshBooks and it's mobile features.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    It is a great software that does everything a small business needs it to do, but there are just a few bugs and quirks that make additional software necessary. The slowness of the software occasionally might eventually be overshadowed by the quickness of cloud-based software though.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks is easy to use and always works!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I haven't experienced a time when QuickBooks Pro was unavailable when I needed it in the entire 20 years of using the software
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    FreshBooks
    I think the support level for FreshBooks is on par with a 6 because the folks behind this application do a fairly good job at providing support for their customer base. I still don't think they are at an elite level when it comes to supporting but are getting there although too slow in my opinion.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    They are awful. Intuit doesn't spend real money on support. They appear to have typically said, first-level script readers who are sending messages to the senior people for anything even a little bit difficult. Many of them don't speak particularly good English. Considering that they recently doubled (or, if you are paying annually, tripled) their pricing, and touted as one of the benefits that it includes [..] support, it's a real ripoff. However, we have to use the product because it is ubiquitous. I look forward to the day a competitor comes up with something good enough, which has excellent support, that matches all the features QuickBooks Desktop Pro currently has [...] or at least gives us a way to have all the functionality we currently have without excessive sacrifice [...] so that we can switch. I was very satisfied with QuickBooks for many years. This latest [rise] in price, and their sheer gall at touting the benefit of the 100 to 200% increase as being [the] inclusion of support, is what turned me so far against them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    FreshBooks
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    Best thing I ever did was to attend a two day training seminar on QuickBooks, I learned an immense amount in a short time with hands on training by experts. I strongly recommend such training for anyone using any part of the software. It will pay for itself in the first month.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    FreshBooks
    I haven't changed my mind since my first evaluation. Freshbooks is still meeting my needs, easy to use, etc.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    We implemented the software ourselves. The training we received on the software was done by taking a community course teaching us how to use QuickBooks. It allowed me to get started with some basics of how to use the program and have not needed much assistance since completing the course work.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    FreshBooks
    FreshBooks does very well in comparison, especially since it is free software for Barclays bank users. Sage software is much worse than FreshBooks. However, Xero and QuickBooks, the market leaders, are still ahead with usability, additional features, reporting, and connection with third-party software providers. We chose FreshBooks as it does everything we require from this type of software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    Zoho had great end-user support and it was almost as simple to learn and was as easy to use. But its reports were not as [customizable] as QuickBooks Desktop Pro, and its job cost and department accounting [were] more cumbersome than QuickBooks Desktop Pro was. In addition, while I like an underdog (Zoho) the fact is that it is easier to find staff that [is] comfortable with QuickBooks Desktop Pro than anything else on the market.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    FreshBooks
    • In reality, we do not implement all of its use at the moment in order to determine an adequate ROI.
    • In our approach to the use of the system, it seems to us a considerable time saving by achieving the integration of the Mexican subsidiary with its parent located in the US.
    • Financial reports meet the necessary USGAAP requirements.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • QuickBooks Desktop Pro is a no hassle accounting solution that ticks a lot of boxes. It almost never disappoints and organizations will usually keep using it for many years. If anything, the only time I've seen an organization migrate away from it is if they have specific accounting needs, or if the organization has grown to the point that they need a more robust accounting solution. Even then, QuickBooks can usually be maintained within another accounting software system for specific functions, like A/R & A/P for example.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    FreshBooks Screenshots

    Screenshot of the dashboardScreenshot of an invoice overviewScreenshot of an example of a customizable invoiceScreenshot of an invoice appearing across devicesScreenshot of expensesScreenshot of time tracking