FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| FreshBooks | QuickBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $23/mo | $38/mo |
| Number of plans | 4 | 5 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | ||
| Pricing model | flat-rate | per-seat |
Lite
- Send invoices to 5 clients
- Track expenses in real time
- Create and send estimates
- Get paid with credit and debit cards, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Buy Now, Pay Later
- Generate tax-time reports
Plus
Popular- Send invoices to 50 clients
- Track expenses in real time
- Create estimates, proposals, and client retainers
- Get paid with credit and debit cards, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Buy Now, Pay Later
- Generate tax-time reports
- Run financial and accounting reports
- Expense receipt scanning
- Give your accountant access
Premium
- Send invoices to unlimited clients
- Track expenses in real time
- Create estimates, proposals, and client retainers
- Get paid with credit and debit cards, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Buy Now, Pay Later
- Generate tax-time reports
- Run financial and accounting reports
- Bill receipt scanning with the ability to add line items
- Give your accountant access
- Check project profitability
- Customize your email templates
Select
- Send invoices to unlimited clients
- Track expenses in real time
- Create estimates, proposals, and client retainers
- Access lower credit card transaction fees and capped bank transfer (ACH) fees
- Generate tax-time reports
- Run financial and accounting reports
- Bill receipt scanning with automatic capture of multi-line items
- Give your accountant access
- Check project profitability
- Customize email templates and remove FreshBooks branding
- Import your data via Easy Switch
- Gain access to dedicated phone support
- Add 2 Team Member accounts for no extra charge
Free
- 1 user
- No accountant access
- Track income and expenses
- Send 2 invoices per month
- Run profit & loss report
- Connect 1 bank
- Chat support
Simple Start
- 1 user
- With access for 2 accountants
- Run general business reports
- Automated bookkeeping
- Invoice and get paid
- Automate bill pay with free ACH
Essentials
- 3 users
- With access for 2 accountants
- Run enhanced reports
- Add employee time to invoices
- Integrate third-party data into KPIs and dashboards
- Collect leads from a custom form on your website
Plus
Popular- 5 users
- With access for 2 accountants
- Run comprehensive reports
- Plan budgets
- Track project profitability
- Track and manage inventory
- Track classes and locations (40)
Advanced
- 25 users
- With access for 3 accountants
- Free 1099 e-filing and approval workflows with Bill Pay Elite**
- Construction financials solution
- Advanced project financials
- Customize user permissions and access
- Automate workflows
- Sync data with Excel
- Batch invoices and expenses
- Get priority support and training
FreshBooks vs QuickBooks FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- FreshBooks starts lower at $23/mo, compared to $38/mo for QuickBooks.
- Can I use either one for free?
- QuickBooks has a free plan. FreshBooks doesn't — though they do offer a free trial.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. FreshBooks uses flat-rate pricing, while QuickBooks goes with per-seat. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. FreshBooks: Sitting mid-pack against QuickBooks and Xero, FreshBooks leans on the aggressive 90%-off-for-3-months hook to look cheap upfront, but the sticker prices are actually on the higher side once the promo expires. They're chasing freelancers and small agencies who want something simpler and friendlier than QuickBooks, not enterprises. QuickBooks: QuickBooks sits at the premium end of small-business accounting software, especially once you're past Simple Start — $85-140/mo is a big step up from competitors like Wave or even FreshBooks at similar tiers. They're leaning on brand trust and accountant ubiquity to justify the premium, targeting businesses that want the default choice their bookkeeper already knows.
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