QuickBooks vs FreshBooks
- QuickBooks Online fits sellers who need store connectors, inventory and deeper reports.
- FreshBooks fits service businesses that invoice clients and track time.
- FreshBooks earns the top invoicing level, and QuickBooks Online does not.
- QuickBooks Online scores higher overall.
- FreshBooks Lite costs less than QuickBooks Simple Start.
Side by side
QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks cover the same bookkeeping ground but start from different places. QuickBooks starts from the ledger and the store connectors, and FreshBooks starts from the invoice. Plans and scores are on QuickBooks Online’s pricing and plans and the full FreshBooks scorecard, and both appear in the all-round accounting list.
On reviews, both are rated on Capterra, so the numbers can be compared directly: FreshBooks at 4.5 from 4,529 reviews, and QuickBooks Online at 4.3 from 8,544.
Where they split
The differences below run from price to inventory to store connections. A third ledger changes the picture, and other ledgers to consider ranks the field. The closest rival to QuickBooks on features is Xero, and QuickBooks and Xero head to head takes that on. For other pairings, more head-to-heads are collected in one place.
Who should pick which
Pick QuickBooks Online if the business stocks products, sells on Shopify or Amazon, or needs class and location reports. Pick FreshBooks if most of the income arrives as invoices to clients and inventory does not matter. Setup and pricing questions are collected in the QuickBooks pricing and setup answers, and QuickBooks plan prices lists each step. A tight budget points to free plans compared.
Before you choose
QuickBooks says each company requires its own separate paid subscription. FreshBooks earns no credit for the cost of a second business. The multi-business question covers that in full, and the scoring method explains how each criterion was weighed.
Where they differ
Entry price
Simple Start is $38 a month, and Advanced reaches $340.
quickbooks.intuit.com/pricingInvoicing
Invoicing earns a mid level: invoices with online payments, recurring invoices and reminders.
Invoicing earns the top level, which adds time or project billing, multicurrency invoices or invoice automation on the entry paid plan.
Inventory
Inventory is listed on Plus and Advanced.
Inventory earns no credit.
Shopify and Amazon
Native connectors are listed for both, along with Square.
Shopify arrives through a partner app, and no Amazon connection is listed.
Reports
Reports earn a high level, with tracking by class, location or project.
Reports earn a basic level, with profit and loss and balance sheet.
Verdict
QuickBooks Online scores higher overall and fits a business that sells products through Shopify or Amazon. FreshBooks fits a business that mostly bills clients, where its invoicing level is the strongest of the two.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or FreshBooks?
FreshBooks Lite is $23 a month, against $38 for QuickBooks Simple Start. Check which features each entry plan includes.
Which is better for invoicing?
FreshBooks earns the top invoicing level here, and QuickBooks Online earns a mid level.
Do both have a free trial?
Yes. QuickBooks lists a 30-day trial, and FreshBooks lists a 30-day trial with no credit card needed.
Which has the better rating?
Both are rated on Capterra: FreshBooks at 4.5 from 4,529 reviews and QuickBooks Online at 4.3 from 8,544 reviews.