Bill.com
Accounts payable and receivable automation for SMBs.
Alternatives · 2026
Alternatives to FreshBooks
Accounting and invoicing built for freelancers and small teams.
7 hand-curated alternatives from MintedSaaS's directory. See the FreshBooks listing →
FreshBooks is cloud-based accounting and invoicing software designed for freelancers, contractors, and small teams. It bundles invoicing, expense tracking, time logging, and basic bookkeeping into a single dashboard. The product sits between bare-bones invoicing tools like Wave and full-featured accounting platforms like QuickBooks, aiming to handle day-to-day money management without requiring accounting knowledge. Most users are solopreneurs or small business owners who need to bill clients, organize receipts, and prepare tax information without hiring a bookkeeper.
Typical workflows involve creating invoices in minutes, tracking which clients owe money, categorizing business expenses for tax season, and occasionally reconciling bank accounts. A contractor might log hours on a project, have those hours auto-populate an invoice, and send it to a client—all without leaving the app. Teams of up to 5-10 people often use it for shared visibility into cash flow and project profitability. Buyers gravitate toward FreshBooks when they want a product that's intentionally simple rather than feature-complete, and when they don't want to learn accounting software.
What we offer that competes
Invoice Ninja
Open-source invoicing, billing, and payments platform.
Sage Intacct
Cloud financial management and ERP for mid-market firms.
Zoho Books
Online accounting tied to the wider Zoho business suite.
Wave
Free accounting and invoicing app for very small businesses.
Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses and their advisors.
What to look for
- Whether the platform offers a free tier or free trial with no credit card required.
- Whether all user roles can be assigned custom permission levels or if admin access is all-or-nothing.
- Whether the platform supports multi-currency invoicing and payment collection in currencies other than USD.
- Whether archived invoices and financial records can be exported as a single downloadable file or only via API.
- Whether the platform has a documented mobile app with offline access or if mobile is web-only.
- Whether the software integrates with your bank's API for direct transaction imports or requires manual categorization.
FAQ
Is FreshBooks good for small business accounting?
FreshBooks handles invoicing and expense tracking well for solopreneurs and micro-teams, but lacks the payroll, multi-year tax reporting, and audit trails that accountants expect from full accounting software. If you file business taxes yourself, it works. If your accountant needs to access your books directly, Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online may be better.
Are there free alternatives to FreshBooks?
Wave is free and covers invoicing, expense tracking, and basic reporting. Invoice Ninja offers a free tier too, though with limits on client and invoice counts. If you don't need time tracking or advanced reporting, either can replace FreshBooks at zero cost.
Which accounting software should I use if I want to eventually hire a bookkeeper?
Choose QuickBooks Online, Xero, or Sage Intacct. All three have industry-wide adoption and tight integrations with bookkeeping firms, making it easy to hand off ledger management later. FreshBooks doesn't have the same ecosystem of third-party bookkeeper tools.
What are the best alternatives to FreshBooks?
Bill.com, Invoice Ninja, and Wave are the most common replacements. Bill.com adds bill pay and vendor management if you have regular supplier payments. Wave is free if you don't need time tracking. Invoice Ninja sits in the middle on price and features.
Do I need accounting software if I only invoice clients?
No. A dedicated invoicing tool like Invoice Ninja or even a spreadsheet can suffice if you have fewer than 20 clients and simple expense tracking needs. Add accounting software only once you need tax reporting, multi-currency support, or team access.
Can I use FreshBooks alternatives on my phone?
Most alternatives—Bill.com, Wave, Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Invoice Ninja—have mobile apps for iOS and Android. Zoho Books and Sage Intacct have mobile tools too, though Sage is heavier-weight and better on desktop.
Which accounting platforms integrate with my project management tool?
Check your project tool's app store. Most PMM tools integrate more readily with Zapier-compatible platforms like Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books than with FreshBooks, which has a narrower integration catalog. Bill.com has strong payroll and HR integrations.
How much should I spend on accounting software per month?
Wave is free. Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books start around $15/month. FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, and Xero range $15–$55/month depending on features. Bill.com and Sage Intacct are higher-end and geared toward teams or companies with more volume.