We may earn commissions from some providers for qualifying actions through our links. This page is currently ordered by editorial scores. Our published policy permits limited earnings-based reordering once real conversion data is available. How we make money.
FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online: time and project billing against bookkeeping on the entry plan
Updated Oct 15, 2026
FreshBooks Lite costs $23 a month, after a $1-a-month first year for new customers, and includes time tracking, projects, estimates and mileage, but invoices only 5 billable clients and has no bank reconciliation or balance sheet. QuickBooks Online Simple Start costs $38 a month, after 50% off for 3 months, with reconciliation, receipt capture, a balance sheet and mileage, but time entry starts at Essentials ($85) and projects at Plus ($140).
At a glance, by our score
- Lowest price
#6 QuickBooks Online
Businesses that want all five basics we check, receipt capture included, on the entry plan
7.0/10GoodOur scoreVisit QuickBooks OnlineOn quickbooks.intuit.com #10 FreshBooks
Freelancers who bill by time and by project and track mileage
5.7/10PoorOur scoreVisit FreshBooksOn freshbooks.com
QuickBooks Online's lowest monthly price is lower than FreshBooks's, checked Sep 25, 2026 and Sep 25, 2026.
Side by side
| Criterion | FreshBooks | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 5.7/10PoorOur score #10 of 10 | 7.0/10GoodOur score #6 of 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (30%) | 4.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Regular price (30%) | 6.5 / 10 | 3.7 / 10 |
| Leaving (10%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Free plan or trial (10%) | 6.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Price after the introductory offer (10%) | 5.0 / 10 | 5.0 / 10 |
| Users (10%) | 4.0 / 10 | 4.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $23 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | Freelancers who bill by time and by project and track mileage | Businesses that want all five basics we check, receipt capture included, on the entry plan |
| Visit | Visit FreshBooksOn freshbooks.com | Visit QuickBooks OnlineOn quickbooks.intuit.com |
Who should pick which
- FreshBooks: Freelancers who bill by time and by project and track mileage
- QuickBooks Online: Businesses that want all five basics we check, receipt capture included, on the entry plan
At a glance
| FreshBooks | QuickBooks Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Lite | Simple Start |
| Regular price | $23 a month, or $248.40 a year | $38 a month |
| Billing | Monthly or yearly (10% off) | Monthly only |
| Introductory offer | $1 a month for the first year (new customers) | 50% off for 3 months ($19) or a 30-day trial, not both |
| Unlimited invoices | Yes, but to 5 billable clients | No cap published (the Free plan's is 2 a month) |
| Bank feeds | Yes (automated bank import) | Yes |
| Receipt capture | No (Plus and up) | Yes (phone photos) |
| Bank reconciliation | No (Plus and up) | Yes |
| Reports | Profit and loss; balance sheet is Plus and up | Profit and loss and balance sheet |
| Users | Owner only; team members $11 a month each | 1 billable user + 2 accounting firms |
| Leaving | Cancel any time; access to the end of the cycle | Cancel any time; read-only for one year |
| Free plan or trial | 30-day trial, no card | Free plan and a 30-day trial |
Prices from FreshBooks's pricing page and QuickBooks' Simple Start page, read Sep 25, 2026.
Price
For one user billed monthly, QuickBooks Simple Start costs $15 a month more than FreshBooks Lite. FreshBooks takes 10% off for yearly billing ($248.40 a year for Lite); QuickBooks publishes monthly prices only, so Simple Start is $456 over a year.
Both lead with offers for new customers. FreshBooks Lite is $1 a month for the first year, then $23; the offer can't be combined with the free trial. QuickBooks gives 50% off for 3 months ($19 a month) or a 30-day trial, not both, then the then-current price. FreshBooks' own comparison page lists Lite at $17 a month; its pricing page says $23. We use the pricing page.
Users change the maths. FreshBooks Lite is the owner only and each team member costs extra: $11 a month, so two people cost $34 and five cost $67. Simple Start has 1 billable user; QuickBooks' plans with more include Essentials (3 users, $85) and Plus (5 users, $140) on its pricing page.
Where they differ
- Client limit. FreshBooks Lite sends unlimited invoices but only to 5 billable clients, and archived clients count. QuickBooks publishes no invoice cap for Simple Start; the only cap it states is the Free plan's 2 a month.
- Bookkeeping on the entry plan. FreshBooks' reconciliation article says bank reconciliation is on trials and Plus and up; receipt scanning and the balance sheet are Plus features too. QuickBooks Simple Start includes phone receipt capture, and its reports article lists the balance sheet for Simple Start.
- Time and projects. FreshBooks' comparison page says unlimited time tracking and project management are "Included with FreshBooks Lite". On QuickBooks, entering time starts at Essentials and project profitability at Plus.
- 1099s. Simple Start lets you prepare and file 1099s; e-filing has additional fees, amount not stated. FreshBooks issues 1099-NEC forms only through FreshBooks Payroll ($40 a month plus $6 per user), which pays contractors only alongside at least one W-2 employee.
- Leaving. FreshBooks keeps your account until the end of the billing cycle and says your data stays preserved, though its help article adds that accounts inactive 30 days or more may be deleted. QuickBooks gives read-only access for one year, with export to Excel or QuickBooks Desktop.
Who should pick which
Pick FreshBooks if you work alone with a handful of clients, bill by the hour or by project, and log business miles. Budget for Plus ($43) if you pass 5 clients or want to reconcile.
Pick QuickBooks Online if you want reconciliation, receipt capture and a balance sheet on the entry plan, or if you need to file 1099s without running payroll. If you only send a couple of invoices a month, its free plan caps you at 2 unless you enable QuickBooks Payments.
Both appear in our accounting software ranking, our list for freelancers and our list for construction and trades. How we score is on the methodology page.