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FreshBooks vs ZipBooks: two time-billing tools at $23 and $15
Updated Oct 6, 2026
ZipBooks Smarter costs $15 a month and includes unlimited invoices, bank connections, time tracking, projects, a balance sheet and 5 team members. FreshBooks Lite costs $23 a month, after a $1-a-month first year for new customers, with time tracking, projects and a mileage app, but it invoices only 5 billable clients and covers the owner only. Neither entry plan includes bank reconciliation. ZipBooks also has a free Starter plan.
At a glance, by our score
- Top scoreLowest price
#1 ZipBooks
Freelancers who bill tracked time by project on a $15 plan, with a free plan for invoicing
8.7/10Very goodOur scoreVisit ZipBooksOn zipbooks.com #10 FreshBooks
Freelancers who bill by time and by project and track mileage
5.7/10PoorOur scoreVisit FreshBooksOn freshbooks.com
ZipBooks's lowest monthly price is lower than FreshBooks's, checked Sep 27, 2026 and Sep 25, 2026.
Side by side
| Criterion | FreshBooks | ZipBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 5.7/10PoorOur score #10 of 10 | 8.7/10Very goodOur score #1 of 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (30%) | 4.0 / 10 | 8.0 / 10 |
| Regular price (30%) | 6.5 / 10 | 7.5 / 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 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Users (10%) | 4.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $23 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | Freelancers who bill by time and by project and track mileage | Freelancers who bill tracked time by project on a $15 plan, with a free plan for invoicing |
| Visit | Visit FreshBooksOn freshbooks.com | Visit ZipBooksOn zipbooks.com |
Who should pick which
- FreshBooks: Freelancers who bill by time and by project and track mileage
- ZipBooks: Freelancers who bill tracked time by project on a $15 plan, with a free plan for invoicing
At a glance
| FreshBooks | ZipBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Lite | Smarter |
| Regular price | $23 a month, or $248.40 a year | $15 a month |
| Billing | Monthly or yearly (10% off) | Monthly (no annual price published) |
| Introductory offer | $1 a month for the first year (new customers) | None |
| Unlimited invoices | Yes, but to 5 billable clients | Yes |
| Bank feeds | Yes (automated bank import) | Yes (multiple bank accounts) |
| Receipt capture | No (Plus and up) | Store and track receipts (no mobile app) |
| Bank reconciliation | No (Plus and up) | No (Sophisticated, $35) |
| Reports | Profit and loss; balance sheet is Plus and up | Income statement and balance sheet |
| Users | Owner only; team members $11 a month each | 5 team members |
| Leaving | Cancel any time; access to the end of the cycle | Cancel any time; back to the free plan, records kept |
| Free plan or trial | 30-day trial, no card | Free Starter plan; 30-day trial of paid features |
Prices from FreshBooks's pricing page, read Sep 25, 2026, and ZipBooks's pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Price
ZipBooks Smarter is $15 a month and FreshBooks Lite is $23 a month. ZipBooks publishes no annual price, so a year of Smarter is $180; FreshBooks Lite billed yearly is $248.40. FreshBooks runs a new-customer offer, Lite at $1 a month for the first year, then $23. ZipBooks shows no offer.
For a team the gap widens. Smarter includes 5 team members; its page doesn't say whether the owner counts among them. FreshBooks Lite is the owner only, with team members at extra cost, $11 a month each: $67 a month for five people.
Where they differ
- Clients. FreshBooks Lite invoices up to 5 billable clients, archived ones included. ZipBooks' pricing page lists unlimited invoices, vendors and customers from the free plan up.
- Balance sheet. ZipBooks ticks income statement and balance sheet reporting on every plan. FreshBooks Lite has a profit and loss report; the balance sheet starts at Plus.
- Reconciliation. Neither entry plan has it. ZipBooks lists "Reconcile every account quickly" on Sophisticated ($35); its help article names no plan, and we use the pricing page. FreshBooks puts bank reconciliation on Plus ($43) and up.
- Receipts and mileage. ZipBooks stores receipts you upload; its mobile app has been discontinued, so there's no phone capture. FreshBooks' receipt scanning is Plus and up, but Lite includes a mileage tracker app for iOS and Android. ZipBooks' pages don't mention mileage tracking.
- Projects. ZipBooks' project article offers billing by project, staff or flat rate on Smarter and up. FreshBooks includes project management and budgets on Lite; project profitability is Premium ($70).
- Payroll. FreshBooks sells its own payroll, $40 a month plus $6 per user. ZipBooks points to Gusto, a separate company.
Who should pick which
Pick ZipBooks if you want time and project billing for less, more than 5 clients, a small team on one plan, or a free plan while you start. Its cancel option returns you to the free Starter plan with your records kept.
Pick FreshBooks if you log business miles on your phone, want payroll from the same company, and have 5 or fewer clients. FreshBooks' own comparison page lists Lite at $17 a month; its pricing page says $23. We use the pricing page.
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.