FreshBooks has been a favourite among freelancers and small service businesses for over a decade. In 2025, it remains one of the best invoicing tools available — but is it still the right choice for you? Here's an honest, detailed review.
FreshBooks at a Glance
Start your FreshBooks free trial — 30 days free, no credit card required.
Pricing:
- Lite: $17/month (5 billable clients)
- Plus: $30/month (50 billable clients)
- Premium: $55/month (unlimited clients)
- Select: Custom pricing (dedicated account manager)
Our rating: 4.5 / 5
freshbooks review 2025: What FreshBooks Does Best
Invoicing
FreshBooks invoicing is the gold standard for freelancers. Creating an invoice takes under 2 minutes. You can:
- Customise with your logo and brand colours
- Set up automatic payment reminders
- Charge late fees automatically
- Accept credit cards, ACH, and PayPal directly from the invoice
- Enable automatic recurring invoices for retainer clients
- See when clients open your invoice (with read receipts)
No other invoicing tool offers this combination of simplicity and power at this price point.
Time Tracking
Time tracking is seamlessly integrated. Log hours to specific projects and clients using the desktop app, mobile app, or a browser extension. When it's time to invoice, convert tracked hours to invoice line items in one click. For hourly freelancers, this alone is worth the subscription.
Client Portal
Each client gets a portal where they can view invoices, make payments, and access shared documents. This professional experience differentiates you from freelancers sending PDF invoices over email.
Expense Tracking
Connect your bank or credit card and FreshBooks auto-categorises expenses. Snap photos of receipts via mobile. Mark expenses as billable and they appear automatically on client invoices.
Project Management
FreshBooks includes basic project management — create projects, add team members, track time, set budgets, and generate project profitability reports. It's not ClickUp, but for freelancers managing client projects, it's sufficient.
freshbooks review 2025: Where FreshBooks Falls Short
Client limits on Lite: The $17/month Lite plan caps you at 5 billable clients. If you have more active clients, you'll need Plus ($30/month) at minimum.
Accountant features: FreshBooks is not double-entry bookkeeping software. Your accountant may want QuickBooks for year-end. FreshBooks exports reports, but the accounting depth isn't comparable to QuickBooks.
Payroll: No built-in payroll. You'll need Gusto or another tool.
Inventory: FreshBooks has no inventory management. If you sell physical products, use QuickBooks instead.
Who Should Use FreshBooks?
Best fit:
- Freelancers and independent contractors billing multiple clients
- Service businesses (consultants, designers, agencies)
- Anyone billing by the hour who wants time tracking + invoicing integrated
- Teams wanting a professional client portal experience
Not ideal for:
- Product-based businesses (no inventory)
- Businesses with payroll needs
- Companies needing enterprise accounting depth
FreshBooks vs QuickBooks for Freelancers
| Feature | FreshBooks | QuickBooks SE | |---|---|---| | Best invoicing | ✅ | — | | Time tracking | ✅ | Basic | | Client portal | ✅ | — | | Tax estimation | — | ✅ | | Mileage tracking | Basic | ✅ | | Accounting depth | Moderate | Deep | | Price | $17/mo | $15/mo |
For freelancers focused on invoicing and client management: FreshBooks wins. For self-employed people focused on tax optimisation: QuickBooks Self-Employed has an edge.
Verdict
FreshBooks remains the best invoicing software for freelancers and service-based small businesses in 2025. The invoicing workflow is unmatched, the client portal is professional, and the time tracking integration saves hours every billing cycle.
The $17/month Lite plan is the right starting point for most freelancers. Upgrade to Plus when you exceed 5 active clients.
Start your 30-day free trial — you'll have your first professional invoice out the door in under 10 minutes.
Final Score: 4.5 / 5 — Highly recommended for service-based businesses.