FreshBooks vs QuickBooks: Which accounting solution is best for your business?

Estimated read time 8 min read
Accounting spreadsheets, accounting software, and a mac laptop.
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FreshBooks and QuickBooks are accounting software solutions that take different approaches toward helping users with their business needs. While both software solutions support basic accounting functions, each one offers a few unique functions that the other does not. Read about the key features offered by FreshBooks and QuickBooks, so you can make an informed decision on the best tool for your business needs.

SEE: Feature comparison: Time tracking software and systems (TechRepublic Premium)

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What is FreshBooks?

FreshBooks is an accounting and bookkeeping software with capabilities geared primarily toward small service-based businesses and freelancers. The web-based software solution includes tools that help users with invoicing and managing expenses. FreshBooks also supports tasks that include time tracking, project management, automating payments and reporting.

What is QuickBooks?

QuickBooks is a scalable accounting software solution with tools to help users manage their finances, bookkeeping and other business operations. It offers plans and products that are helpful for small and medium-sized businesses. QuickBooks’ features benefit users with many of their processes for inventory, payroll, payments, taxes, time-tracking and e-commerce.

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: What are the differences in features?

FreshBooks’ key features

Users can develop invoices based on time logs that are automatically added from the FreshBooks Time Tracking system.
Users can develop invoices based on time logs that are automatically added from the FreshBooks Time Tracking system.

FreshBooks provides features for businesses with employees and solo entrepreneurs to manage their accounting and bookkeeping. With FreshBooks, users can perform invoicing actions to make business easy for their clients, like providing multiple payment options, pricing estimates and invoices. FreshBooks users can even set up automated payment reminders and scheduled late fees to ensure they receive appropriate compensation for their business.

With the Double-Entry Accounting tool features, buyers can maintain records of their expenses through the software and keep track of their business’s financial key performance indicators. FreshBooks also lets users easily keep track of their business’s cash flow, profitability and tax information using the intuitive dashboards and reports features.

Users can develop invoices based on time logs that are automatically added from the FreshBooks Time Tracking system. The FreshBooks software also supports teams through its project management features, which keep business professionals, clients and contractors on track and working together with easy collaboration tools. More advanced FreshBooks plans support more team members and payroll functions, and the highest-priced plan even comes with customized onboarding services.

QuickBooks’ key features

QuickBooks enables users to track their cash flow and generate reports.
QuickBooks enables users to track their cash flow and generate reports.

QuickBooks’ features that are similar to FreshBooks’ features include tracking expenses, processing payments, tracking cash flow and generating reports. QuickBooks’ features with unique capabilities focus on tax processes, financial management and budgeting based on profitability.

Taxes are made simple through QuickBooks’ features, which can help your business calculate sales tax and prepare tax paperwork for contractors. In addition, the system provides tax deduction features, so users can organize tax documents and share information with accountants. Maintaining records of business travel with the mileage tracking feature makes it easy for users to generate reports and determine potential deductions.

In addition, QuickBooks has features to help users secure business, with features for generating invoices and estimates that can be customized to represent their brand and meet their business needs. More advanced QuickBooks plans contain additional features for processes that include inventory management, running business analytics with Excel, generating batch invoices and tracking employee expenses. While workflow automation is a feature, it is only provided on the QuickBooks advanced plan.

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: Feature comparison table

Feature FreshBooks QuickBooks
Inventory management No Yes
Budgeting capabilities No Yes
Team roles included in all plans Yes No
Check printing and recording No Yes
Compare actual costs to estimates Yes No
Vendor management features Yes Yes
Time tracking included in all plans Yes No

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: Which is easier to use?

FreshBooks ease-of-use

FreshBooks app allows users to access their accounts and system features on the go.
FreshBooks app allows users to access their accounts and system features on the go.

FreshBooks offers an intuitive user interface, making it simple to use and learn. In addition, FreshBooks’ users can quickly create invoices, track time and manage their business finances within one solution as well as access the system on the go through the mobile app.

FreshBooks software also simplifies the accounting and bookkeeping processes by integrating with many commonly used third-party applications, including Gusto, HubSpot CRM, Acuity Scheduling and DocuSend.

QuickBooks ease-of-use

QuickBooks is designed to provide easy accounting functionality to a wide variety of users. The online software has a clean, intuitive interface to help users perform tasks without confusion and offers automated accounts payable processes to save time and improve accuracy. Still, this software’s advanced tax and expense features may be best for users with at least basic accounting knowledge.

By connecting QuickBooks with their eBay accounts, sellers can track their product sales and revenue within the system.
By connecting QuickBooks with their eBay accounts, sellers can track their product sales and revenue within the system.

QuickBooks also helps users easily access data and increase the functionality of its services by providing connections to external systems and applications. Some popular integrations available include Amazon Business Purchases, Etsy, PayPal, and eBay.

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: Which is easier to learn?

Learning FreshBooks

If users are having trouble using this accounting system, they can visit the FreshBooks Support page to read up on different use scenarios and address commonly asked questions. The custom-priced plan also gives buyers a dedicated support number they can use to contact the company and receive help.

Plus, users can sign up for a free webinar with the FreshBooks expert team to learn the fundamentals of the accounting software service. In addition, the website lets users sign up for live and on-demand webinars on many subjects surrounding small business success with FreshBooks.

Learning QuickBooks

All QuickBooks plans include access to QuickBooks Support to answer their questions. Users with an Advanced membership plan can access online training courses and webinars to master the QuickBooks system and get the most out of its features; the free remote online training is valued at $3,000 and is accessible to the users and their entire team. Users who don’t have the Advanced membership plan can still participate in the QuickBooks training classes, but they will be required to pay for each course they take.

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: What are the differences in pricing?

FreshBooks’ pricing tiers

  • FreshBooks Lite includes five billable clients and costs $15 per month. Since it only supports five billable clients, it is a good option for freelancers and contractors.
  • FreshBooks Plus includes 50 billable clients and is geared toward smaller businesses. It costs $30 per month.
  • FreshBooks Premium costs $55 per month. This pricing plan includes unlimited billable clients and offers additional features like customizable email templates and the ability to send unlimited invoices. This plan is suitable for medium- to large-sized businesses.
  • FreshBooks Select is a custom pricing option. It comes with additional perks, including onboarding services and a dedicated account manager. Large businesses and enterprises with greater numbers of employees would benefit most from this option.

You can add more team members to FreshBooks’ plans for $10 per person per month.

QuickBooks’ pricing tiers

  • QuickBooks Self-Employed is just $15 per month, with capabilities that are ideal for freelancers and independent contractors.
  • QuickBooks Simple Start is $30 per month and provides basic features aimed toward small individually owned businesses and startups.
  • QuickBooks Essentials is $55 per month and includes three users. This pricing plan is best for smaller businesses, as it makes it easy to pay contractors.
  • QuickBooks Online Plus includes five users and costs $85 per month. It also comes with inventory tracking and can support medium-sized businesses.
  • QuickBooks Online Advanced is $200 per month and can support up to 25 unique users and unlimited reports-only users, with additional features to support larger business operations.
  • QuickBooks Payroll is an add-on option. Users can choose between three payroll plans including Payroll Core for $45, Payroll Premium for $75 and Payroll Elite for $125.

Choosing between FreshBooks and QuickBooks

When choosing an accounting software system for your business, consider how each plan’s features would benefit your organizational processes. It can be helpful to start by identifying your organization’s most essential needs and then comparing each software option’s unique features to see how they would meet them.

For instance, say your company does a lot of business with numerous clients and is looking for an economical option to help them manage their invoices and collect payments. FreshBooks would be an ideal choice for their needs, as the premium plan includes unlimited billable clients at an affordable price.

On the other hand, a business with many suppliers would likely benefit from a system that can help simplify the process of tracking inventory and determining how many orders should be placed. QuickBooks would be the best option in this case because its Advanced plan includes inventory management features.

By identifying the needs of your organization’s ideal solution, you can assess the features and capabilities of each option to determine the best software based on how it will support your accounting experience.

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