What is FreshBooks?
By Riley Park · Last verified: October 2026
FreshBooks is cloud accounting and invoicing software for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small service businesses, built around invoicing, time tracking, and expenses. It was founded in 2003 by Mike McDerment. Plans are Lite ($23/mo, 5 billable clients), Plus ($43/mo, 50 clients), Premium ($70/mo, unlimited clients), and custom-priced Select, with a 30-day free trial and no card required. Verified on freshbooks.com, October 8, 2026.
What does FreshBooks do? It is built around billing clients: invoices, estimates, time tracking, project management, expense and receipt tracking, and online payments, with double-entry accounting and financial reports underneath. It runs in a browser and on mobile apps.
Is FreshBooks the same as QuickBooks? No. They are separate companies and separate products. FreshBooks centers on invoicing and client billing for service businesses; QuickBooks Online covers broader bookkeeping, with inventory and job costing on higher plans. See QuickBooks vs FreshBooks.
How much does FreshBooks cost? Lite $23 a month (5 billable clients), Plus $43 (50 clients), Premium $70 (unlimited clients), and Select at a custom price. Each extra team member is $11 a month. Because Lite's 5-client limit rules it out for most businesses, DDR treats Plus at $43 as the realistic entry price. FreshBooks often runs introductory discounts, so check the current offer on its pricing page.
What are the downsides of FreshBooks? The two DDR flags are Lite's 5-client limit and the $11 a month per extra team member, which adds up quickly for growing teams.
Who owns FreshBooks? FreshBooks is a venture-backed company, founded in 2003 by Mike McDerment, who handed the CEO role to Don Epperson in 2021. Its backers include JPMorgan Chase (a strategic investment announced in 2019), and it raised $130 million in 2021 in a round it announced as making it a unicorn.
How does DDR rate FreshBooks? DDR Score 7.46, Strong tier, among the five SMB accounting products DDR reviews: the easiest to use, and the best fit where invoicing is the core workflow. Read the full FreshBooks review.