FreshBooks Reviews

“time tracking and invoicing made”

Pros

Tracking time and generating invoices for clients has been really simple and it's been easy to keep everything organized.

Cons

There are a couple of small hiccups, you can't view every unpaid invoice together unless you archive things and I've run into a few trouble spots when saving invoice templates.

“freshbooks transformed my invoicing”

Pros

Back in 2017, I moved my bookkeeping over to this one and it genuinely changed how I run my business. I can manage all my invoices in one place, track which ones are still outstanding and set up recurring invoices fast. The dashboard is also really clear so I'm able to check the overall health of my business at a glance.

Cons

Right now, no downsides come to mind

“strong ui and versatile apps”

Pros

Using it has felt pretty simple and the client experience is genuinely strong. The app offers a lot of versatility with a well-structured UI that makes navigation simple. Receipt formats look polished and there are multiple integrations available which has been handy for connecting everything together.

Cons

It doesn't support double entry accounting so that's a limitation if you're used to more advanced bookkeeping. The feature set is still a bit on the limited side for deeper needs. Also, the monthly pricing feels expensive compared to what you get.

“fast dashboard and clear navigation”

Pros

Having used it for a bit, everything I need is right on the dashboard so it's all visible at a glance. Navigation feels smooth and quick and the left-side panel is especially handy. I also like how spending is organized with categories, plus the other sections and the graphs in the reports look really good. The web version runs fast and moving around the app is super responsive. Also, the ads shown on Google Play were something I didn't mind. One extra improvement I'd love, include the dashboard view on the additional section too so it's fully covered everywhere.

Cons

Launching the demo app took a little troubleshooting on my end. Also, the website prompts for details like name and address upfront, I'd suggest making that part as simple as possible. It'd be better if I could enter their information later instead of doing it immediately.

“accounting apps with less payroll hassle”

Pros

This software makes accounting tasks pretty simple especially when you're running a small business and want to avoid extra stress. The paybills and payroll features stand out the most, they cut down the hassle of manually computing and paying so the whole process feels much smoother.

Cons

The program is currently working well and I'd recommend it.

“right-sized invoicing for us”

Pros

I've used QuickBooks for years but it usually felt too complicated for how simple our business runs. It hits a better balance for me, enough functionality to manage invoicing and basic needs without feeling bloated or overcomplicated.

Cons

Occasionally I wish there were more reporting options and that a few screens had a more adaptive interface.

“Excellent time tracking & invoicing”

Pros

It's been really simple to track time for clients and I can include notes about what I actually did. The app also lets me switch billing to 15-minute increments which matches how I work. Invoices are customizable and there are plenty of options for what details to show and which billing periods to use. Customer support has been excellent too and it seems like new features or improvements are coming out regularly. Overall, it's a solid tool for managing client billing.

Cons

I ran into a problem with an invoice I had to write off about a year ago but their support team stepped in and helped. The available options for handling that kind of adjustment have been sorted out now so it's not been an ongoing issue.

“freshbooks setup and api are excellent”

Pros

A few years back, professional colleagues brought it to my attention and I've been using it for about four years now. Over that time, I've cycled through four different part-time assistants (they eventually move on to full-time roles) and every one of them learned how to use it in just a few days, not weeks like happened with another product I tried previously. The platform feels really thorough and it's also customizable for the way I manage tasks, clients, projects and expense categories. It also connects cleanly with a payment system which helps clients who want to pay by credit card do it without any headaches. I especially appreciate the APIs that let me pull expense data from my bank transactions and business credit card charges.

Cons

Since I'm located in the US, there are a couple features that would make tax time workflows smoother, (1) an option to record the actual miles driven on the expense side right now I track it in a note which is kind of dated. (2) a way to tag expenses that relate to a project but aren't billable to that same project. I currently work around it by creating two separate project titles but linking them has to be done manually and it's not connected in real time (it's basically offline). I'd like a better way to capture assistant time that I can't bill to the client so I can estimate future project costs more accurately especially since it fits under cost of goods sold for our service work.

“classic features removed, charges added”

Pros

When it was still the classic version, it had all the features we actually needed and I was pretty happy with that setup.

Cons

Once they switched us to the new FreshBooks, a bunch of features disappeared and then they started trying to charge us for functionality that we were using before. Support was friendly but they couldn't explain why so many changes were made or why it turned into a paid add on situation.

“quick reporting for projects”

Pros

Feels simple to use, without stuffing the product with a bunch of unnecessary extras. I also like being able to pull reports quickly and keep tabs on how much time I'm spending on each project.

Cons

The proposal feature relatively new still feels a bit bare bones. It would be great if it could make proposals more efficient and fully featured.

“timer-to-invoice & reporting win”

Pros

I really like the timer-to-invoice feature. It helps me track my time and lets my client see the exact amount spent on each project which makes day-to-day time management a lot simpler... especially for a one-woman business. Billing and the reporting side feel easy and the tax-time support is a nice bonus.

Cons

Most recent upgrade didn't feel as adaptive as the original setup and it includes some features I'm not using. Everything seems to have gone "app crazy" lately and I'd love to see an Occam's Razor style option, a organized version aimed at smaller clients. Also, my main client can't accept the emails sent through it, their network flags them as spam... so I have to save the invoice as a draft and then resend a PDF. When I generate a report afterward, it ends up looking like I never billed them.

“automations, invoices, and smooth integrations”

Pros

Not only does the app look nice, it also fits nicely into basically any workflow I already use. Integration has been simple and the automation tools are hands down my favorite part. I can connect it with my email list so that when new clients get added there, they automatically appear in the system. Reports are also simple to work with which makes tracking everything less of a hassle. Recurring invoices are a standout too, setting those up feels great. Even better some clients have saved their credit cards so their invoices get paid automatically. That means I'm spending far less time entering payments or juggling expenses and I can put more time into the work I actually want to do.

Cons

A couple areas could use refinement especially task management. The way tasks are handled still feels a bit dated to me. I've also noticed it's not super convenient to search through deleted clients and projects when I'm trying to find something later. That said, this is mostly me being picky, I genuinely can't think of anything else I'd want this to do differently.

“time tracking and invoicing boost”

Pros

As a graphic designer, staying on top of my time is crucial for my business. This tool lets me track how long I work and then bill my clients based on that time which really adds value for both sides. Being able to turn estimates into invoices is also a big help, It saves a lot of manual steps and keeps everything moving faster.

Cons

At the moment, estimates can't be converted directly into existing working projects which is a limitation I'm running into.

“daily invoicing and payments”

Pros

Creating invoices, tracking time, setting up projects, sending invoices and receiving payments is all simple and it's become a core part of how I run my day-to-day business.

Cons

The mobile apps still feel like they're not fully on par with the desktop version, they can lag behind in terms of performance and updates.

“pricey with worse usability”

Pros

It includes most of the features my business relies on. Having iOS and Android apps means I can check key information while I'm on the move.

Cons

Cost is hard to justify. The latest version feels dated and far from adaptive tasks that used to take only a few steps now take about twice as long and require way more clicks. Also, my earlier complaints to Customer Support were basically dismissed with "that's just the way we do it now," so nothing improved.

“Quick invoices, estimates, and proposals”

Pros

To create invoices and estimates for my clients feels simple and I'm able to stay on top of everything without much hassle. The new proposal feature is a big win as well. Also, running the P&L report is simple so I can get the financial picture quickly when I need it.

Cons

Tracking payments gets messy when multiple clients are tied to the same company. I also wish the system automatically marked direct deposit payments as completed, the same way it does for credit cards checking off what's been paid is easy to miss when I'm receiving money through different methods from different clients.

“clean invoicing and reporting flow”

Pros

I've been using it for the last five years for my wedding and event floral design business and I can handle the whole process in one place, I create estimates for clients, turn those estimates into invoices, schedule and track payments, log my time and expenses and then send my yearly tax and income reports straight to my accountant.

Cons

One thing I'd love to see improved is that the "accept" button on an estimate could automatically generate the invoice. I'd also appreciate a built, In option to forward all my tax/income info directly to my accountant at year end, instead of having to manage that step myself.

“professional invoices and tracking”

Pros

Quick to get set up and simple to use day to day. Sending invoices looks polished and the system also makes it simple to monitor what's still owed, what's been paid and your expenses. Overall, it's a solid bookkeeping tool for anyone who needs to stay on top of their finances and I'd recommend it broadly.

Cons

The paid plan starts by limiting you to five clients and it feels a little restrictive, I'd personally expect something closer to ten. It can get annoying when you need to remove an existing client (especially if they're not using your services as often) just to make room for someone new. There's also an invoice description issue, clients say that when they view the invoice on their phones, they only see the first line rather than the full description which comes across as too vague. That description field definitely needs tweaking.

“useful and simple app”

Pros

Using it felt simple and it turned out to be really useful. Nothing went wrong during setup or day-to-day use so it was simple to get going and stay productive.

Cons

Something I noticed is that it can feel a bit slow at times but overall it's still very useful and I genuinely enjoyed using it.

“professional invoicing, better cashflow”

Pros

Helped me launch my consulting business back in 2012 with a polished, professional look. Getting the invoicing system up and running was pretty simple but connecting the payment gateways took a bit more effort. That said, the online payment flow has made it easier to get paid faster and my cash flow has definitely benefited.

Cons

Over time, it has grown into a more full fledged accounting solution which feels like more than I actually need.