10 best FreshBooks alternatives & competitors in 2024

FreshBooks is one of the most established accounting and finance platforms in the game. It’s used by freelancers and agencies in creative services because it helps drive productivity and streamline financial operations.

However, there are some excellent FreshBooks alternatives out there that are more scalable, competitively priced, and better at providing the sort of client experiences you need to build loyalty and trust.

Let’s take a look at the 10 best FreshBooks alternatives on the market today so you can see which platform best suits your creative services business.

What to look for in a FreshBooks alternative

If you’re a freelancer or agency that provides creative services, there’s a good chance that you’re already familiar with FreshBooks. While it has a reputation as a platform for accountants and bookkeepers, in truth, it’s capable of far more.

So, before we look at the best FreshBooks alternatives out there, let’s explore what the platform brings to the table. Then, you’ll have an idea of the features and functions you need when evaluating rival tools.

• Invoicing and payments: FreshBooks excels at helping creative services get paid. You can create polished, branded invoices, take payments via credit card or ACH transfer, automate payment reminders for your clients, and even apply late fees.
• Expense tracking: FreshBooks' accounting features can be handy for freelancers and agencies tracking expenses related to their work. You can keep a record of all your subscription costs, materials, travel and accommodation, and so forth by simply capturing a photo of your receipts and invoices.
• Project management: While FreshBooks’ project management capabilities might not compare well with more dedicated tools, they are still in-depth enough for freelancers and smaller agencies. You can share tasks, timelines, and documents with clients and colleagues and track the time you spend on projects for easier billing.
• Client management: FreshBooks comes with a basic CRM and client portal. While these features might lack the oomph of many of the FreshBooks alternatives on our list, they will be more than satisfactory for smaller teams.
• Integrations: Tools like FreshBooks provide value because they enable you to consolidate several tools in the typical software stack. However, many freelancers and agencies have more complex requirements and workflows. FreshBooks integrates with lots of popular apps and even has an API.

Top 10 FreshBooks alternatives for service businesses

Okay, now that you have a good idea of the types of features you need in a FreshBooks alternative, it’s time to look at what other platforms have to offer.

Here are the best FreshBooks alternatives in 2024:

1. Copilot
2. Bonsai
3. Moxo
4. FuseBase
5. Indy
6. SuiteDash
7. Dubsado
8. HoneyBook
9. Zendo
10. Plutio

Alright, let’s take a deeper look at each of these alternatives.

1. Copilot

• Pricing: Starts at $29 per month

Copilot is an increasingly popular cloud-based business management platform for freelancers and agencies. It’s an affordable and user-friendly solution to common problems faced by creative services providers, such as sending proposals, contracts, and invoices, processing payments, and delivering outstanding experiences that your clients won’t forget.

Some of the features that make Copilot a great platform include a polished client portal that helps centralize communication and supports sharing and collaborating on documents.

Copilot also uses intelligent automation to reduce the admin burden and boasts helpful features like expense tracking and the creation of various customizable forms. You can also integrate a wide range of popular third-party tools, meaning Copilot fits around your workflow, and not the other way around.

Overall, Copilot is the right choice for creative freelancers and agencies who want to give their clients hassle-free and transparent experiences, while ensuring they get paid on time.

Notable features

Here are some of Copilot’s popular features:

• Beautiful, user-friendly client portal that centralizes communication and collaboration.
• Huge array of templates for forms, contracts, proposals, and more.
• Built-in e-signature function.
• Workflow automation tools to reduce mundane tasks.
• Integrates with lots of popular software and has a vast library of third-party tools.

Copilot reviews

Here’s what review sites have to say about Copilot:

• G2: 4.8/5 star rating (from +150 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.9/5 star rating (from +20 reviews)

2. Bonsai

• Pricing: Starts at $25 per month ($21 per month when billed annually)

Bonsai burst onto the scene as a way to help freelancers and agencies reduce the amount of time they spend on admin. However, it has grown into an all-in-one platform that helps teams consolidate their software stacks.

Compared to FreshBooks, Bonsai lacks features like double-entry accounting and the diversity of integrations of FreshBooks. However, it has a more complex CRM, contract templates, and better project management features, such as time-tracking tools.

That said, Bonsai’s features might prove excessive for smaller freelance teams. But if you’re looking for a solution that can help with tax preparation and improve the efficiency of your operations, Bonsai could be just what you need.

Notable features

Here are some of Bonsai’s most popular features:

• Solid automation tools for invoices, contracts, payment reminders, etc.
• Customizable client portal.
• Expense tracking and quarterly tax estimates.

Bonsai reviews

Here are what 3rd-party review sites think of Bonsai (reviews from actual customers):

• G2: 4.3/5 star rating (from +100 user reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 stars (from +76 user reviews)

3. Moxo

• Pricing: Moxo does not publicly display their pricing

First, let’s get it straight. Moxo was built for wealth managers and financial advisors. As such, its main utility is secure client communication and document sharing. However, there are enough additional features here to make it a credible choice for creative services firms.

Three of the most interesting features of Moxo are its client portal, client vault, and CRM. These client-centric features are all capable of delivering the sort of experience that keeps clients coming back. However, when compared to FreshBooks, Moxo’s invoicing features are lacking in customization options, while its expense and time-tracking tools are less impressive, too.

Notable features

Here are some of Moxo’s most popular features:

• Bank-grade secure client vault for sharing sensitive information.
• Client portal with document sharing, secure messaging, and e-signatures.
• CRM tool for tracking leads and prospects and managing existing customers.

Moxo reviews

Here are what 3rd-party review sites think of Moxo (reviews from actual customers):

• G2: 4.5/5 star rating (from +122 user reviews)
• Capterra: 4.1/5 star rating (from +16 user reviews)

4. FuseBase

• Pricing: Starts at $9 per month

FuseBase is another all-in-one platform that combines a CRM, client portal, workflow automation, and some useful project management tools.

Behind its clean, modern interface lies a robust platform that helps with task tracking, resource allocation, and milestone setting, making it a good choice for freelancers or agencies working on complex projects.

While it lacks FreshBooks' solid accounting features, FuseBase is a great choice for teams who want to unlock the benefits of workflow automation, better client management, and better customization.

Overall, FuseBase is one of the better FreshBooks alternatives on our list for small to medium enterprises as well as freelancers and agencies in the service industry.

Notable features

Here are some of FuseBase’s popular features:

• Beautiful and intuitive interface.
• Excellent project management features such as time and expense tracking, milestone settings, and even resource allocation tools.
• Solid client portal for collaborating and communicating.

FuseBase reviews

Here’s what FuseBase users have to say about the platform:

• G2: 4.7/5 star rating (read reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 star rating (read reviews)

5. Indy

• Pricing: Indy offers a basic free version, with pro accounts starting at $9 per month

Indy is a simple platform that was built to help freelancers send proposals, contracts, and invoices while managing projects and tracking time. It brings all these requirements under one business management platform with a user-friendly interface that anyone can use.

When put up against FreshBooks, Indy lacks things like double-entry accounting, expense tracking, and the breadth of integration with third-party apps and services. But that’s not really the point. Indy’s goal is to offer freelancers an affordable, lean, easy-to-use platform — which it definitely delivers.

While Indy might not have the belts and whistles of other FreshBooks alternatives on our list, it will more than do the job for smaller teams.

Notable features

Here are some of Indy’s popular features:

• User-friendly interface that is easy to learn and highly efficient.
• Sold options for proposals, contracts, and invoicing clients.
• Built-in time tracking.

Indy reviews

Here is what Indy customers think of their business management solution:

• GetApp: 4.7/5 star rating
• Capterra: 4.7/5 star rating
• Software Advice: 4.7/5 star rating

6. SuiteDash

• Pricing: Starts at $19 per month per user

Since it was launched in 2017, SuiteDash has steadily grown as an all-in-one business management tool that helps with basic accounting, client relationship management, and marketing automation. It delivers on these promises with a secure client portal for messaging and document sharing, solid time-tracking tools, and automated email marketing.

Some other features that will suit freelancers include an excellent form builder and appointment scheduling tools. Finally, SuiteDash comes with a learning management system (LMS), which is a welcome addition for SMEs who train clients or freelancers who sell online training courses.

Overall, the SuiteDash learning curve and pricing might prove a little rich for smaller teams. However, it’s an excellent tool that more than deserves its place on our list of FreshBooks alternatives.

Notable features

Here are some of SuiteDash’s popular features:

• Customizable client portal that centralizes communication and file sharing in one easy-to-navigate place.
• Excellent project management features, including Gantt charts and task management.
• Email marketing and landing page builders are good options for outbound leads and sales generation.

SuiteDash reviews

Here’s what users of SuiteDash have to say about the platform:

• G2: 4.8/5 star rating (read reviews)
• Capterra: 4.9/5 star rating (read reviews)

To find out more about SuiteDash, read our article on the best SuiteDash alternatives.

7. Dubsado

• Pricing: Start for free; paid plans start at $200 per year or $20 per month

Dubsado is the brainchild of two entrepreneurs who were frustrated with what the market had to offer to help their client relationships. It’s a comprehensive suite of tools that is squarely aimed at freelancers or agencies who want to become more efficient and client-friendly. Dubsado helps teams meet these goals with a CRM, a client portal, highly customizable forms, and a powerful automation workflow engine.

Dubsado comes with lots of great features, some of which are noticeably absent from FreshBooks. For example, Dubsado has excellent project management features like task lists and project boards. Additionally, it offers e-signatures for proposals and contracts, and great lead capture forms to populate its built-in CRM.

Notable features

Here are some of Dubsado’s popular features:

• Branded client portal to boost client retention and satisfaction.
• Automated workflows for onboarding, updates, and billing.
• Solid project management features.

Dubsado reviews

Here are what 3rd-party review sites think of Dubsado (reviews from actual customers):

• G2: 4.3/5 star rating (from +71 user reviews)
• Capterra: 4.2/5 star rating (from +51 user reviews)

8. HoneyBook

• Pricing: Free trial, then $19/month

HoneyBook is a comprehensive business management platform built to improve your client relationships, projects, and finances. While FreshBooks is a good accounting and finance solution, HoneyBook is an all-in-one platform for managing and retaining clients.

Some of the HoneyBook features that leave FreshBooks in the dust include a client portal, scheduling and calendar integration, and a built-in proposal system with customizable templates and electronic signature capabilities.

If you’re looking for a platform that works across the client journey, HoneyBook does the job. However, it lacks FreshBooks’ advanced accounting and built-in time tracking features.

Notable features

Here are some of HoneyBook’s popular features:

• Excellent UI/UX design.
• Solid financial tools for expense tracking and invoicing.
• Customizable forms and automations to reduce the admin burden.

HoneyBook reviews

Here are HoneyBook’s reviews from actual customers:

• G2: 4.5/5 star rating (from +173 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8/5 star rating (from +615 reviews)

Related reads: Dubsado vs HoneyBook: An honest comparison and review

9. Zendo

• Pricing: Starts from $49 per month

What we like about Zendo is its client portal and proposal and contract management functions. These features help simplify client communications while boosting collaboration. Moreover, Zendo also boasts excellent and varied project management tools, so you and your clients always know where you stand.

Finally, Zendo features automation to help with invoicing and billing. You can set recurring invoices, send payment reminders, and even integrate popular payment gateways. All in all, it’s a great tool and one of the best FreshBooks alternatives out there right now.

Notable features

Here are some of Zendo’s popular features:

• Modern client portal for messaging, project management, and billing clients.
• Quality project management tools for time and deadline tracking, task allocation, and budget monitoring.
• Powerful automation for invoicing and payments.

Zendo reviews

Here are what 3rd-party review sites think of Zendo (reviews from actual customers):

• G2: 4.9/5 star rating (from +10 reviews)
• Capterra: 5/5 star rating (from +1 review)

10. Plutio

• Pricing: Starts at $19 per month per user

Plutio is a business management platform aimed at SMEs. However, it is used by creative service freelancers and agencies because of its suite of excellent features that remove the need for sprawling and expensive software stacks.

Plutio has a modern and intuitive design. You can also customize the client portal with your brand look and feel which allows you to signal your professionalism to your users. Indeed, this centralized workspace brings together a CRM, advanced project management tools, and invoicing and time-tracking features.

However, perhaps the biggest advantage that Plutio has over FreshBooks is in the proposals and contracts department. The platform lets you send proposals directly to clients. Finally, we can’t mention Plutio without talking about its task management, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts, which are suitable for managing complex projects.

Notable features

Here are some of Plutio’s popular features:

• Intuitive interface that is easy to get the hang of for any user.
• Superb set of project management tools.
• Highly customizable product that fits around your workflows and preferences.

Plutio reviews

Here’s what actual Plutio clients rate the product on third-party websites:

• G2: 4.3/5 star rating (from +55 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 star rating (from +160 reviews)

Conclusion

FreshBooks is a great tool for freelancers and agencies in the creative services industry. However, some customers have complained that the interface is a bit clunky and its features have excessive limitations. Thankfully, there are lots of great FreshBooks alternatives out there that can do the job just as well or, in some cases, even better.

Copilot is easily one of the best FreshBooks alternatives on the market. Unlike FreshBooks, it is tailor-made for freelancers and agencies who want to deliver client-centric experiences. Thanks to a fresh and modern client portal, your clients can message, share files, and track projects, all from one centralized hub.

Copilot’s elegant form builder also means you can customize your proposals, contracts, and invoices, and even automate workflows for sending out these documents or onboarding clients. And, if there are any apps in your software stack that you want to use, the Copilot API can connect them all.

If you want to see how Copilot can help your creative agency, try out a 14-day free trial.