QuickBooks Online vs FreshBooks

QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks are both accounting options. QuickBooks Online lists 8 features across 3 platforms; FreshBooks lists 8 features across 3 platforms — see the full breakdown below, sourced from each vendor's own site rather than ratings or reviews.

Side-by-side summary

ComparingQuickBooks OnlineFreshBooks

CategoryAccountingAccounting

Alternatives tracked44

PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android

Pricing modelPaid plansPaid plans

Best for QuickBooks Online

Small businesses that want the accounting software most bookkeepers and CPAs already know how to use, and don't mind a higher list price for that ecosystem support.

Best for FreshBooks

Freelancers, consultants, agencies, and service-based small businesses that prioritize client invoicing, time tracking, and professional estimates over complex inventory management.

Feature comparison

Every feature listed here comes directly from each vendor's own official site.

QuickBooks Online

Invoicing and payment collection
Expense and receipt tracking
Bank feed reconciliation
Profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash-flow reporting
Optional payroll add-on
Multi-user access with role permissions (Plus and above)
Mobile app for invoicing and mileage tracking
Large accountant/bookkeeper partner ecosystem

FreshBooks

Customizable client invoicing with automated payment reminders
Online payment acceptance via credit card, ACH, PayPal, and Stripe
Expense tracking with bank feeds and automated receipt scanning
Built-in time tracking with billable hours converted directly to invoices
Project profitability tracking and team timesheet management
Double-entry accounting reports including Balance Sheet, General Ledger, and Trial Balance
Client estimate creation with one-click conversion to active invoices
Mileage tracking via mobile iOS and Android applications

Pros and cons

QuickBooks Online

Pros

Invoicing and payment collection
Expense and receipt tracking
Bank feed reconciliation
Profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash-flow reporting
Optional payroll add-on
Multi-user access with role permissions (Plus and above)
Mobile app for invoicing and mileage tracking
Large accountant/bookkeeper partner ecosystem

Cons

List prices are meaningfully higher than direct competitors like Xero at the same tier
Frequent promotional discounting on the pricing page makes the real ongoing cost easy to underestimate at signup
Add-on pricing (payroll, payments) is billed separately from the core subscription

FreshBooks

Pros

Customizable client invoicing with automated payment reminders
Online payment acceptance via credit card, ACH, PayPal, and Stripe
Expense tracking with bank feeds and automated receipt scanning
Built-in time tracking with billable hours converted directly to invoices
Project profitability tracking and team timesheet management
Double-entry accounting reports including Balance Sheet, General Ledger, and Trial Balance
Client estimate creation with one-click conversion to active invoices
Mileage tracking via mobile iOS and Android applications

Cons

Lite and Plus cap billable clients at 5 and 50 respectively; Premium removes the billable-client cap.
Additional team members cost $11/month per user on the current pricing page.
FreshBooks frequently runs temporary new-customer promotions, so the checkout price can differ sharply from the regular list price.

Key differences

QuickBooks Online lists Invoicing and payment collection, Expense and receipt tracking, Bank feed reconciliation, Profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash-flow reporting, Optional payroll add-on, Multi-user access with role permissions (Plus and above), Mobile app for invoicing and mileage tracking, Large accountant/bookkeeper partner ecosystem that FreshBooks doesn't list.
FreshBooks lists Customizable client invoicing with automated payment reminders, Online payment acceptance via credit card, ACH, PayPal, and Stripe, Expense tracking with bank feeds and automated receipt scanning, Built-in time tracking with billable hours converted directly to invoices, Project profitability tracking and team timesheet management, Double-entry accounting reports including Balance Sheet, General Ledger, and Trial Balance, Client estimate creation with one-click conversion to active invoices, Mileage tracking via mobile iOS and Android applications that QuickBooks Online doesn't list.

Choose QuickBooks Online if…

Choose QuickBooks Online if this fits: Small businesses that want the accounting software most bookkeepers and CPAs already know how to use, and don't mind a higher list price for that ecosystem support. Compared with FreshBooks specifically, QuickBooks Online also offers Invoicing and payment collection, Expense and receipt tracking, Bank feed reconciliation, and 5 more features that FreshBooks doesn't list.

Visit QuickBooks Online

Choose FreshBooks if…

Choose FreshBooks if this fits: Freelancers, consultants, agencies, and service-based small businesses that prioritize client invoicing, time tracking, and professional estimates over complex inventory management. Compared with QuickBooks Online specifically, FreshBooks also offers Customizable client invoicing with automated payment reminders, Online payment acceptance via credit card, ACH, PayPal, and Stripe, Expense tracking with bank feeds and automated receipt scanning, and 5 more features that QuickBooks Online doesn't list.

Visit FreshBooks

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Facts on this page are sourced from each vendor's official site (linked below), not from ratings or reviews. Products change — verify anything that matters to your decision directly on the vendor's own site before switching. See our Disclaimer and Sources Policy.