FreshBooks Review

FreshBooks is easy-to-use accounting software with a clean interface that means even computer novices will feel comfortable navigating FreshBooks. It also offers a ton of features usually found in more robust (and more expensive) products, from quick invoicing to time and mileage tracking. Get the full story, including screenshots, in our in-depth FreshBooks review.

Everything in FreshBooks is designed to help you do things faster, whether that's invoicing a client, recording a payment, tracking your time spent on a project, or snapping a photo of your lunch receipt for easy expense logging.

FreshBooks offers four plan tiers, each with an increasing array of features. You don't need the top tiers to save a ton of time, though. All four plans include the ability to:

• Track and manage invoices
• Record and track expenses
• Track time and billable hours
• Manage a project
• Make client estimates
• Receive payments
• Produce reports
• Work with a team

Upgrading to the higher tiers gives you more access, plus extra features. For example, jumping up to Plus gives you the option to set up recurring invoices, capture receipt data, and invite your accountant. A Premium upgrade will also let you capture bill data and customize templates.

Send and manage invoices

FreshBooks does invoices right. They're fast to make, easy to send, and simple to manage.

Indeed, creating a new invoice in FreshBooks takes less than a minute (depending on how fast you type -- or tap). To start, you can open a new invoice right from your Dashboard's dropdown menu, or with a tap in the mobile app.

From there, you can quickly add your client (if they're not in the system yet, no worries, you can add them right from the invoice!), add services or products, tack on sales tax, and set reminders. Once it's ready to go, email it directly to the client (or print it, if they're old-school).

Your invoices may take a few minutes longer if you decide to add a logo, fiddle with the font, or change the colors. (The FreshBooks branding will remain unless you upgrade to a Select plan.)

One thing I recommend taking time to tack on to every invoice is an automatic reminder, which will send email reminders to clients. Reminders can be set to go out before and after a bill is due, and the timing/frequency can be customized for each invoice.

FreshBooks will also notify you if the payment is late, and can even add a late fee if a payment is really late.

You can choose to accept online payments by connecting either Stripe (ACH and credit cards) or PayPal (PayPal accounts and credit cards). This will include paying the respective processors' fees, which start at 2.9%+$0.30 per transaction for credit cards in the U.S.

Once you're set up to accept online payments, you can include this payment option with each invoice. The easier and more convenient you make it to pay, the more likely you are to get paid quickly (or at all).

Made a mistake? You can also process full or partial refunds right from the invoice.

Stay on top of bills and expenses

High plan tiers will get some extra features here, but let's start with the basics. All plans can connect bank and credit card accounts to automatically import expenses. This can save you a ton of time over manually entering your transactions.

Once uploaded, you can see a list of your expenses under the Expenses tab. Expenses can be categorized by type, supplier, and more. This lets you easily filter and organize your expenses for tracking throughout the year -- and, arguably just as important, for totaling at tax time.

If you upgrade to Plus tier, adding expenses gets even easier because you can access the receipt scanner. This lets you upload a photo of your receipt, and FreshBooks will automatically pull the important information from the photo to record the transaction. With a Premium plan, you can do this with other types of bills, too.

Track project time and mileage

We all want to be paid for our time, but how often do you forget to write down how much time you've spent on a job? Using the time-tracking option, you can easily log your time for any job -- even when you're still out in the field.

The Time Tracking feature on the mobile app not only lets you log your hours, but it includes a built-in timer that can track your time for you. You can start, pause, and stop tracking time at the tap of a button.

Time logs can be assigned to specific clients and projects, then marked as "Billable" so you can quickly invoice clients for your time later. Add notes so you know what you got done during the time for easier records-keeping. (We always say we'll remember, but few of us really do.)

Your time isn't the only thing you can track. The app includes a mileage tracking feature that uses your device's GPS to automatically track your mileage.

Not a fan of the big brother approach? You can choose to manually enter your mileage, through the app. You can do this by inputting your miles driven, or by adding your start and end locations to the app and letting it calculate the miles for you.

It's important to note that the mileage functionality is limited, as it's intended primarily for tax deduction calculations. You can't turn saved trips into invoices, or really even use the data for anything. You can't even add mileage from the website, only the app. And the only way you can get your mileage data on the website is by downloading a report on your data.

Manage client data and notes

If you work with a lot of different people and/or businesses, the Clients tab can be your best friend. Just having a database of clients, including their contact information, at your fingertips -- because yes, you can access it in the app -- can be a lifesaver if you're away from your desk.

But the features go far beyond a simple phone book. Each client entry includes valuable insight into current projects, including the status of each and every invoice. You can also edit reminders, create invoices and projects, and even run individual client reports.

Oh, and don't forget to check out the Relationship page at the top of each client entry. This is where you can write notes about the client that could be handy later, such as communication preferences or persistent issues. (Don't worry, clients can't see these notes, so you're free to be frank.)

Create projects for accurate invoicing

If you have clients with multiple jobs -- or just like the extra level of organization -- you can head to the Projects tab. Here, you can organize each job into its own project, paid hourly or at a flat rate, and assign it to a client. You can even send estimates

By creating a Project entry for your job, you have now made your billing process about 1,000 times easier. You can easily log hours for each project, especially using the in-app time tracker mentioned above. Plus, a single click when uploading expenses and bills can also assign them directly to the relevant project.

With everything in one place, you get to the real gem of it all: You can easily generate accurate invoices for any project, using the hours, bills, and expenses already assigned to it. A few clicks and you're done.

Generate reports to stay informed

Your reporting options in FreshBooks are modest but effective. For instance, you can find all of the standard accounting reports, from profit & loss statements to expense reports. There's also a mileage tracking report for deductions and a sales tax summary to help when filing.

There are myriad business reports, too. Want to see a summary of invoices over a set period of time? Generate an Invoice Details report. Wondering which items are selling the best? An Item Sales report can show you any trends. See Time Entry Details by project, client, or team member.

Your reports all live under the aptly named Reports tab. They're organized by type, though you can select up to six "favorites" that will appear at the top of the page.

If you're a data hound, you might find FreshBooks reports somewhat limiting, as there aren't a lot of customization options. However, reports can be exported to Microsoft Excel if you want to play with the data yourself. You can also email a report or save it as a PDF.

Work seamlessly with your team

Many small businesses rely on contractors and other professionals to get things done. The My Team feature is a useful way to keep track of helpers, from tracking time to receiving invoices.

When you invite a team member, you can assign them one of five roles. The permissions they receive will depend on the role you assign:

1. Admin: Has full access to your entire FreshBooks account.
2. Manager: Has full access to invoices, estimates, time tracking, and projects, but has limited (to no) access to clients, payments, expenses, and reports.
3. Employee: Can track their time, share files, and submit expenses, but can only view their own information.
4. Contractors: Can track their time and expenses for specific projects, and can also send you an invoice.
5. Accountants: Can access FreshBooks reports, review and manage invoices and expenses, and create journal entries.

Invitations require only the person's email address. Then, they'll need to make their own FreshBooks account (they don't need a FreshBooks subscription, however).