If you want to stop paying, Wave's Starter plan is free with unlimited invoices, and Zoho Books is free while your yearly revenue stays under $50,000. If you are leaving FreshBooks because costs rise as you add clients and staff, Xero and Patriot include unlimited users, and Zoho Books includes 3 users from $15 a month billed yearly. Pick QuickBooks Online if your accountant already uses it or you need deeper reports.
FreshBooks raised its U.S. prices on March 5, 2026, to $23 (Lite, 5 billable clients), $43 (Plus, 50 clients) and $70 (Premium, unlimited clients) a month, and each extra team member costs $11 a month. For a growing service business, those caps and per-person fees add up quickly.
This guide is for freelancers and small businesses deciding where to move their invoicing and books. We compare the starting price, whether there is a free plan, how many users are included, and what limits apply to invoices or clients.
Below you will find our picks, why people leave FreshBooks, a cost table, how to move your data, and how to cancel FreshBooks without losing records.
Why people look for FreshBooks alternatives
FreshBooks gets steady praise for friendly support and easy invoicing. The repeated complaints in its reviews point to four reasons people switch:
- Costs that rise as you grow. Lite caps you at 5 billable clients and Plus at 50, and every team member beyond the owner adds $11 a month. Zoho Books includes 3 users on Standard, and Xero and Patriot include unlimited users.
- Payments held before they reach the bank. If cash flow is tight, compare payout timing and card fees before you move. Wave charges 2.9% plus 60 cents per card payment on Starter, against FreshBooks’ 2.9% plus 30 cents.
- Hard-to-find cancellation. The cancel link sits at the bottom of the Billing and Upgrade page; the steps are below.
- Reconciliation and reporting gaps for complex books. Businesses with inventory, several bank accounts or an accountant who works in QuickBooks often move to QuickBooks Online or Xero.
FreshBooks held a D- BBB rating as of October 2026.
Free FreshBooks alternatives
- Wave Starter: free, with unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, online payments and the mobile app.
- Zoho Books Free: free while yearly revenue stays under $50,000, for 1 user plus 1 accountant, with email support.
- QuickBooks Free: 1 user, up to 2 invoices a month and one bank connection; useful only for very light invoicing.
If you bill only a few clients a month, an invoice template and a separate payment link can also cost nothing, though you lose automatic reminders and bookkeeping.
How much FreshBooks alternatives cost
| App |
Entry paid plan |
Users included |
Free plan |
| FreshBooks |
$23 a month (Lite, 5 clients) |
1; $11 a month per extra person |
No, 30-day trial |
| Wave |
Pro $19 a month or $190 a year |
Not published |
Yes, Starter |
| Zoho Books |
$15 billed yearly ($20 monthly) |
3 |
Yes, under $50,000 revenue |
| Patriot |
$20 a month (Basic) |
Unlimited |
No, 30-day trial |
| Xero |
$27 a month (Early) |
Unlimited |
No |
| QuickBooks Online |
$38 a month (Simple Start) |
1 |
Yes, 2 invoices a month |
Regular prices as listed October 2026, before tax. Most apps run new customer promotions (for example 50% off QuickBooks or 80% off Xero for 3 months), so check the price after the promotion ends.
How to choose a FreshBooks replacement
- Count clients and people. If you bill more than 5 clients or need staff logins, compare per-user fees and client caps first.
- Ask your accountant. Many accountants prefer QuickBooks Online or Xero, which can save on year-end fees.
- Check time tracking. FreshBooks includes time tracking and project billing; Zoho Books adds it on Professional, so confirm the plan you need.
- Compare payment fees and payout speed. Card fees are charged on every invoice paid online.
- Look at payroll. If you pay staff, compare the payroll add-on price as well as the accounting plan.
How to move your data out of FreshBooks
Before you cancel, download your client list, invoices, expenses and reports such as profit and loss and the general ledger for the years you need. The IRS generally expects you to keep records that support your tax return for at least 3 years, and longer in some cases. Your FreshBooks data stays saved after you cancel and you can reactivate later, per FreshBooks support, but keeping your own copies avoids relying on that.
Red flags when you switch
- Promotional prices that apply only to the first months, with no free trial alongside them.
- Client or invoice caps on entry plans (FreshBooks Lite allows 5 clients; Xero Early allows 20 invoices).
- Per-user fees that are not shown until checkout.
- Terms that make fees non-refundable after a short window.
Terms to know
- Billable client
- A client you send invoices to; FreshBooks caps these on Lite and Plus.
- Reconciliation
- Matching the transactions in your books to your bank and card statements.
- Card processing fee
- The percentage and flat fee charged when a client pays an invoice by card.
- Accountant access
- A login for your bookkeeper or CPA that may not count as a paid user.
- General ledger
- The full record of every transaction in your books, by account.
