Freedom Debt Relief vs. Accredited Debt Relief

Fees: almost identical

Both companies charge 15% to 25% of the debt you enroll, depending on your state and how much you owe. Both collect that fee only after you approve a settlement and at least one payment goes to the creditor, as the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule requires. Freedom says your fee is disclosed up front and will never increase.

The dedicated account costs are close too. Freedom’s provider, Crossroads Financial Technologies, charges $9.95 to open and $9.95 a month. Accredited’s provider charges $9 to open and $9.75 a month. Over a 48-month program the difference is a few dollars.

Only Accredited publishes an average result. It says clients who make every deposit pay back about 55% of their enrolled debt before fees. Add a 15% to 25% fee and you are at roughly 70% to 80% of what you owed, before account fees and before interest and late charges that pile up while accounts wait to settle. Freedom does not publish an average savings figure, so ask for an estimate per debt in writing.

Both have a refund policy: if your settlements plus their fees end up higher than the debt you enrolled, they refund from their fees. Freedom caps the refund at 100% of fees it collected, and debts you keep charging on after enrolling don’t count.

Track record

Freedom Debt Relief has been operating since 2002 and says it has served more than 1 million clients. The BBB has accredited it since April 2015 with an A+ rating, and it rates 4.6 out of 5 from 51,652 reviews on Trustpilot. It is a subsidiary of Achieve.

Accredited Debt Relief is a trade name of Beyond Finance, LLC, which the BBB lists as starting in 2011. Both the Accredited and Beyond Finance profiles carry an A+ and have been BBB accredited since July 2025, and Accredited rates 4.8 out of 5 from 12,494 reviews on Trustpilot.

We found no FTC, CFPB or state attorney general enforcement action against either company.

How each program works

The programs follow the same steps. After a free consultation you enroll unsecured debts such as credit cards, medical bills and personal loans, make one monthly deposit into an account you own, and usually stop paying the enrolled creditors. When enough builds up, the company negotiates with each creditor and you approve every offer. Both say programs usually run 24 to 48 months. Neither takes mortgages, car loans or federal student loans.

Freedom says its first settlement typically comes in months 4 to 6. If a creditor sues, its Legal Partner Network of attorneys tries to settle the case; that help is included only while you make every deposit on time and in full, and the attorneys don’t represent you in court.

Accredited offers two paths. Most callers who are behind on payments enroll in its settlement program, which has no credit score requirement. People with stronger credit may be offered a loan from an affiliated lender instead. With either company, read your enrollment agreement to confirm which product you are signing up for.

The risks are the same with both

Debt settlement works by not paying creditors while you save, so expect late payments, charge-offs and collection accounts on your credit reports. Late payments stay for up to seven years, and settled accounts are reported as settled for less than the full balance. Creditors can sue you during the program, and interest and late fees keep growing until each debt settles. Not everyone finishes, and results vary.

Forgiven debt is generally taxable income. Creditors may send Form 1099-C, and if you were insolvent you may be able to exclude some or all of it using IRS Form 982. Talk to a tax professional before your first settlement.

You can leave either program at any time. Under federal rules the money in your dedicated account, minus fees already earned on settled debts, must be returned within seven business days.

If you can still make minimum payments, talk to a nonprofit credit counselor first. A debt management plan repays the full balance at a lower interest rate without missed payments and usually does far less damage to your credit.