Used For

• +**Your clients "forget" to pay and you're too polite to keep asking** → Automatic reminders with read receipts show when they've seen your invoice
• +**You're drowning in receipt shoeboxes during tax season** → Snap photos with your phone, FreshBooks categorizes and stores everything
• +**Manual time tracking means you're undercharging by 20%** → Built-in timers for each client project, no more guessing hours
• +Handles payroll for W-2s and 1099s — posts journal entries automatically so your books stay clean
• +Bank reconciliation matches transactions without the detective work most tools require

Best For

• >Your invoicing lives in Excel and you're losing track of who owes what
• >Chasing payments is eating your weekends — you need automatic reminders
• >You're a service business under 50 people who needs simple books, not enterprise complexity

Not For

• -Companies over 50 employees — lacks the advanced inventory and multi-entity features you'll need
• -Manufacturing or product businesses — inventory tracking is basic, no complex bills of materials
• -Tight budgets with lots of clients — the 5-client limit on the cheapest plan hits fast

Pairs With

• *Stripe (where payments actually get processed since FreshBooks just sends pretty invoices)
• *Google Workspace (syncs contacts so you're not re-typing client info)
• *Gusto (for complex payroll when FreshBooks' basic payroll isn't enough)
• *QuickBooks (what you migrated from because it was too complicated)
• *Zapier (connects FreshBooks to your CRM since the built-in integrations are limited)
• *Your bank (connects automatically but with that $3.99/month fee they don't advertise)

The Catch

• !Bank connections cost extra ($3.99/account/month) and aren't included in the base price
• !Payroll setup surprises hit hard — $45/month base plus per-employee fees can reach $100+ for small teams
• !Client limits are strict — agencies hit the 5-client cap in months and get auto-upgraded to pricier tiers

Bottom Line

The accounting tool that doesn't make you feel stupid — invoicing and expenses for people who just want to get paid and go home.