Alternative to
6 Alternatives to FreshBooks in 2026
Freelancers and small studios move away from FreshBooks when the client caps on Lite and Plus bite, when the promotional price ends and the list price applies, or when they want invoice data read and coded automatically. Common destinations are Wave, Zoho Invoice and Xero, with Bonsai for people who also want contracts.
Why people look for an alternative to FreshBooks
Client caps arrive early
Lite invoices only five clients and Plus stops at 50. A freelancer who adds a few retainers can hit the first ceiling inside a year and is pushed to a plan that lists $70 before any discount.
The promotion hides the real price
FreshBooks shows Lite at $4.60 for an introductory period against a $23 list price. Plus and Premium list at $43 and $70. Once the discount ends, a free or flat-fee tool looks very different.
Extras cost more, and AI is thin
Team members cost $11 per user per month, and Advanced Payments such as recurring billing are left out of the trial. Pages we read named no AI coding of supplier bills.
The best FreshBooks alternatives
- 1
Wave
Wave's Starter plan is $0 with unlimited invoices and estimates, and card payments cost 2.9% plus $0.60. Pro is $19 a month and schedules late payment reminders at 3, 7 and 14 days. Receipt capture is an $11 monthly add-on on Starter.
Switch if you send many invoices to a few clients and would rather pay per card payment than a monthly subscription.
- 2
Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice has a free plan for up to two users and 500 invoices a year, with quotes, recurring invoices, expenses, projects and timesheets included. Invoices on the free plan carry Zoho branding, and no paid tiers were listed.
Switch if you want time sheets and recurring invoices for free and send fewer than 500 invoices a year.
- 3
Xero
Xero is a full cloud ledger from New Zealand, with Early at $27 per month limited to 20 invoices and 5 bills, then Growing at $59 and Established at $97. Smart Document Capture comes with all three US plans, and the vendor lists ISO 27001:2022.
Switch if you Switch if your accountant wants a real general ledger and bank reconciliation behind the invoices, not only a billing tool.
- 4
Bonsai
Bonsai bundles contracts, time tracking and invoices for freelancers and agencies. Basic is $9 per user per month but leaves out invoicing, so Essentials at $19 annually is the working tier. A Bonsai MCP connector lets outside AI assistants draft invoices.
Switch if you Switch if proposals and contracts are part of your day and you would rather keep them next to the invoices.
- 5
Invoice Ninja
Invoice Ninja is source-available and can run on your own server, in Docker or through one-click hosts. The free plan covers five clients with recurring invoices and a client portal, and Pro is $14 per month. Pages we read showed no AI features.
Switch if you are comfortable running software yourself or want a free tier with a client portal.
- 6
Moneybird
Moneybird is a Dutch invoicing and bookkeeping app with four plans in one table. Compact at 3 euros allows one sales invoice, so Start at 15 euros is the working plan, with unlimited invoices and smart document processing. All prices exclude VAT.
Switch if you invoice in euros as a sole trader in the Netherlands or Belgium and want bookkeeping in the same app.
Before you switch away from FreshBooks
Export your client list, outstanding invoices and expense history before you cancel, and keep PDF copies of every sent invoice, because numbering and tax history matter at filing time. FreshBooks' privacy, security and terms pages returned errors when we checked, so ask support in writing where your data is hosted and how long it is retained. Look at recurring invoices and payment methods: Advanced Payments is what enables recurring billing and card, bank and phone payments, so confirm the new tool matches. Run both in parallel for one billing cycle before closing the old account.
The full ranking of this category is in Best AI Invoicing Software in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my FreshBooks price after the promotion ends?
The pricing page we read shows Lite at $4.60 for an introductory period, with a $23 list price, Plus at $8.60 against $43, and Premium at $14 against $70. It mentions an 80 percent off for 4 months promotion subject to terms. Plan on the list prices when you compare, and check the terms.
Is there a free FreshBooks alternative for a solo freelancer?
Wave Starter is $0 with unlimited invoices, and Zoho Invoice is free for two users and 500 invoices a year. Invoice Ninja's free plan covers five clients. Each has a catch: Wave charges per card payment, Zoho adds branding, and Invoice Ninja's free tier has the same five-client ceiling as FreshBooks Lite.
Which alternative lets me keep time tracking next to invoices?
Bonsai combines time tracking with invoices, though invoicing requires its Essentials plan. Zoho Invoice's free plan includes projects and timesheets. FreshBooks itself feeds tracked time into invoices, so check that your next tool does this without a plug-in. Wave's pages we read did not describe time tracking.
Can I move to an alternative with an accountant already attached?
Xero is the most accountant-oriented option here, since it is a full ledger rather than an invoicing app. FreshBooks Plus and Premium allow up to 10 accountants. If your accountant already uses a package, ask which one they prefer and import your FreshBooks data into that instead of choosing alone.