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FreshBooksGet Paid & Manage Money

STOA rating

7.4 / 10

Openness

OPENNESS 8/10API 2/3 · Export 3/3 · Contract 2/2 · Integrations 1/2

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API

FreshBooks publishes a REST API for accessing your accounting data, but the developer page does not state which plans can use it. freshbooks.com, checked 7 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Your data

You can export clients, invoices, expenses, items, services, vendors and the chart of accounts as CSV files, and reports as CSV or PDF, from your account. support.freshbooks.com, checked 7 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Contract

FreshBooks offers monthly billing, and either side can end the agreement at any time; you pay fees for the rest of the current billing period. freshbooks.com, checked 7 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Connections

Zapier lists an integration for FreshBooks that connects its invoicing and accounting features to other apps. zapier.com, checked 7 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Openness note

Public REST API, plan access not stated. CSV export of clients, invoices, expenses and more. Monthly billing, cancel any time. On Zapier.

What it does

FreshBooks is accounting and invoicing software built for small business owners who want to spend less time on bookkeeping. It handles invoicing, expense tracking, time tracking, payments, and basic accounting reports — all without requiring an accounting degree. Create professional invoices with automatic payment reminders. Accept credit cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Run P&L, tax summary, and expense reports. Lite plan starts at $6.90/month. No free tier — 30-day trial.

Strengths

Very easy to use — no accounting background needed
Professional invoicing with automatic payment reminders
Accepts multiple payment methods including ACH, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
Built-in time tracking that connects directly to invoices
Clean reporting for P&L, taxes, and expenses

Weaknesses

No free plan — only a 30-day trial
Lite plan caps you at 5 billable clients, forcing upgrades fast
Not ideal for product-based businesses or those needing inventory tracking
Less powerful than QuickBooks for complex accounting needs

Key features

Create and send professional invoices with automatic payment reminders
Accept credit cards, ACH, Apple Pay, and Google Pay from clients
Track business expenses and categorize them for tax time
Log billable hours with built-in time tracking tied to client invoices
Run profit and loss, tax summary, and expense reports
Manage basic small business accounting without an accountant

STOA verdict

FreshBooks is a great fit if you're a freelancer or service-based small business owner who bills clients and wants simple, clean invoicing without learning complicated accounting software. The invoicing tools are polished and easy to use, and accepting payments is straightforward. The downside is there's no free plan, and at $6.90/month the Lite plan limits you to just 5 clients — so growing businesses will need to upgrade quickly.