Note.now vs FreshBooks
Note.now vs FreshBooks - Full accounting, not just invoicing
FreshBooks is excellent for invoicing but was never designed as a full accounting solution. Note.now matches FreshBooks on invoicing and adds a genuine double-entry accounting core, bank feeds, bill management, and project-level P&L - everything a growing business actually needs.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Note.now | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ||
| Professional invoice templates | ||
| Recurring invoices | ||
| Online payment links | ||
| Automated payment reminders | ||
| Multi-currency invoicing | ||
| Late fee automation | ||
| Accounting | ||
| Double-entry general ledger | ||
| Balance Sheet | Basic | |
| Bank reconciliation | Basic | |
| Chart of accounts (customizable) | ||
| Manual journal entries | ||
| VAT / sales tax returns | Limited | |
| Trial Balance | ||
| Bills & Expenses | ||
| Expense tracking | ||
| Bill management (AP) | Limited | |
| Receipt capture (OCR) | ||
| Expense approval workflows | ||
| Mileage tracking | ||
| Projects & Team | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Project-level P&L | ||
| Project budgets | ||
| Multi-user access (role-based) | Limited | |
| Team members (employees) | Limited | |
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Lite / Starter | $15 | $19/mo |
| Plus / Core | $39 | $33/mo |
| Premium / Business | $79 | $60/mo |
Pricing comparison
All prices are per month. Features and limits vary by plan - see respective pricing pages for full details.
| Plan | Note.now | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
Lite / Starter Note.now starts completely free. FreshBooks charges $19/month before you can even send a 6th invoice. | $0 (free) or $15/mo | $19/mo - limited to 5 clients |
Plus FreshBooks Plus is $6 cheaper but does not include a proper accounting engine. Your accountant still has to rebook your records at year-end, which costs far more than $6/month. | $39/mo - includes full double-entry accounting | $33/mo - no double-entry accounting |
Premium / Business FreshBooks Premium looks cheaper, but the fundamental accounting gap remains at every price. Note.now gives you a fully auditable, GAAP-compliant platform at this tier. | $79/mo - complete accounting platform | $60/mo - still no double-entry accounting |
Best for - who each product suits
Note.now is best for
Businesses that have outgrown invoicing tools and need real accounting: service businesses, agencies, consultants, and anyone dealing with VAT/tax compliance, payables, or needing a proper balance sheet for financing or investor reporting.
FreshBooks is best for
FreshBooks suits freelancers and very small service businesses where invoicing and time tracking are the primary need, and where the business owner has a separate accountant who manages the actual books in a different system.
Why Note.now wins
- Full double-entry accounting engine - FreshBooks is fundamentally an invoicing tool with accounting-like features bolted on
- Real bank reconciliation with matched transactions, not just categorization
- Bill management and full accounts payable tracking
- Project-level P&L shows you which work is actually profitable
- Customizable chart of accounts for proper GAAP/IFRS reporting
- Free tier available - FreshBooks starts at $19/month
FreshBooks downsides
- Not a full accounting solution - it cannot produce a proper double-entry balance sheet
- No genuine bank reconciliation - transactions can be categorized but not formally reconciled
- Starter plan caps you at 5 clients - forces expensive upgrades as you grow
- No chart of accounts customization - limits reporting flexibility
- Year-end accounting still requires your accountant to rebook everything in real accounting software
Real reasons people switch from FreshBooks
Your accountant keeps telling you that FreshBooks is not proper accounting software and they have to redo your books at year-end
You applied for a bank loan and could not provide a proper auditable balance sheet
You need to track which projects and clients are actually profitable - FreshBooks cannot show you this
You have exceeded FreshBooks's client limits and are paying for a tier you do not need
Your business has grown to the point where you need VAT/GST return support built into your accounting software
How to switch from FreshBooks to Note.now
Most businesses complete the migration in less than a business day. Our migration wizard guides you through every step.
Export your FreshBooks data
In FreshBooks: Reports → select each report type and export to CSV. Key exports: Invoice List, Client List, Expense List, and Payment History.
Import contacts and invoice history
Upload your client and vendor CSVs to Note.now. Your invoice history can be imported for records. Note.now maps standard FreshBooks export columns automatically.
Set up your chart of accounts
Note.now comes with a standard chart of accounts template. Customize account names and codes to match your business reporting requirements with guidance from our setup wizard.
Connect bank accounts for automatic feeds
Connect your bank and credit card accounts. Transactions import automatically from this point. If you want historical transactions, export and import CSVs from your bank portal.
Set opening balances and get your accountant involved
Your accountant should set opening balance journal entries to correctly initialize your Note.now balance sheet. This ensures continuity of records from your FreshBooks period.
Our verdict
If you outgrew FreshBooks and need a proper accounting system - not just a polished invoicing tool - Note.now is the natural next step. You keep great invoicing (and improve on it) while gaining a full double-entry accounting backbone, real bank reconciliation, and project profitability visibility.
Ready to try Note.now?
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