What is FreshBooks accounting software?

FreshBooks shines at invoicing, time tracking, and client management. You can send professional invoices, track time against projects, and accept online payments easily. The interface is clean and friendly for non-accountants. It also has a mobile app that works well for on-the-go expense tracking.

For consultants, designers, and other professionals who bill by the hour, FreshBooks's time tracking and project billing workflow is one of the most polished in the industry. You can start a timer on a project, stop it when the work is done, and convert those hours directly into a line item on a professional invoice - all without leaving the app.

FreshBooks was not originally built on double-entry accounting, which means it can fall short for businesses that need a proper general ledger. Bank reconciliation is possible but less robust than competitors. It is also priced per client rather than per feature tier, which gets expensive as your client list grows.

FreshBooks has introduced a double-entry accounting mode in recent versions, but it is not as deeply integrated as platforms built on double-entry from the ground up. If your accountant needs to review journal entries, post year-end adjustments, or produce a trial balance, you may find FreshBooks requires workarounds that a proper accounting platform does not.

Choose FreshBooks if you are a freelancer who primarily needs beautiful invoices and time tracking. Choose Note.now if you want full double-entry accounting, a real general ledger, and the financial depth your accountant expects - at a comparable price point.

The clearest deciding factor is whether your accountant is satisfied with what FreshBooks produces. Ask them to review a set of FreshBooks reports before committing. If they can do everything they need - trial balance, journal entry review, year-end adjustments - then FreshBooks may work fine. If they flag gaps, Note.now is the more complete solution.