How much does FreshBooks cost?
FreshBooks charges a monthly subscription of £13.50–£55/month in the UK (Lite to Select plan), plus payment processing of approximately 2.9% + 30p per credit card transaction when clients pay online. There is no setup fee or per-invoice charge beyond the plan. The Lite plan at £13.50/month covers freelancers with up to 5 active billable clients.
Last verified May 2026 · feebite Editorial · Not affiliated with FreshBooks
Independent review of FreshBooks for freelancers. For the official platform, go to freshbooks.com. This page covers pricing, features, and real-world considerations for UK, Canadian, and Australian freelancers.
Quick Verdict
Rating: 4.2/5 — ★★★★☆
Best for: Freelancers who need polished invoices, time tracking, and client proposals in a single tool — FreshBooks is the best-designed all-in-one freelance finance app outside Bonsai.
Not ideal for: Freelancers who only need basic invoicing (Wave is free); businesses needing multi-currency inventory or payroll beyond basic (Xero or QuickBooks are better).
Plan Pricing (UK — GBP)
| Plan | Monthly price | Active clients | Key extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | £13.50/mo | 5 | Invoices, expenses, basic reports |
| Plus | £22/mo | 50 | Proposals, recurring billing, client retainers |
| Premium | £37/mo | Unlimited | Advanced reports, business health, accountant access |
| Select | £55/mo | Unlimited | Dedicated account manager, custom onboarding |
US pricing: $17/$30/$55/$85. Canadian pricing: approximately $17/$30/$55 CAD equivalent. Prices vary; check freshbooks.com for current regional rates.
Payment Processing Fees
| Payment method | Fee |
|---|---|
| Credit card (Stripe, UK) | 1.4–2.9% + £0.30 |
| Credit card (US ACH) | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| ACH bank transfer (US) | 1% (capped at $10) |
| PayPal (via integration) | PayPal rates apply |
Key Facts
| Category | Invoicing / accounting software |
| Subscription | £13.50–£55/mo (UK) |
| Payment processing | Stripe rates (UK/AU) / FreshBooks Payments (US/CA) |
| Free trial | 30 days free (no card required) |
| MTD compatible (UK) | ✅ |
| VAT tracking (UK) | ✅ |
| GST/HST tracking (CA) | ✅ |
| GST tracking (AU) | ✅ |
| Founded | 2003 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada |
Country Availability
| UK 🇬🇧 | Canada 🇨🇦 | Australia 🇦🇺 |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ | ✅ (strong) | ✅ |
FreshBooks is headquartered in Canada and has particularly strong Canadian integrations: CAD invoicing, GST/HST auto-calculation, and direct bank feeds from major Canadian banks (RBC, TD, Scotiabank). UK MTD support is fully implemented. Australian support is functional but has fewer bank integrations.
Features
| Feature | Lite | Plus | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicing (unlimited) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Expense tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Time tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mileage tracking | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Proposals / estimates | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Recurring invoices | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Client retainers | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Advanced reports | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Team member accounts | 1 | 1 (+ £8 each) | Unlimited |
| Accountant access | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mobile app | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Pros
- Best-in-class invoice design and client experience (clients can pay directly from the invoice)
- Time tracking built into the same app — log hours against a project, generate invoice in one click
- Strong UK VAT and Making Tax Digital support; audit trail for HMRC
- 30-day free trial with no credit card required — one of the most generous in the category
- Excellent mobile app for iOS and Android; receipt scanning via camera
Cons
- £13.50/month Lite plan caps you at 5 active clients — agencies or busy freelancers quickly need Plus
- No free plan (unlike Wave, which has genuinely free invoicing and accounting)
- Multi-currency is limited on lower plans; cross-border freelancers may find Wise/Payoneer handles FX better
- Some "advanced" features (proposals, recurring billing) are locked to Plus; basic invoicing tools don't distinguish FreshBooks from free alternatives
FreshBooks vs Alternatives
| FreshBooks Lite | Wave | Bonsai Starter | Xero Starter | QuickBooks Sole Trader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | £13.50 | Free | £16 | £15 | £14 |
| Invoicing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Time tracking | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Proposals | ❌ (Plus) | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Contract templates | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| UK MTD | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Canadian GST/HST | ✅ | ✅ (CA) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
The honest comparison: For UK/CA freelancers who need invoicing + time tracking + basic expenses and don't want to spend money, Wave is the free alternative. For those who also want proposals, contracts, and client management, Bonsai (below) competes directly with FreshBooks Plus at a similar price.
Who Should Use FreshBooks
Perfect for: Freelance consultants, designers, developers, and accountants who invoice clients monthly, track time against projects, and need a professional client-facing invoice experience. Particularly well-suited to Canadian freelancers.
Skip it if: You only send a few invoices a month (Wave is free), you need payroll, inventory management, or robust multi-currency tracking (Xero or QuickBooks), or you want contracts and client onboarding workflows built in (Bonsai handles this better).
How to Get Started
- Start your 30-day free trial at freshbooks.com — no credit card required
- Import your existing client list or add clients manually
- Set up your invoice template: add your logo, payment terms, and bank/payment details
- Connect your bank account for automatic expense import (available in UK, CA, US)
- Log your first project and time entries, then generate your first invoice directly from the time log
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FreshBooks Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliant for the UK? Yes — FreshBooks supports MTD for VAT. You can submit VAT returns directly to HMRC through FreshBooks on Plus and Premium plans. Verify current MTD compliance status at freshbooks.com/uk before filing.
Can I use FreshBooks in multiple currencies? FreshBooks supports multi-currency invoicing on all plans — you can invoice clients in USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD, and 170+ other currencies. Payment processing in non-local currencies may incur FX conversion costs through Stripe.
This review was last updated 2026-05-10. Pricing may change — check freshbooks.com for current rates.
feebite does not have an affiliate relationship with FreshBooks. Our reviews are editorially independent.