FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks (2026): Price, Features, Which to Pick

Two popular apps, compared on what their own pages say. Checked November 4, 2026.

Quick answer

Both are accounting software with invoicing built in, not field-service apps. FreshBooks starts at $23 a month (Lite) at its regular price, with unlimited invoices on every plan but a 5-client cap on Lite and 50 on Plus. QuickBooks has a Free plan limited to two invoices a month unless you turn on QuickBooks Payments, a $20 Solopreneur Lite plan with unlimited invoices, and Simple Start at $38 a month. FreshBooks lists cards from 2.9% + 30¢; QuickBooks lists 2.99% for invoiced cards. Both offer 1% bank payments.

Side by side

	FreshBooks	QuickBooks	Settle
Price for unlimited documents	Premium, $70 a month at the regular price, for unlimited invoices and unlimited clients. Lite and Plus also have unlimited invoices but cap how many clients you can bill	Lite, $20 a month on QuickBooks' Solopreneur page (shown as $10 a month, 50% off for 3 months), is the cheapest plan that lists unlimited invoices outright. Simple Start, $38 a month, is the entry plan on the main pricing page	Free: $0, no document limit
Limits on lower plans	Invoices are unlimited on every plan, but Lite is capped at 5 billable clients and Plus at 50, counting active and archived clients; unlimited clients start at Premium	The Free plan allows "up to two invoices a month, or unlimited invoices if you qualify for and enable QuickBooks Payments". No document limit is listed on paid plans	None on any plan. AI drafts: 3 free, then Pro
Free plan	No. 30-day free trial, no card required	Yes, a Free plan, no card required, limited to two invoices a month unless QuickBooks Payments is enabled. Paid plans have a 30-day trial. The 50%-off promo is for new customers, for 3 months, then "the then-current price"	Yes
Card payment fee	"Starting at 2.9% + $0.30" for cards; 1% for bank transfers (US only)	2.99% for invoiced cards and digital wallets, 2.5% in person, 3.5% keyed in, 1% for ACH; instant deposits cost 1.75% more. "Rates are accurate as of 09/18/2026"	Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ paid to Stripe; Settle adds nothing
Payouts	FreshBooks Payments, powered by Stripe. FreshBooks' help center says a first payout waits a mandatory 7 business days, standard card payouts take 2 business days, and payouts can be paused for reviews or reserves	QuickBooks Payments, with money movement by Intuit Payments Inc. The help center says the first set of payments is deposited within 5 business days, later ones next business day or within 2 business days depending on the schedule, and that Intuit "may put payments on hold" for a review it says takes up to 2 business days	Paid straight to your own Stripe account. Stripe sets payout timing and runs its own risk checks; Settle never holds the money
Scheduling and dispatch	Not listed on the pricing page we checked	Not listed on the pricing page we checked	No
Platforms	Web, iPhone, Android	Web, iPhone, Android. The mobile app is not available on the Free plan	iPhone only
Cancelling	Cancel from Billing and Upgrade on the web. Invoices, clients and expenses export as CSV; a CSV of estimates has to be requested from support.	Cancel from the Intuit Account Manager. A cancelled subscription keeps read-only access for one year; QuickBooks Payments is closed separately.	Subscription billed by Apple; cancel in your iPhone settings in two taps

From each company's public pages and help centers, checked November 4, 2026. Confirm on their pages before you buy.

Choose FreshBooks if

You bill by the hour and want tracked time pulled straight onto invoices.
You want card fees that start at 2.9% + 30¢ and only a few clients a month on the cheapest plan.

Choose QuickBooks if

You want a free starting plan and will use QuickBooks Payments.
Your accountant already works in QuickBooks, or you want its reports and tax help with your invoices.

A third option if you work alone

Settle is made for one person with an iPhone who mostly sends estimates and invoices. It's free with no document cap, you describe the job out loud and it writes the estimate with your own prices, and payments go to your own Stripe account. It has no scheduling, dispatch or crew logins. See Settle vs. FreshBooks and Settle vs. QuickBooks.

Questions

Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or QuickBooks?

FreshBooks: Premium, $70 a month at the regular price, for unlimited invoices and unlimited clients. Lite and Plus also have unlimited invoices but cap how many clients you can bill. QuickBooks: Lite, $20 a month on QuickBooks' Solopreneur page (shown as $10 a month, 50% off for 3 months), is the cheapest plan that lists unlimited invoices outright. Simple Start, $38 a month, is the entry plan on the main pricing page. The plans include different things, so compare features as well as price. Prices checked November 4, 2026.

Is FreshBooks or QuickBooks better for a solo contractor?

For a solo contractor who mostly needs estimates and invoices, both are more accounting than you need. If you do want the books, pick the one your accountant uses. Watch FreshBooks' client caps on Lite and Plus.

Is there an alternative to both FreshBooks and QuickBooks?

Yes. Settle is a free iPhone app for solo contractors with no cap on estimates or invoices, and payments go to your own Stripe account. It has no scheduling, no crew logins and no Android or web app, so it only fits if you work alone on an iPhone.

Sources

Working alone? Try Settle.

Free on iPhone. Unlimited estimates and invoices. 7 days of Pro to try the voice drafts, and you cancel in two taps.

Download on the App Store

iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Questions? Text Nina: (818) 945-9686

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: which is right for you?