Frappe Books vs QuickBooks Time
Frappe Books
frappe.ioQuickBooks Time
quickbooks.intuit.comSide by side
| Figure | Frappe Books | QuickBooks Time |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Financial Management | 8.9 (#3) | 8.6 (#9) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 8.7 (#22) | 8.3 (#29) |
| API | Frappe supplies REST and RPC HTTP APIs, including CRUD endpoints for documents and whitelisted Python method calls. | The product offers an open REST API covering users, jobcodes, timesheets, GPS points, custom fields and account metadata. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Hosting model | Frappe Books is installed on a Frappe site and accessed through a browser on computers or phones. | QuickBooks Time requires a QuickBooks Online account and an internet-connected browser or mobile device, indicating a hosted SaaS deployment. |
| Security certifications | Frappe states that its quality and information-security systems are certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II. | Intuit’s trust center lists ISO 27001:2022, SOC 1 Type I, SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS and CCPA coverage. |
| System requirements | Documented requirements are Frappe Framework develop branch, Python 3.14, current LTS Node.js and Yarn, Redis, and MariaDB 11.8, PostgreSQL 18 or SQLite 3. | Supported use requires an internet-connected computer or device with a supported browser; mobile apps support iPhone, iPad and Android phones or tablets. |
| What it does | Frappe Books is accounting software for small businesses and freelancers. | QuickBooks Time tracks employee hours, schedules, locations and project labor for payroll, invoicing and job costing. |
Plans
QuickBooks Time
- 30-day trialFree
- Time Premium$20 a month
- Time Elite$40 a month
In their own words
Frappe Books
Frappe Books is accounting software for small businesses, available free under the AGPL-3.0 license. It supports quotes, invoices, payments, bills, supplier payments and returns, alongside double-entry bookkeeping, journal entries and financial reports. Inventory tools track stock across locations, including batches, expiry dates and serial numbers, and the software supports point-of-sale transactions. Businesses in India can produce GSTR-1 and GSTR-2 reports for GST returns. Books User, Books Manager and System Manager roles control access to records, reports and settings. Company data stays in the database of the customer’s Frappe site, and the software runs on the customer’s own server. It is listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted use, web and Windows. On phones, it runs in a browser and can be added to the home screen, but an internet connection is required. The old desktop app is no longer supported. Frappe states that its quality and information security systems have ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2022 certifications and SOC 2 Type II attestation.
QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks Time is paid time-tracking software for recording work against projects and billable time. It supports timesheet approvals and data export, covering time entry, review, and moving data out of the service. The product is available on the web and through iOS and Android mobile apps; there is no desktop app. QuickBooks Time offers Time Premium and Time Elite, and each plan includes one admin. A 30-day trial is available, but there is no free plan. The maker is QuickBooks Time, headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States, and founded in 1983. The listed features give teams a defined set of tracking and approval functions, along with browser and mobile access. Buyers can use the trial before choosing between the two plans, though the plan details provided do not include their prices.