FreshBooks vs ZipBooks
FreshBooks
freshbooks.comZipBooks
zipbooks.comSide by side
| Figure | FreshBooks | ZipBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.60/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 4 |
| Spec score · Accounting & Finance Software | 9.1 (#2) | 8.6 (#11) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeper Software | 9.2 (#2) | 8.6 (#13) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 9.2 (#7) | 9.0 (#15) |
| Spec score · Gym Accounting Software | 9.1 (#3) | 8.6 (#14) |
| Spec score · Freelance Invoicing Software | 9.0 (#6) | 8.6 (#14) |
| Spec score · Salon Accounting Software | 9.1 (#6) | 8.6 (#17) |
| Accounting | Plus, Premium and Select include double-entry accounting, chart of accounts and financial reports such as profit and loss and balance sheet. | The accounting tools provide bank reconciliation, reports, automatic categorization and color-coded transaction views. |
| API | The public API exposes FreshBooks data as JSON for web and desktop integrations and uses OAuth2 access tokens. | The public API uses JSON API responses, JWT authentication and documented contacts, estimates and invoice endpoints under api.zipbooks.com/v2. |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Canada | Utah, USA |
| Integrations | FreshBooks App Store lists more than 100 partner integrations covering payments, payroll, scheduling, projects and other workflows. | Official pricing names Gusto integration, while the product accepts payments through Square or PayPal; reviewers also mention Stripe, Google Drive and Slack. |
| Invoicing | The product creates branded invoices, recurring invoices, reminders and online payment requests. | Users can create invoices and estimates, accept card or PayPal payments, automate recurring billing and send payment reminders. |
| Licence | The service is proprietary: its terms grant limited access and prohibit modifying, redistributing or creating derivatives of FreshBooks content. | The terms identify ZipBooks software and site content as company or licensor property and restrict copying, resale and modification, indicating a proprietary licence. |
| Praise: ease of use | Independent reviewers repeatedly describe invoicing, expense tracking and navigation as intuitive, modern and quick to learn. | Reviewers repeatedly describe the interface as clean, intuitive, simple to navigate and suitable for people without accounting expertise. |
| Praise: support | Review summaries commonly praise responsive customer service and helpful human support. | TrustRadius summarizes support feedback as friendly and helpful, while GetApp reports fast and responsive chat support accessible to free users. |
| Rating on Capterra | 4.5 out of 5 from 4,529 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 from 115 reviews. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 from 981 reviews | 4.7 out of 5 from 99 reviews. |
| Rating on GetApp | 4.5 out of 5 from 4,529 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 from 115 reviews. |
| Rating on Trustpilot | 3.7 out of 5 from 1,047 reviews | 3.5 out of 5 from 3 reviews. |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 9.2 out of 10 from 214 reviews and ratings | 7 out of 10 from 20 reviews and ratings. |
Plans
FreshBooks
- Lite$23 a month
- Plus$43 a month
- Premium$70 a month
- Lite$4.60 a month
- Plus$8.60 a month
- Premium$14 a month
- SelectPriced on request
ZipBooks
- StarterFree
- Smarter$15 a month
- Sophisticated$35 a month
- AccountantPriced on request
In their own words
FreshBooks
FreshBooks is accounting software for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small businesses. It creates invoices with tracked time and expenses, calculates taxes, and offers configurable payment options. Users can track time against clients and projects, then generate invoices from those records. Projects organize client work, team members, time, invoices, and expenses, and include profitability views. Listed payment options include card and ACH payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and buy now, pay later options. FreshBooks also offers recurring invoices, expense tracking, and a client portal. Its API uses OAuth2 for integrations and account automation. The service runs on the web and has iOS and Android apps, but some features, including reporting, are desktop-only. Mobile apps require iOS 15 or later or Android 7.0 or later. Lite costs $23 a month and includes five billable clients; Plus costs $43 a month and includes 50. Premium costs $70 a month and includes unlimited clients. Double-entry accounting is available on Plus, Premium, and Select. There is no free plan, and the listed trial lasts 30 days.
ZipBooks
ZipBooks is accounting software for small businesses, combining invoicing, bookkeeping, reporting and business intelligence. Users can send invoices and estimates, take card payments, set recurring auto-billing and automate payment reminders. Accounting tools include bank connections, reconciliation, transaction categorization and financial reports; ZipBooks says it can import transactions automatically from thousands of financial institutions, including many banks in the U.S. and Canada. Users can track project and task time in a browser or iOS app and add time entries to invoices. The product lists Gusto integration, and supports digital payments through Square or PayPal. Time entries can sync with Gusto for payroll, with payroll transaction details recorded in ZipBooks. It is available on web, Android and iOS, and the maker is headquartered in Utah, USA. ZipBooks offers a free plan and a free trial. Their described features range from invoices, bank connections and reports to reconciliation, time tracking, team access, client account management and data migration.