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Accounting & Finance · head to head

Airbase vs FreshBooks

Airbase logo

Airbase

Accounting & Finance

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FreshBooks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Airbase airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.; FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • They diverge on capability: Airbase covers Corporate cards, FreshBooks covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbase and FreshBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbase and FreshBooks differ
AttributeAirbaseFreshBooks
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
CategoryAccounting & FinanceProfessional Services
Founded20172003

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Airbase

  • Corporate cards
  • Bill payments
  • Expense management
  • Procurement
  • Approvals
  • NetSuite
  • Sage Intacct
  • QuickBooks

Only in FreshBooks

  • Invoicing
  • Expense tracking
  • Time tracking
  • Project management
  • Payments
  • Financial reporting
  • Proposals
  • Mileage tracking

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot FreshBooks
  • Expense reportingnot FreshBooks
  • Vendor paymentsnot FreshBooks

FreshBooks

  • Invoicing and payment processingnot Airbase
  • Time tracking and expense managementnot Airbase
  • Multi-client project accountingnot Airbase

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Airbase

  • Airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.

FreshBooks

  • Lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • E-signatures, proposals, and client retainers unavailable on Lite and Plus tiers
  • Advanced payment processing fee of £20/month on Plus tier (extra cost)
  • Email customization and project profitability tracking restricted to Premium tier and above
  • Offline mode not available; web-based only

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbase

$29/month
  • StandardFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense reports
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$10/month
    • Advanced approvals
    • NetSuite sync
    • Procurement
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom workflows
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbase if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want bill payments.
Airbase review

Choose FreshBooks if

  • You need invoicing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
FreshBooks review

Questions people ask

Is Airbase or FreshBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbase starts at $29/month and FreshBooks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbase or FreshBooks?
FreshBooks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Airbase and Free for FreshBooks.
Does Airbase or FreshBooks run on more platforms?
Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use FreshBooks for free?
Yes. FreshBooks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Airbase starts at $29/month.
What is Airbase best used for?
Airbase is most often used for spend management, expense reporting, vendor payments. Of those, spend management and expense reporting are not what FreshBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Airbase do that FreshBooks cannot?
Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement. FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Project management. Both handle Slack.
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