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Software · head to head

Bill.com vs FreshBooks

Bill.com logo

Bill.com

Software

Automate your financial workflows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Software

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bill.com limited customization of approval workflows and user permissions for complex business needs; FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • They diverge on capability: Bill.com covers AP automation, FreshBooks covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bill.com and FreshBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Bill.com and FreshBooks differ
AttributeBill.comFreshBooks
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20062003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Bill.com

  • AP automation
  • AR automation
  • Payment processing
  • Approval workflows
  • Document management
  • Vendor management
  • Cash flow insights
  • Mobile approvals

Only in FreshBooks

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

What people use each for

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

Bill.com

  • Invoice processingnot FreshBooks
  • Bill paymentsnot FreshBooks
  • Vendor paymentsnot FreshBooks
  • Cash flow managementnot FreshBooks
  • Financial automationnot FreshBooks

FreshBooks

  • Invoicing and payment processingnot Bill.com
  • Time tracking and expense managementnot Bill.com
  • Multi-client project accountingnot Bill.com

Where each one falls short

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

Bill.com

  • Limited customization of approval workflows and user permissions for complex business needs
  • Limited international payment capabilities compared to specialists like Tipalti
  • Customer support response times are slow, with agents often lacking product expertise

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

Bill.com

Free
  • Essentials$49/month
    • Core AP and AR functionality
    • Manual CSV import/export
  • Team$65/month
    • Automatic 2-way sync with QuickBooks Online, Xero
  • Corporate$89/month
    • Procurement features
    • Custom approval policies
    • Sync with NetSuite, Dynamics

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bill.com if

  • You need ap automation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ar automation.
Bill.com 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 Bill.com or FreshBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Bill.com starts at Free and FreshBooks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bill.com or FreshBooks?
Bill.com starts at Free and FreshBooks at Free.
Does Bill.com or FreshBooks run on more platforms?
Bill.com runs on Web. FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Bill.com for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bill.com best used for?
Bill.com is most often used for invoice processing, bill payments, vendor payments, cash flow management. Of those, invoice processing and bill payments are not what FreshBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Bill.com do that FreshBooks cannot?
Bill.com covers AP automation, AR automation, Payment processing, Approval workflows. FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Project management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bill.com: What payment methods does Bill.com support?

Bill.com supports ACH transfers, checks, corporate cards, and international transfers. ACH payments cost $0.59 per transaction, checks cost $1.99, and card payments incur a 2.9% fee.

Source
Bill.com: Does Bill.com offer a free tier?

Yes. Bill.com offers a free Spend & Expense plan for access to credit lines from $1,000-$5M with corporate cards, budgets, and expense tracking.

Source
Bill.com: Which accounting systems does Bill.com integrate with?

Bill.com integrates with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Enterprise, Oracle NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Microsoft Dynamics, and Xero, with automatic two-way syncing on most plans.

Source
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Related pages

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