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Accounting & Finance · head to head

Brex vs FreshBooks

Brex logo

Brex

Accounting & Finance

The financial stack for growing businesses

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: Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities; FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • They diverge on capability: Brex covers Corporate cards, FreshBooks covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brex and FreshBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Brex and FreshBooks differ
AttributeBrexFreshBooks
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
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 Brex

  • Corporate cards
  • Business accounts
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Travel
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Xero

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.

Brex

  • Corporate cards with spend controls for startupsnot FreshBooks
  • Expense management and reimbursementsnot FreshBooks
  • Travel booking inside the spend platformnot FreshBooks
  • Bill pay and accounting system syncnot FreshBooks
  • Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot FreshBooks

FreshBooks

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

Where each one falls short

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

Brex

  • The free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities
  • Premium is $12 per user per month, so cost scales with headcount using the card
  • Enterprise and Smart Card pricing is not published
  • Eligibility criteria are not stated anywhere on the pricing page, which matters for a product that extends credit

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

Brex

$29/month
  • EssentialsFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense management
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$12/month
    • Advanced controls
    • Custom approvals
    • Travel booking

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Brex if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want business accounts.
Brex 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 Brex or FreshBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Brex 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, Brex or FreshBooks?
FreshBooks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Brex and Free for FreshBooks.
Does Brex or FreshBooks run on more platforms?
Brex 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. Brex starts at $29/month.
What is Brex best used for?
Brex is most often used for corporate cards with spend controls for startups, expense management and reimbursements, travel booking inside the spend platform, bill pay and accounting system sync. Of those, corporate cards with spend controls for startups and expense management and reimbursements are not what FreshBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Brex do that FreshBooks cannot?
Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Project management.
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