Softwr

Project Management · head to head

Clockwise vs FreshBooks

C

Clockwise

Project Management

Intelligent calendar management for teams

From
Free
Rated
-
FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clockwise service discontinued and shut down on March 27, 2026; FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
  • They diverge on capability: Clockwise covers Focus Time protection, FreshBooks covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clockwise and FreshBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Clockwise and FreshBooks differ
AttributeClockwiseFreshBooks
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryProject ManagementProfessional Services
Founded20162003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Clockwise

  • Focus Time protection
  • Meeting optimization
  • Scheduling links
  • Team analytics
  • Conflict resolution
  • Google Calendar
  • Zoom
  • Asana

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.

Clockwise

  • Schedulingnot FreshBooks
  • Appointment bookingnot FreshBooks
  • Time trackingnot FreshBooks
  • Resource managementnot FreshBooks
  • Team coordinationnot FreshBooks

FreshBooks

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

Where each one falls short

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

Clockwise

  • Service discontinued and shut down on March 27, 2026
  • All user data was deleted upon shutdown
  • Integration with Asana was removed during product lifecycle

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

Clockwise

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Focus Time
    • Meeting optimization
    • Personal analytics
  • Teams$6.75/month
    • Team analytics
    • Flexible meetings
    • Admin controls

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Clockwise if

  • You need focus time protection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want meeting optimization.

Choose FreshBooks if

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

Questions people ask

Is Clockwise or FreshBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Clockwise 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, Clockwise or FreshBooks?
Clockwise starts at Free and FreshBooks at Free.
Does Clockwise or FreshBooks run on more platforms?
Clockwise runs on Web. FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Clockwise for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Clockwise best used for?
Clockwise is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what FreshBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Clockwise do that FreshBooks cannot?
Clockwise covers Focus Time protection, Meeting optimization, Scheduling links, Team analytics. FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Project management. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clockwise: What happened to Clockwise?

Clockwise was acquired by Salesforce and shut down on March 27, 2026. The company announced the team was joining Salesforce to work on Agentforce. User data was deleted and prorated refunds were issued to paying customers.

Source
Clockwise: What integrations did Clockwise support?

Clockwise integrated with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, and previously Asana (though this integration was discontinued).

Source
Clockwise: What were Clockwise's key features?

Clockwise offered AI-powered focus time protection, automatic meeting buffers, Slack status sync, smart lunch breaks, and team calendar synchronization to optimize schedules and prevent burnout.

Source

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