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Professional Services · head to head

FreshBooks vs Indy

FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Indy logo

Indy

Proposals

Freelance workflow suite covering proposals, contracts, invoices and time tracking with a usable free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum; Indy the free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
  • They diverge on capability: FreshBooks covers Expense tracking, Indy covers Contract library.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreshBooks and Indy actually diverge.

Attributes where FreshBooks and Indy differ
AttributeFreshBooksIndy
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
CategoryProfessional ServicesProposals
Founded2003Unknown

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

  • Expense tracking
  • Project management
  • Payments
  • Financial reporting
  • Mileage tracking
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • G Suite

Only in Indy

  • Contract library
  • Task and calendar
  • Client portal
  • Free tier

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Time tracking
  • Proposals

What people use each for

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

FreshBooks

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

Indy

  • A new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscriptionnot FreshBooks
  • Testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to onenot FreshBooks
  • Part time or side project freelancing with low monthly document volume that stays inside the free capsnot FreshBooks
  • Replacing an unsigned emailed quote with a proposal that converts into a contract and an invoicenot FreshBooks

Where each one falls short

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

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

Indy

  • The free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
  • Project management and task tracking are shallow, so anyone running several concurrent projects will keep a separate tool and lose the single system benefit.
  • Reporting on income, utilisation and profitability is thin next to a dedicated accounting or time tracking product.
  • Payments are processed by a third party gateway, so the card fee applies on top of the subscription and materially changes the cost per invoice on small jobs.
  • As with every bundle, leaving means separating proposals, contracts, time and invoices out of one export, which is harder than replacing a single purpose tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

FreshBooks

Free
  • Lite$23/month
    • Up to 5 clients
    • Core invoicing and expense tracking
  • Plus$43/month
    • Up to 50 clients
    • Client portal and estimates
  • Premium$70/month
    • Unlimited clients
    • Advanced features
  • Select$null/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited clients
    • Dedicated support

Indy

Free
  • Indy$undefined/year
    • Free tier with monthly document limits
    • Proposals, contracts and invoices
    • Time tracking and tasks

Which should you pick?

Choose FreshBooks if

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

Choose Indy if

  • You need contract library.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task and calendar.
Indy review

Questions people ask

Is FreshBooks or Indy better?
Neither clearly leads. FreshBooks starts at Free and Indy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or Indy?
FreshBooks starts at Free and Indy at Free.
Does FreshBooks or Indy run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use FreshBooks for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FreshBooks best used for?
FreshBooks is most often used for invoicing and payment processing, time tracking and expense management, multi-client project accounting. Of those, invoicing and payment processing and time tracking and expense management are not what Indy is typically brought in for.
What can FreshBooks do that Indy cannot?
FreshBooks covers Expense tracking, Project management, Payments, Financial reporting. Indy covers Contract library, Task and calendar, Client portal, Free tier. Both handle Invoicing, Time tracking, Proposals.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FreshBooks: How much does FreshBooks cost?

FreshBooks offers plans starting at $23 per month for Lite (up to 5 clients), $43 for Plus (up to 50 clients), $70 for Premium (unlimited clients), and custom pricing for the Select plan. Currently offering 90% off for 3 months on all plans.

Source
Indy: Is the free tier actually usable?

Yes, for real signed contracts and invoices, but it caps documents per month and active freelancers hit that fairly quickly.

FreshBooks: Does FreshBooks offer a free trial?

Yes, FreshBooks offers a free 30-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

Source
Indy: Does it take a percentage of invoices?

The payment gateway charges its standard card fee. That is separate from the subscription and should be modelled per invoice.

FreshBooks: What are the add-on costs for FreshBooks?

Team members cost $11 per month per user, Advanced Payments add-on costs $20 per month, and FreshBooks Payroll costs $40 per month base plus $6 per month per user.

Source
Indy: Can it manage several concurrent projects?

Only lightly. The task and project features are the weakest part of the product.

Indy: Are the contracts legally sound?

They are standard freelance templates with editable clauses. They are a starting point, not legal advice for your jurisdiction.

Indy: Who is it wrong for?

Agencies, anyone with subcontractors, and freelancers who need real project management or detailed profitability reporting.

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