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Professional Services · head to head

FreshBooks vs Paymo

FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paymo logo

Paymo

Project Management

Work & project management for teams

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FreshBooks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum; Paymo every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90
  • They diverge on capability: FreshBooks covers Expense tracking, Paymo covers Task management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreshBooks and Paymo actually diverge.

Attributes where FreshBooks and Paymo differ
AttributeFreshBooksPaymo
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryProfessional ServicesProject Management
Founded20032008

Identical on both: 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
  • Proposals
  • Mileage tracking
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

Only in Paymo

  • Task management
  • Gantt charts
  • Resource scheduling
  • Google Workspace
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • Desktop support

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Time tracking
  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • SSL encryption

What people use each for

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

FreshBooks

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

Paymo

  • Project management with time tracking and invoicing for agenciesnot FreshBooks
  • Tracking billable hours and project profitabilitynot 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

Paymo

  • Every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90
  • The free plan allows 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects
  • The Solo plan is still capped at 3 clients and 5 projects
  • Gantt charts, task dependencies and scheduling require the Plus plan
  • Integrations are excluded from both the free and Solo plans

Pricing, plan by plan

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

Paymo

On request
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user
    • Basic features
  • Starter$4.95/month
    • Time tracking
    • Kanban
    • Invoicing

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 Paymo if

  • You need task management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want gantt charts.
Paymo review

Questions people ask

Is FreshBooks or Paymo better?
Neither clearly leads. FreshBooks starts at Free and Paymo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or Paymo?
FreshBooks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FreshBooks and On request for Paymo.
Does FreshBooks or Paymo run on more platforms?
FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android. Paymo runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use FreshBooks for free?
Yes. FreshBooks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paymo starts at On request.
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 Paymo is typically brought in for.
What can FreshBooks do that Paymo cannot?
FreshBooks covers Expense tracking, Project management, Payments, Financial reporting. Paymo covers Task management, Gantt charts, Resource scheduling, Google Workspace. Both handle Invoicing, Time tracking, Slack, Zapier.
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