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Professional Services · head to head

FreshBooks vs Rocket Matter

FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rocket Matter logo

Rocket Matter

Legal

Legal practice management with billing and time tracking, tiered from matter basics to full legal accounting

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; Rocket Matter trust accounting compliance is only included on the most expensive Elite tier, so firms with a regulatory requirement for it face a higher effective floor price than the entry-level plan suggests.
  • They diverge on capability: FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Rocket Matter covers Matter management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreshBooks and Rocket Matter actually diverge.

Attributes where FreshBooks and Rocket Matter differ
AttributeFreshBooksRocket Matter
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryProfessional ServicesLegal
Founded2003Unknown

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 FreshBooks

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

Only in Rocket Matter

  • Matter management
  • Time tracking and billing
  • Trust accounting
  • Document management
  • Matter budgeting
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

FreshBooks

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

Rocket Matter

  • A solo practitioner wanting matter tracking and billing in one system without separate accounting softwarenot FreshBooks
  • A small firm that needs kanban-style visibility into where each matter standsnot FreshBooks
  • A mid-sized firm that has outgrown Essentials and needs split billing across multiple timekeepers on a matternot FreshBooks
  • A firm required to demonstrate trust accounting compliance that specifically needs the top Elite tiernot 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

Rocket Matter

  • Trust accounting compliance is only included on the most expensive Elite tier, so firms with a regulatory requirement for it face a higher effective floor price than the entry-level plan suggests.
  • It is not built for large enterprise legal departments, so firms above a certain size outgrow it and move to platforms such as Clio or Aderant.
  • The tier structure gates common workflow features like kanban boards and templates behind Pro and above, so the cheapest tier is functionally limited.
  • Its name is easily confused with the Matter smart-home connectivity protocol, an entirely unrelated technology, which can cause mismatched search results.
  • Per-user monthly pricing across four tiers means a growing firm needs to actively reassess its plan as headcount and accounting needs change, rather than a single plan scaling automatically.

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

Rocket Matter

On request
  • Essentials$49/month
    • Matter management
    • Billing and timekeeping
    • No trust accounting
  • Pro$79/month
    • Matter templates
    • Kanban board matter management
  • Premier$99/month
    • Advanced billing permissions
    • Split billing and fee allocation
  • Elite$129/month
    • Matter budgets
    • Full legal accounting and trust accounting compliance

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Rocket Matter if

  • You need matter management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want time tracking and billing.
Rocket Matter review

Questions people ask

Is FreshBooks or Rocket Matter better?
Neither clearly leads. FreshBooks starts at Free and Rocket Matter at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or Rocket Matter?
FreshBooks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FreshBooks and On request for Rocket Matter.
Does FreshBooks or Rocket Matter 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?
Yes. FreshBooks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rocket Matter 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 Rocket Matter is typically brought in for.
What can FreshBooks do that Rocket Matter cannot?
FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Project management. Rocket Matter covers Matter management, Time tracking and billing, Trust accounting, Document management.

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
Rocket Matter: Does Rocket Matter include trust accounting?

Only on the Elite tier; the Essentials, Pro and Premier tiers do not include full trust accounting compliance.

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
Rocket Matter: Is Rocket Matter the same as the Matter smart-home standard?

No, that is an unrelated connectivity protocol for smart-home devices; Rocket Matter is legal practice management software.

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
Rocket Matter: What size firm is Rocket Matter built for?

Solo practitioners through mid-sized firms; larger firms typically need a more enterprise-oriented platform.

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