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Professional Services · head to head

FreshBooks vs Trello

FreshBooks logo

FreshBooks

Professional Services

Accounting software that makes you look good

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trello logo

Trello

All industries

Organize anything, together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum; Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • They diverge on capability: FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Trello covers Kanban boards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FreshBooks and Trello actually diverge.

Attributes where FreshBooks and Trello differ
AttributeFreshBooksTrello
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos
CategoryProfessional ServicesAll industries
Founded20032011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 FreshBooks

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

Only in Trello

  • Kanban boards
  • Cards & lists
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Activity feed
  • Due dates & reminders
  • File attachments
  • Comments & mentions
  • Power-Ups ecosystem

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • 2FA

What people use each for

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

FreshBooks

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

Trello

  • Project trackingnot FreshBooks
  • Content calendarsnot FreshBooks
  • Sales pipelinesnot FreshBooks
  • Onboarding processesnot FreshBooks
  • Personal task managementnot 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

Trello

  • Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
  • No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
  • Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
  • SSO only available on Enterprise plan

Pricing, plan by plan

FreshBooks

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.

Trello

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 boards/workspace
    • Up to 10 collaborators
    • 250 monthly Butler automation runs
  • Standard$5/user/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited Power-Ups
    • 1,000 monthly Butler runs
  • Premium$10/user/month
    • All Standard features
    • Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
    • Unlimited automation
  • Enterprise$17.5/user/month
    • All Premium features
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • SSO and user provisioning

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 Trello if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want cards & lists.
Trello review

Questions people ask

Is FreshBooks or Trello better?
Neither clearly leads. FreshBooks starts at Free and Trello at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FreshBooks or Trello?
FreshBooks starts at Free and Trello at Free.
Does FreshBooks or Trello run on more platforms?
FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android. Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
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 Trello is typically brought in for.
What can FreshBooks do that Trello cannot?
FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Project management. Trello covers Kanban boards, Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed. Both handle Slack, Zapier, 2FA.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?

Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.

Source
Trello: What features are included in the Standard plan?

Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.

Source
Trello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?

SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).

Source
Trello: How many file attachment options are available?

Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.

Source
Trello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?

Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.

Source
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Related pages

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