Software · head to head
Productive vs FreshBooks
Productive
Software
Run projects, budgets and resources in one place
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only FreshBooks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Productive essential plan is capped at 5 account-level custom fields and 1 CRM pipeline versus 15 fields and 3 pipelines on Professional; FreshBooks lite tier limited to 5 clients maximum
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Productive and FreshBooks actually diverge.
| Attribute | Productive | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | Unknown | 2003 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Productive
Nothing recorded that FreshBooks does not also cover.
Only in FreshBooks
- Invoicing
- Expense tracking
- Time tracking
- Project management
- Payments
- Financial reporting
- Proposals
- Mileage tracking
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Productive
No use cases recorded yet. See the Productive review.
FreshBooks
- Invoicing and payment processingnot Productive
- Time tracking and expense managementnot Productive
- Multi-client project accountingnot Productive
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Productive
- Essential plan is capped at 5 account-level custom fields and 1 CRM pipeline versus 15 fields and 3 pipelines on Professional
- Ultimate tier for complex organizations is quote-only, listed as Let's talk with no published price
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
Productive
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Productive review.
FreshBooks
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the FreshBooks review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Productive if
Nothing in the data separates Productive from FreshBooks on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
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 Productive or FreshBooks better?
- Neither clearly leads. Productive starts at On request and FreshBooks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Productive or FreshBooks?
- FreshBooks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Productive and Free for FreshBooks.
- Does Productive or FreshBooks run on more platforms?
- Productive runs on Web. FreshBooks runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use FreshBooks for free?
- Yes. FreshBooks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Productive starts at On request.
- What can Productive do that FreshBooks cannot?
- FreshBooks covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Time tracking, Project management.