FreshBooks Pricing Explained: Plans, Costs and What You Get
FreshBooks costs $23, $43 or $70 a month depending on how many clients you bill. We explain each plan, the add-ons and the 80% off promotion.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-11T19:21:15+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-11T19:21:15+00:00
FreshBooks pricing is simple on the surface. Three list prices, one per client count. Lite costs $23 a month for 5 billable clients. Plus costs $43 a month for 50 clients. Premium costs $70 a month for unlimited clients. A quote-only Select plan sits above them. This guide explains each plan, the add-ons, and the promotion that changes the first bill.
This is a research-based assessment. Prices come from FreshBooks' own pricing page, checked in November 2026. Prices change, so confirm the live page before you buy.
FreshBooks pricing at a glance
| Plan | Monthly list price | Billed yearly | Billable clients | Key additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | $23 | $248.40 a year | 5 | Invoicing, estimates, time tracking, expenses |
| Plus | $43 | $464.40 a year | 50 | Proposals, retainers, double-entry reports, bank reconciliation |
| Premium | $70 | $756.00 a year | Unlimited | Project profitability, accounts payable, custom email templates |
| Select | Quote only | Quote only | Unlimited | Lower card fees, 2 team seats, migration help |
Lite: $23 a month
Lite is the starting plan. It covers 5 billable clients. It includes unlimited invoices, estimates, expenses and time tracking. It also includes bank imports and tax-time reports. Clients can pay by card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Buy Now, Pay Later.
Lite leaves out several accounting tools. It has no double-entry reports, no bank reconciliation and no accountant access. It also has no proposals, retainers or receipt scanning. Those arrive on Plus.
The client limit is the key detail. FreshBooks counts both active and archived clients toward the limit. Five clients means five in total, not five at a time. A freelancer who adds a sixth client must upgrade to Plus.
Plus: $43 a month
Plus is the most popular plan. It covers 50 billable clients. It adds proposals, client retainers and e-signatures. It also adds financial and accounting reports, including double-entry reports. Bank reconciliation and expense receipt scanning arrive here too.
Plus also gives your accountant access to the books. That matters for any business with outside help at tax time. For most growing freelancers, Plus is the true starting plan. Lite is too limited once the client list grows past five.
Premium: $70 a month
Premium covers unlimited billable clients. It adds project profitability, so you can see which jobs make money. It adds accounts payable and bill receipt scanning with line items. It also adds custom email templates.
Premium suits project-based firms that track margins. It also suits firms with contractors and many clients. Everything in Plus is included, plus the tools above.
Select, add-ons and the promotion
Select is priced by consultation. It includes 2 team member accounts at no extra charge. It also includes Advanced Payments, lower card fees, capped bank transfer fees, Easy Switch migration and dedicated phone support. Larger firms that want migration help should ask for a quote.
Three add-ons sit on top of every plan. Extra team members cost $11 a month per user. Advanced Payments costs $20 a month. Payroll costs $40 a month plus $6 a month per user. These add-ons can lift the real monthly cost well above the plan price.
FreshBooks currently runs an 80% off promotion for 4 months. That puts Lite at $4.60 a month, Plus at $8.60 and Premium at $14.00 for four months. The plans then renew at the list prices of $23, $43 and $70. Budget on the list price, not the promotion.
Paying yearly saves 10%. That is $248.40 a year for Lite, $464.40 for Plus and $756.00 for Premium. Every plan carries a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What the first year costs
The promotion changes the first-year math. Four months at $4.60 costs $18.40. Eight months at the $23 list price costs $184. The first year on Lite totals $202.40 before add-ons and tax. That is simple arithmetic from the published prices, not a quoted figure.
The same math applies up the ladder. Plus costs $8.60 a month for four months, then $43. Premium costs $14.00 for four months, then $70. After the first year, the full list price applies every month. A buyer who plans only for the promotion price will be surprised in month five.
Annual billing changes the math again. Lite costs $248.40 a year when paid yearly, against $276 a year month to month. That saves $27.60. Plus saves $51.60 a year. Premium saves $84.00 a year. Yearly billing suits buyers who are sure they will stay.
Which FreshBooks plan fits
Count your billable clients first. Five or fewer points to Lite. Six to fifty points to Plus. More than fifty, or a need for project profitability, points to Premium.
Next, check the feature list. If you need proposals, retainers, double-entry reports or accountant access, you need Plus at least. If you need project profitability or accounts payable, you need Premium.
Then add the extras. One extra team member adds $11 a month. Payroll adds $40 a month plus $6 per person. A two-person firm on Plus with payroll pays far more than $43 a month. Run the full math before you choose.
Bottom line
FreshBooks pricing is clear, but the client caps do the real work. Lite at $23 a month fits a freelancer with a small, stable client list. Plus at $43 a month is the realistic plan for most growing service firms. Premium at $70 a month fits project-based firms that track margins. Price the decision on the list price, count archived clients, and add the add-ons before you commit.