Invoice Link vs FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a polished, service-industry accounting platform with great time tracking. Invoice Link is mobile-first invoicing built specifically for plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, and landscapers — not consultants.
The short version
Which one is right for you?
Choose Invoice Link if…
You're in the trades, you bill by the job (not by the hour), you don't need double-entry accounting, and the 5-client cap on FreshBooks Lite is frustrating. You want simple invoicing that just works on your phone.
Choose FreshBooks if…
You bill hourly, time tracking is central to your pricing, you want double-entry accounting built in, and you like FreshBooks' polished interface and long track record. Consultants and agencies: FreshBooks.
Feature by feature
Side-by-side comparison
The things you actually care about when picking invoicing software. Pricing last verified April 21, 2026 — competitor pricing changes often; check each vendor's site for the latest. Prices are in US dollars; Invoice Link's price in your country is shown in the app.
| Feature | Invoice Link | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free · US$8.99/wk · US$299.99/yr | $19/mo Lite (5 clients) |
| Free trial Invoice Link subscription begins after the 3-day trial | 3-day | 30-day |
| Mobile apps (iOS + Android) | iOS + Android + web | iOS + Android + web |
| Credit card payments | Yes · available to US-based businesses | Yes |
| ACH bank transfer | Yes · 0.8% (max $5) + 1% + $0.30 | Yes · 1% capped at $10 |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal checkout On Invoice Link you can list your own PayPal address in your payment instructions | No | Yes |
| Estimates with one-tap approval | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring invoices | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic payment reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Expense tracking + receipt OCR | Receipt scanning built in | Yes — strong feature for FB |
| Customer profiles with Street View | Yes | No |
| Property data lookup | Yes | No |
| Time tracking FreshBooks wins — core feature for them | Basic Time Clock | Yes |
| Double-entry accounting | No | Yes on Plus+ |
| Client cap (Lite tier) | Unlimited clients on every plan | 5 clients on Lite ($19/mo) |
| Processing fees (card, on top of platform) | 2.9% + $0.30 + 1% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| U.S.-based support | Email, U.S. | Award-winning in-house support |
| Built specifically for trades FreshBooks targets consultants/agencies | Yes | No |
| Setup time | ~2 minutes | ~15 minutes |
Competitor information gathered from public sources. We aim for accuracy — email sentinelholdingsinc@gmail.com if anything here is out of date.
Where Invoice Link wins
What we do better than FreshBooks
Built for the trades, not consultants
FreshBooks markets to “freelancers, solopreneurs, consultants.” Our copy says plumbers, electricians, HVAC, landscapers. We know what a condenser coil or a P-trap is — they don't. Trade-specific defaults come baked in.
Unlimited clients, every plan
FreshBooks Lite caps you at 5 clients — hit that ceiling and you're forced onto their $33/mo Plus plan. We don't cap clients on either tier. A landscaper with 40 monthly customers pays US$299.99/year with us, $33/month ($396/year) on FreshBooks Plus.
Street View + property data
FreshBooks doesn't ship Street View or property data lookups. Little trade-specific wins that add up when you're sizing a job in the real world.
Mobile-first workflows
FreshBooks is great in a browser. Their mobile app is serviceable. Invoice Link was designed for the phone from day one — every workflow passes the “one-hand while standing next to a water heater” test.
Where FreshBooks wins
What FreshBooks does better
Time tracking and retainers
FreshBooks' time tracking is polished — start/stop timers, timesheets, retainer management, project-level hours. If you bill by the hour, this is a genuine reason to stay on FreshBooks.
Double-entry accounting on higher tiers
Plus ($33/mo) and above include double-entry accounting with trial balance, chart of accounts, and bank reconciliation. We offer reports; they offer bookkeeping. Both legitimate, different tools.
Award-winning customer support
FreshBooks invested heavily in in-house, phone-first support with a “never transfer” policy. We ship email support (U.S.-based), but FreshBooks has built more support infrastructure — they can afford to, given 30M lifetime users.
Deep integration ecosystem
Gusto payroll, Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, Zapier, and 100+ others. If you need FreshBooks to be a hub in a larger stack, their integrations catalog is deeper than ours.
Switch playbook
How to switch from FreshBooks in an afternoon
No migration tool needed. Most tradespeople are up and invoicing from Invoice Link within a single job.
- 1
Export from FreshBooks
Settings → Account Settings → Export. You get CSVs for clients, invoices, estimates, and expenses. FreshBooks makes this pretty easy.
- 2
Sign up for Invoice Link
Start your 3-day free trial. Select your trade at onboarding (plumber, electrician, HVAC, landscaper, handyman, general contractor). Connect Stripe. Takes ~5 minutes total.
- 3
Send a test invoice, then cut over
Send one real invoice through Invoice Link. Once payment lands, you'll see how much tighter the mobile flow feels. Cancel FreshBooks when you're ready — no auto-bill traps.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Invoice Link a real alternative to FreshBooks?
Does Invoice Link have time tracking?
Can I do my taxes with Invoice Link alone?
FreshBooks limits clients on their cheapest tier — do you?
Can I migrate from FreshBooks?
Built for the trades, not the timesheet.
3-day free trial on Pro. US$8.99/week or US$299.99/year if you subscribe in the app (local prices shown there). No 5-client ceiling.
iOS · Android · Web dashboard · 3-day free trial