SimplePayment vs. FreshBooks
Two different jobs: running your books, and getting paid.
FreshBooks is a mature accounting suite — invoicing, expenses, time tracking, and reports in one place. SimplePayment does one job well: get you paid, across borders, on a branded page — and leaves the books to the tool you already use, or don't need yet.
Best fit
This mostly comes down to one question: do you need bookkeeping?
Choose SimplePayment if…
- You already handle accounting elsewhere — or don’t need to yet — and just want a better way to invoice and get paid.
- You invoice international clients and need real bank-transfer support, not just cards.
- You want a branded, localized payment page without adopting a bigger suite around it.
- You want to start free and send a real invoice in minutes, not set up a chart of accounts first.
- You bill in multiple currencies and languages.
Choose FreshBooks if…
- Your business needs real bookkeeping — expenses, time tracking, project profitability.
- You want invoicing and accounting to live in one connected system.
- You work with an accountant who wants FreshBooks-native reports.
- The tiered accounting pricing is worth it for the breadth you need.
Side by side
The criteria that actually matter for getting paid.
| Criteria | SimplePayment | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Professional invoicing | ||
| Card payments | ||
| Bank transfers | Region-correct fields, front and center | Available, secondary to card/ACH |
| Multiple payment methods, one page | Card and offline together | Primarily card and bank debit |
| International payment experience | Built around it | Domestic-first presentation |
| Multi-currency | ||
| Multiple languages | 5-language client page, PDF, email | Not the focus |
| Team users | Owner/admin/user roles | Collaborator seats on higher tiers |
| Payment tracking | Automatic sent → opened → paid | Invoice status tracking |
| Branded payment page | Logo, color, your business | Branded invoices and estimates |
| Accounting features |
Where SimplePayment excels
Lighter, cheaper, and built for the client's side of the payment.
Simpler when your books are already handled
If accounting lives elsewhere — or nowhere yet — you don’t need a bookkeeping suite just to send an invoice and get paid.
Better international payment flexibility
Card and offline payment — bank transfer, cash, check — sit together on one page, with the region-specific fields a client’s bank actually needs.
A cleaner, more focused client payment experience
The page a client opens is built for one job — paying you — not a corner of a larger accounting product.
Free to start, cheaper at the tier that matters
A genuine free plan, and Solo at $19/mo (or $15/mo annually) for anyone who only needs to invoice and get paid — no accounting-suite pricing along the way.
Where FreshBooks excels
If bookkeeping is the job, FreshBooks is the better tool.
Real accounting
Expense tracking, time tracking, and project profitability are genuine, mature features — not something SimplePayment does or plans to.
Accountant-friendly reports
Deep, accountant-ready reporting and established SMB trust make FreshBooks a strong choice when bookkeeping is the actual job.
One connected system
Invoicing and accounting in a single product removes a handoff — valuable if you want everything under one roof.
Questions
Before you decide.
Does SimplePayment replace FreshBooks?
No, and it’s not trying to. FreshBooks is a full accounting suite; SimplePayment is an invoicing and payment collection tool. If bookkeeping, expenses, or time tracking are what you need, FreshBooks is the right call. If accounting is already handled elsewhere and you just want a better way to invoice and get paid, that’s the job SimplePayment does.
I already use FreshBooks for accounting — why would I switch just the invoicing part?
Some businesses keep FreshBooks (or another tool) for the books and use SimplePayment for the client-facing side — the branded, multilingual payment page and international bank-transfer support aren’t what FreshBooks is built around.
Can I use both?
Yes. Plenty of businesses keep accounting in one tool and use SimplePayment specifically for the invoice a client actually opens and pays.
Does SimplePayment do expense tracking or time tracking?
No. That’s a deliberate boundary — SimplePayment stays focused on invoicing and getting paid, not accounting. See how it works
Can I switch later?
Yes — start on the Free plan and move up as needed, in either direction. See pricing
Weighing other options?
See how SimplePayment compares elsewhere.
Already have your books handled — and just want a simpler way to get paid?
Send the next invoice the way it should have worked all along.
Free to start · No credit card