Tillage vs FreshBooksThe invoicing and accounting alternative
Updated . Every FreshBooks fact links to its source.
Tillage
FreshBooks
Monthly price
$0, unlimited users, quotes and invoices
$23–$70/mo, or about $21–$63 billed yearly. Team members $11/mo each
Online payment fees
Your client can cover them
Cards 2.9% + 30¢ (3.5% for Amex and autopay); ACH 1%
Margin on quotes
Variance buffer and profit margin on every line
No markup or margin controls found
The short answer
FreshBooks is invoicing-led accounting for small service businesses, with double-entry bookkeeping, time tracking and proposals. Plans start at $23 a month, cap billable clients at 5 or 50 on lower tiers, and charge $11 a month per team member. Tillage is free invoicing for agencies with no client caps, margin built into quotes, contracts from approved quotes and fees your client can cover. If you want invoicing and bookkeeping in one place, FreshBooks fits. If you already have books and want better quoting and billing for free, Tillage does.
Choose Tillage if
- YesYou want $0/month with no client or team member fees
- YesYou need contracts and milestone payment schedules
- YesYou want clients to cover processing fees today
Choose FreshBooks if
- YesYou want double-entry accounting in the same app as invoicing
- YesYou need payroll, mileage and receipt capture
- YesYou want buy now, pay later options for clients
Tillage vs FreshBooks, feature by feature
| Feature | Tillage | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Yes$0, unlimited users, quotes and invoices | Partly$23–$70/mo, or about $21–$63 billed yearly. Team members $11/mo each |
| Online payment fees | YesStripe 2.9% + 30¢ (cards) or 0.8% capped at $5 (ACH), plus 1% capped at $50 per invoice | PartlyCards 2.9% + 30¢ (3.5% for Amex and autopay); ACH 1% |
| Pass fees to clients | YesBoth Stripe and platform fees, set team-wide | PartlyInvite-only surcharging pilot starting fall 2026 |
| Quotes and estimates | YesHours × rate, or itemized with units and sections | YesEstimates on all plans; proposals on Plus and above |
| Variance and profit margin on quotes | YesVariance buffer and profit margin on every line | NoNo markup or margin controls found |
| Contracts with e-signatures | YesGenerated from approved quotes | PartlyE-signatures on proposals (Plus and above); no contracts module |
| Deposits and milestone payment schedules | YesPercentages triggered by signing, dates or milestones | PartlyDeposits on all plans, retainers on Plus; no milestone schedules found |
| Recurring invoices and retainers | YesWeekly, monthly, quarterly, every six months or yearly | YesAll plans, with late fees and reminders |
| Client pages with no login | YesSecure links to approve, sign and pay | YesClients view and pay from a link, no login needed |
| Time tracking | NoNot a time tracker | YesUnlimited time tracking on all plans |
| Full accounting and bookkeeping | NoUse alongside your accounting software | YesDouble-entry accounting on Plus and above |
| QuickBooks or Xero sync | NoComing soon: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Mercury and Puzzle | PartlyNot needed: FreshBooks is the accounting system |
| AI quote drafting | YesDrafts line items, hours and rates with your OpenAI or Claude key | PartlyClaude connector for questions and dashboards |
| Claude and ChatGPT through MCP | YesQuotes, contracts and invoices | YesMCP connector for Claude, announced Sep 2026 |
FreshBooks pricing
Client limits count active and archived clients. 30-day free trial, no free plan. Introductory discounts often appear on the pricing page.
- Lite
- $23/mo, or $248.40/yrUp to 5 billable clients
- Plus
- $43/mo, or $464.40/yrUp to 50 billable clients; proposals, e-signatures, retainers, accounting
- Premium
- $70/mo, or $756/yrUnlimited clients; accounts payable, project profitability
- Select
- CustomIncludes 2 team members and lower card rates
- Add-ons
- Team members $11/mo eachAdvanced Payments $20/mo; Payroll $40/mo plus $6 per user
- Tillage, for comparison
- $0/month with unlimited users1% when paid online, capped at $50 per invoice. Your client can cover it. See pricing
Where FreshBooks is better
No tool is right for everyone. Here is where it may suit you better.
Accounting built in
Double-entry accounting, bank reconciliation and accountant access in the same tool as invoicing.
Many ways to get paid
Cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Affirm and Afterpay, checkout links and instant payouts.
Time, expenses and payroll
Time, expense and mileage tracking, receipt capture and payroll in one product.
A finished client workflow
Estimates, proposals with e-signatures, deposits, retainers and a client portal with no login.
Where Tillage is better for agencies
No client caps or seat fees
FreshBooks limits billable clients to 5 on Lite and 50 on Plus, counting archived clients, and charges $11 a month per team member. Tillage is free with unlimited clients and users.
Clients can cover the fees now
FreshBooks surcharging is an invite-only pilot starting fall 2026. Tillage lets every client cover card, ACH and platform fees today.
Contracts and milestone schedules
FreshBooks e-signs proposals but has no contracts module or milestone schedules. Tillage generates contracts from approved quotes and splits projects into scheduled payments.
Margin on every quote
FreshBooks estimates price what you enter. Tillage adds your variance buffer and profit margin to every line.
Recent FreshBooks changes
Q1 2026
FreshBooks raised list prices by about 20%, according to third-party tracking. Current list prices are $23, $43 and $70 a month.
Jun 2026
FreshBooks published terms for an invite-only surcharging pilot, expected to start in fall 2026 and run into early 2027.
Sep 25, 2026
FreshBooks announced an MCP connector for Claude.
Switching from FreshBooks
- 1
Export clients, invoices and items from FreshBooks as CSV.
- 2
Import clients into Tillage and recreate items as services with variance and margin.
- 3
Keep your accounting software for your books. Accounting sync is coming soon.
- 4
Connect Stripe and choose whether your clients cover the fees.
Related guides and tools
FreshBooks vs Tillage
Accounting-first against quote-to-cash, in more detail.
Invoicing software for agencies
Quotes, contracts and payment schedules in one free tool.
Quoting software with margin
Hours × rate quotes with your margin built in.
Billing schedules
Deposits, milestones and retainers without copying invoices.
Sources
Checked Oct 7, 2026. Pricing and features change, so if something here is out of date, email support@tillage.ai and we will fix it.
Tillage vs FreshBooks questions
Is Tillage cheaper than FreshBooks?
Yes. Tillage is $0/month with unlimited clients and users. FreshBooks costs $23 to $70 a month, limits clients on lower plans and charges $11 a month per team member.
Can FreshBooks pass fees to clients?
Not generally. FreshBooks is running an invite-only surcharging pilot starting in fall 2026. Tillage lets clients cover card, ACH and platform fees on any invoice.
Does Tillage do accounting like FreshBooks?
No. Tillage handles quotes, contracts, invoices and payments. Keep accounting software for your books; sync with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Mercury and Puzzle is coming soon.
Can I move from FreshBooks to Tillage?
Yes. Export clients and invoices as CSV, import clients into Tillage, and set up your services and schedules once.
