FreshBooks vs Square
FreshBooks
Cloud accounting and invoicing for freelancers and small businesses
From$23/mo
LiteVerified Sep 26, 2026
Square
Point of sale and payment processing for restaurants, retail, and services
From$0/mo
FreeVerified Sep 26, 2026
How they differ
| Feature | FreshBooks | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $23/moLite | $0/moFree |
| Free plan | Not stated | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Not stated |
| Invoicing & payments | ||
| Accounting & bookkeeping | — | |
| Point of sale | — | |
| Suits | plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians, roofers, landscapers | restaurants, salons & spas |
Users on the horizontal axis. Entry plans only, from verified prices; yearly prices divided by 12; vendor minimums applied. Taxes and add-ons excluded.
FreshBooks
Strengths
- 30-day free trial with no credit card required
- Three published monthly tiers, from Lite to Premium
- Promotional discounted pricing available for new subscribers
Drawbacks
- Regular (non-promotional) pricing is noticeably higher than the introductory rate
- Top Select tier is custom/quote-only
Square
Strengths
- Free plan with no monthly fee; only pay processing fees per transaction
- Works across restaurants, retail, and appointment-based services
- Paid Plus and Premium tiers add more advanced features
Drawbacks
- Exact Plus/Premium subscription prices and processing rates are not published as static text (the pricing page loads them dynamically)
- Custom pricing (Square Pro) only kicks in above $250,000 in annual processing volume
Frequently asked questions
What do FreshBooks and Square have in common?
Both cover invoicing & payments.
Is FreshBooks cheaper than Square?
On entry plans for one user, FreshBooks costs $23 a month and Square $0, so Square is cheaper to start. The gap changes with team size and billing terms; see the chart above.