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BigCapital vs FreshBooks

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.

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BigCapital
BigCapitalOpen-source accounting software — a self-hosted alternative to QuickBooks and Xero
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FreshBooks
FreshBooksInvoicing-first accounting for freelancers and service businesses.
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Overview
Description

Bigcapital is an open-source financial and accounting platform for small and medium businesses. It handles double-entry bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking and financial reporting, positioning itself as a self-hostable alternative to QuickBooks, Xero and Wave. With multi-currency support, automated financial statements and inventory tracking, Bigcapital gives businesses full control over their books without vendor lock-in.

FreshBooks is accounting software designed around invoicing, time tracking, and expenses for freelancers and small service-based businesses. It emphasizes ease of use over accounting complexity.

Pricing
Free
Paid (Subscription)

Plans from about $19/month.

Category
Accounting & Finance
Accounting & Finance
Best for
Small and medium businesses
Freelancers and small service businesses
Specifications
deployment
Cloud/SaaS
Cloud/SaaS
open source
Yes
No
github stars
3,794
—
api available
Yes
Yes
support options
Email, Live Chat, Phone
—
key integrations
QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite
—
primary language
TypeScript
—
platforms
—
Web, iOS, Android
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Free and open-source alternative to QuickBooks/Xero
  • Self-hostable for full data ownership
  • Intelligent financial reporting
  • Multi-currency support
  • Very easy to use
  • Great invoicing experience
  • Good for freelancers
  • Nice mobile app
Cons
  • Requires self-hosting and technical setup
  • Smaller ecosystem than commercial incumbents
  • Feature set still maturing
  • Less full-featured accounting
  • Per-client pricing can add up
  • Not ideal for inventory-heavy businesses
Community & Metrics
Upvotes
0
2
User rating
Not enough data
4.0 (4)

What reviewers say

BigCapital Reviews

No reviews yet.

FreshBooks Reviews

4.0 (4)
Anonymous

Great accounting

We rolled out FreshBooks last quarter. Good for freelancers. Minor gripe: not ideal for inventory-heavy businesses. Would recommend.

Anonymous

Solid choice

Been using FreshBooks for a while. Nice mobile app. Minor gripe: not ideal for inventory-heavy businesses. Would recommend.

Anonymous

Recommend FreshBooks

We rolled out FreshBooks last quarter. Very easy to use. No real complaints. Would recommend.

Read all reviews →

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Odoo
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Alternatives to FreshBooks

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Xero
Xero

Cloud accounting built for small businesses and advisors.

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Wave
Wave

Free accounting and invoicing for very small businesses.

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QuickBooks
QuickBooks

Small-business accounting and bookkeeping.

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The Verdict

AI-generated from listing data

FreshBooks offers a ready‑to‑use, invoicing‑centric SaaS for freelancers, while BigCapital provides a free, self‑hosted open‑source suite that requires technical setup.

Key differences

  • •Pricing model: FreshBooks is subscription‑based; BigCapital is free but self‑hosted.
  • •Deployment: FreshBooks runs in the cloud; BigCapital must be installed on your own servers.
  • •Target audience depth: FreshBooks focuses on freelancers and small service firms; BigCapital aims at SMBs needing full bookkeeping, inventory, and multi‑currency.
  • •Setup complexity: FreshBooks works out‑of‑the‑box; BigCapital requires technical expertise to install and maintain.
  • •Data ownership: FreshBooks stores data in its SaaS; BigCapital gives you complete control via self‑hosting.
DimensionWinner

Pricing & value

BigCapital is free, whereas FreshBooks starts at about $19/month per subscription.

BigCapital

Ease of use / learning curve

FreshBooks is described as very easy to use with a polished mobile app; BigCapital needs self‑hosting setup.

FreshBooks

Features & depth

BigCapital includes double‑entry bookkeeping, inventory, multi‑currency, and full financial statements; FreshBooks is invoicing‑first with limited accounting.

BigCapital

Integrations & ecosystem

BigCapital lists integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite; FreshBooks integrations not specified.

BigCapital

Collaboration

FreshBooks’ cloud SaaS enables easy sharing; BigCapital’s self‑hosted model may require extra configuration for team access.

FreshBooks

Scalability

BigCapital supports inventory, multi‑currency, and larger SMB needs; FreshBooks is geared toward freelancers and small services.

BigCapital

Support

BigCapital offers email, live chat, and phone support; FreshBooks support options not specified.

BigCapital

Choose BigCapital if…

SMBs needing full accounting, inventory, multi‑currency, and data ownership, and who have technical resources.

Choose FreshBooks if…

Freelancers or tiny service firms that want instant, hassle‑free invoicing.

Common questions

What are the ongoing costs?

FreshBooks requires a paid subscription (starting around $19/month); BigCapital is free to use.

Do I need technical staff to run the software?

FreshBooks runs fully in the cloud with no setup; BigCapital must be self‑hosted, requiring technical expertise.

Can I track inventory and multiple currencies?

Yes, BigCapital includes inventory and multi‑currency support; FreshBooks does not offer these features.