A flat-price alternative to FreshBooks — without the client caps.
PayPolka covers the billing layer FreshBooks users actually live in — estimates, invoices, payments — at one flat price with unlimited clients and three users included, through your own Stripe account.
14-day refund for new accounts. Cancel anytime.
PayPolka vs. FreshBooks at a glance
FreshBooks is accounting software that grew out of invoicing; PayPolka is the estimate-to-paid workflow and nothing else. If you spend your FreshBooks time in estimates, invoices, and payments — and your bookkeeping happens elsewhere — you may be paying for a ledger you don't use, by the client cap and by the seat. Pricing changes and promos come and go — verified as of June 2026:
| PayPolka | FreshBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (regular) | $5/mo beta (locked for life), $9/mo standard — one plan | Lite $23/mo · Plus $43/mo · Premium $70/mo (frequent intro promos) |
| Billable clients | Unlimited | Lite: 5 · Plus: 50 · Premium: unlimited |
| Team members | Up to 3 included | $11/mo per additional user, every plan |
| Card processing | Your own Stripe account, Stripe's standard rates, no markup | FreshBooks Payments ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction |
| ACH | Via your Stripe account, Stripe's standard ACH pricing | 1% per bank transfer |
| Estimates accepted online | Public link, typed signature, timestamp + IP, terms acknowledgment | Estimates with client approval |
| Deposit & progress billing | Deposit, progress, and final invoices tracked against the estimate | Deposits/retainers (plan-dependent) |
| Double-entry accounting | — (billing layer only) | Yes, from Plus up |
| Time tracking & expenses | — | Yes |
| Payroll | — | Add-on, from $40/mo + $6/user |
FreshBooks details from freshbooks.com plan pages and FreshBooks Payments fee documentation, as of June 2026. FreshBooks is a trademark of its owner; PayPolka is not affiliated with FreshBooks.
When FreshBooks is the better choice
If you need real double-entry accounting, expense and time tracking, project profitability, or payroll in the same login — that's what FreshBooks is for, and PayPolka doesn't pretend to do any of it. Choose FreshBooks when billing is one tab of your accounting life. Choose PayPolka when billing is the job: estimates clients sign online, staged invoicing that reconciles to the quote, and payment links that settle into your own Stripe account.
See how the staged billing works on the deposit & progress invoicing page, or the full picture in the invoicing software guide.
Where PayPolka is the better fit
No client caps, ever
FreshBooks Lite caps you at 5 billable clients and Plus at 50 — outgrow the cap and your price jumps. PayPolka has unlimited clients on its one plan: $5/month during beta, $9 standard.
Three users included, not $11 each
FreshBooks charges $11/month per additional team member on every plan. PayPolka includes up to three users — an owner, a partner, an office manager — in the flat price.
Built around the estimate, not the ledger
FreshBooks is accounting software with invoicing attached. PayPolka is the estimate-to-paid workflow: clients accept estimates online with a typed signature, then you bill a deposit, progress, and the final balance — each tracked against the estimate.
Your own Stripe account, no markup
FreshBooks Payments processes in-app at about 2.9% + $0.30 per card and 1% per ACH transfer. PayPolka connects your own Stripe account at Stripe's standard rates — PayPolka adds nothing, and you can pass the fee through to the client.
An invoice paid by card through the business's own Stripe account.
FreshBooks vs. PayPolka, answered.
Is PayPolka cheaper than FreshBooks?
At regular prices, substantially: $5/month during beta ($9 standard) with unlimited clients and 3 users included, versus FreshBooks at $23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients) to $70/month (Premium) plus $11/month per extra team member, as of June 2026. FreshBooks runs deep promotional discounts for the first few months — compare against the regular price you'll actually pay.
What does FreshBooks have that PayPolka doesn't?
A lot — FreshBooks is a full accounting platform. Double-entry bookkeeping, expense and receipt tracking, time tracking, project profitability, mileage, payroll add-ons, and accountant access. If you need your books, time, and billing in one system, FreshBooks is the bigger tool. PayPolka deliberately covers only the billing layer: estimates, invoices, payments, receivables, and sales-tax summaries.
Can I do deposits and progress billing in PayPolka like FreshBooks retainers?
PayPolka's staged billing is built for job work rather than retainers-as-accounting: bill a deposit from the accepted estimate, invoice progress as the work moves, and send the final balance in one click, all reconciled against the estimate. For true recurring retainers, recurring invoices generate drafts you review and send.
Do my clients get a portal?
Yes — a public client portal shows their invoices, balances, and payment history, and every invoice carries a payment link for card, ACH, or Cash App Pay through your own Stripe account. Cash and check payments can be recorded manually.
I still need real bookkeeping. Can I use both?
That's the honest setup for many businesses: PayPolka for getting work estimated, invoiced, and paid; QuickBooks, Xero, or your accountant's preferred ledger for the books. PayPolka's accounting summaries (invoiced, collected, outstanding, sales tax) cover most of what your accountant asks for at year-end.
Is there a free trial?
No trial and no free tier — $5/month during beta, billed at signup, with a 14-day refund for new accounts and cancel-anytime. The beta rate is locked for life while you stay subscribed.
Unlimited clients. One flat price.
Start for $5/month during beta and lock that rate in for life. Connect your own Stripe account and send your first estimate today.
14-day refund for new accounts. Cancel anytime.