Ekue vs FreshBooks
A straightforward comparison of Ekue and FreshBooks to help you choose the right FreshBooks alternative for your small business.
FreshBooks is popular among freelancers and solo businesses for its ease of use and strong invoicing features. It's particularly well-suited for time tracking and client billing. However, businesses that need full double-entry accounting, robust financial reports, or multi-company support often find FreshBooks limiting as they grow.
Ekue is a cloud-based accounting platform that bridges the gap between simplicity and accounting depth. If you're looking for a FreshBooks alternative that offers proper financial reporting and audit trails without the complexity of enterprise software, here's how the two compare.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ekue | FreshBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $19/month | $19/month (Lite — 5 billable clients) |
| Client/Customer Limits | Unlimited customers on all plans | 5 clients on Lite; 50 on Plus; unlimited on Premium |
| Users Included | 3 users on Starter, unlimited on Business | 1 user on Lite; team members cost extra |
| Accounting Model | Full double-entry accounting | Simplified accounting; double-entry added later |
| Invoicing | ✓ Create, send, track | ✓ Create, send, track (core strength) |
| Time Tracking | ✗ Not included | ✓ Built-in time tracking |
| Expense Tracking | ✓ Categorization & reporting | ✓ Categorization & receipt capture |
| Financial Reports | ✓ P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Trial Balance | Basic P&L and tax summary; no trial balance |
| Chart of Accounts | ✓ Fully customizable, hierarchical | Limited chart of accounts management |
| Journal Entries | ✓ Manual adjusting entries | ✗ Not supported |
| Multi-User Roles | ✓ Granular, role-based permissions | Limited roles; team member access is basic |
| Audit Logs | ✓ Built-in on every transaction | ✗ No audit trail feature |
| Multi-Currency | ✓ Included on all plans | Available on Plus and above |
| Multi-Company | ✓ Pro (3) and Business (unlimited) | Separate accounts required per business |
| Bank Reconciliation | ✓ Manual & account management | ✓ Automatic bank connections |
| Data Ownership | ✓ Full export anytime, no lock-in | Export available; limited formats |
| Support | Email & in-app (real people) | Email, phone (business hours) |
Who Is Each Platform For?
Ekue is a good fit if you…
- Need full double-entry accounting with journal entries
- Want comprehensive financial reports (P&L, balance sheet, trial balance)
- Require audit logs for compliance or accountability
- Manage multiple companies under one account
- Need granular role-based permissions for your team
- Want unlimited customers without tier restrictions
- Are outgrowing FreshBooks as your business scales
FreshBooks may be better if you…
- Bill by the hour and need built-in time tracking
- Are a solo freelancer who primarily needs invoicing
- Want automatic bank connections from day one
- Prefer phone support during business hours
- Need project-based billing features
- Don't require detailed financial statements or journal entries
How to Switch from FreshBooks to Ekue
Moving your data from FreshBooks is a straightforward process.
Export Your Data from FreshBooks
In FreshBooks, navigate to each section (Clients, Invoices, Expenses) and use the export function to download CSV files. You can also request a full data export from FreshBooks support.
Create Your Ekue Account
Sign up and configure your company profile — fiscal year, base currency, and tax settings. Set up your chart of accounts to match your business structure.
Import Your Data
Upload your CSV exports into Ekue. Import your chart of accounts first, then customers, vendors, and transaction history. The import tool handles column mapping automatically.
Verify Your Balances
Compare key totals between FreshBooks and Ekue. Since FreshBooks doesn't support trial balance reports, compare your P&L and outstanding invoice totals to ensure accuracy.
Invite Your Team
Add team members and assign roles with Ekue's granular permissions — a significant upgrade from FreshBooks' basic access controls.
Need a hand? Contact our support team and we'll help you make the switch smoothly.
Switching FAQs
Compare Ekue to Other Platforms
See how Ekue stacks up against other popular accounting tools.