QuickBooks vs FreshBooks vs Wave: Best Accounting Software for Photographers and Videographers
Your photography or videography business isn't just about capturing moments; it's about managing money. Your accounting software is where your financial reality lives. Tax time is too late to discover you’ve been using the wrong tool. QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and Wave serve different business sizes and operating models for creative professionals. The right choice now prevents a painful migration later, letting you focus on your lens work instead of spreadsheets.
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The quick answer
Use QuickBooks if your photography or videography business has complex needs like hiring second shooters (payroll), tracking expensive gear (inventory), or managing income and costs for big projects like a multi-day wedding package or commercial shoot. Use FreshBooks if you are a service-focused photographer or videographer who mainly needs simple invoicing, tracking hours spent editing, and seeing how profitable each client project (like a portrait session or a real estate video) actually is. Use Wave if you're just starting out, maybe doing a few shoots a month, and need free basic accounting to track income from early clients and expenses like new memory cards or lens rentals without a monthly fee.
Side-by-side breakdown
QuickBooks Online is the most complete accounting system for photo/video studios. It helps you manage client invoices for wedding packages, track gear expenses like a new Canon R5 camera or DJI drone, reconcile your bank accounts, handle payroll for your editing team, track the value of your camera bodies and lenses (inventory), and prepare for tax season. Most accountants who work with creative businesses know QuickBooks best. Plans start around $30/month.
FreshBooks is designed for freelancers and small creative agencies. Its invoicing is top-notch for sending professional-looking quotes and invoices for portrait sessions or commercial video projects. Its built-in time tracking helps you bill accurately for editing hours, and its project reports show if a real estate shoot or a social media content retainer was truly profitable after all your time and costs. Plans start around $17/month.
Wave offers free accounting for single-person photo/video operations. It lets you track payments from clients, log expenses like Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions or hard drive purchases, and send basic invoices without a monthly fee. You can add payroll if you hire a freelance assistant, but it costs extra. Wave is great for simple needs, but it doesn't have as many features or connections to other apps as paid options.
When to choose QuickBooks
QuickBooks is the smart choice when your photography or videography business gets more complex. This means if you have several ways you make money (e.g., wedding packages, commercial shoots, selling prints, licensing stock footage), if you need to track expensive gear like a new Sony a7III or a set of cine lenses, or if you hire other photographers, videographers, or editors for your projects. It’s also ideal for managing costs and income for big projects, like a full wedding weekend package or a multi-location real estate video tour. If you plan to hire an accountant specializing in creative businesses, they will likely prefer you use QuickBooks, as it's their go-to system.
When to choose FreshBooks
FreshBooks is perfect for freelance photographers and videographers who need simple, powerful tools without the extra complexity of QuickBooks. If you bill clients by the hour for editing work or by project for portrait sessions, event coverage, or content creation retainers, FreshBooks shines. Its easy-to-use invoicing system means you can send professional-looking bills fast. The built-in time tracking helps you accurately log hours spent on a commercial shoot or editing a wedding film. You can quickly see if each photo session or video project was truly profitable, helping you price future work better. It’s ideal if you’re a solopreneur or a small team focused on client services.
When to choose Wave
Wave is the best starting point for new photographers or videographers, especially if you're just getting your first few clients or doing small gigs. If you're pre-revenue (not making money yet) or a solopreneur shooting a few family portraits or local event videos a month, Wave lets you track your income and expenses like gas for shoots, new SD cards, or your monthly website hosting, all for free. It’s great for getting a handle on basic finances without a monthly subscription. Once you start hiring a second shooter or editor, buy a lot of expensive new gear (like a $4000 camera body), or bring on an accountant, you'll need to upgrade to a more powerful system like QuickBooks or FreshBooks.
The verdict
QuickBooks: Best for established photo/video studios with employees (second shooters, editors), expensive gear to track (camera bodies, lenses, drones), or diverse income streams (weddings, commercial, prints).
FreshBooks: Ideal for freelance photographers or videographers who bill by project or hour and want great invoicing and clear project profitability for shoots like portraits, real estate, or events.
Wave: Perfect for new or very small solo photographers/videographers who need free, basic tracking of income from initial gigs and everyday expenses like memory cards.
Think of QuickBooks as your long-term solution for a growing photography or videography business. It’s usually easier to switch earlier rather than trying to move all your financial records later when your business is much bigger.
How to get started
Start with Wave if you're just doing your first few photo or video gigs or are still building your client base. Aim to switch to QuickBooks or FreshBooks before you hire your first freelance editor or second shooter, or when your gear investment grows significantly (e.g., beyond $5,000 in equipment). Connect your dedicated business bank account and credit card to your chosen software from day one. Reconcile your transactions for the first month to get into a good habit. When your first tax season rolls around, you'll quickly see if your chosen accounting setup makes filing easy or a headache.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
QuickBooks Online
The industry-standard small business accounting platform
FreshBooks
Invoicing and project profitability for service businesses
Wave
Free double-entry accounting for small businesses
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use Wave and then switch to QuickBooks?
Yes, but the migration requires exporting data and re-entering or importing into QuickBooks. Do it before your first tax year ends so you have clean records. Many bookkeepers charge a fixed fee to handle the migration.
Do I need a bookkeeper if I use accounting software?
Accounting software records transactions. A bookkeeper reconciles, categorizes, and ensures the records are accurate. For businesses with significant revenue, a part-time bookkeeper saves more than their cost in avoided errors and tax savings.
What is the difference between accounting software and invoicing software?
Invoicing software creates and tracks invoices but does not do double-entry bookkeeping. Accounting software maintains a general ledger, income statement, and balance sheet. You need accounting software, not just invoicing, for tax compliance.
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