Best Accounting Software for Freelancers and Independent Creators: Wave, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Compared
As a freelancer or independent creator (writer, designer, photographer), knowing your money is crucial. You need to track client payments, software subscriptions (like Adobe or Grammarly), and equipment costs. Wave, FreshBooks, and QuickBooks can all help with this. But which one fits your creative business, budget, and where you're headed? This guide helps you pick the right tool for your freelance journey.
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The quick answer
Wave is the best free option for new freelancers, writers, or graphic designers just starting out, managing simple income and expenses. FreshBooks is the best for independent service providers like social media managers or video editors who rely on invoices and need to track hours per project. QuickBooks is the standard for established creators with higher revenue, multiple income streams (e.g., courses, ad revenue, client work), or those ready to work with an accountant for easier tax preparation.
Side-by-side breakdown
Wave: Completely free for invoicing clients, tracking expenses like your Squarespace subscription or camera gear, and scanning receipts. Only charges small fees if you accept online credit card payments directly through their system from clients. Reports are basic—good for seeing total income vs. expenses, but not deep project profitability. Ideal for freelancers making under $5,000 a month with straightforward finances—think early-stage writers, photographers, or designers.
FreshBooks: Starts around $19/month. Excellent for sending professional invoices, tracking hours spent on client projects (like editing videos or managing social media accounts), and seeing how profitable each project is. Built specifically for creative service providers. Not ideal if you sell physical products or manage inventory, but perfect for your service-based work.
QuickBooks: Starts around $35/month. The industry standard. Almost every bookkeeper and accountant understands it, which is great for tax time. Handles payroll (if you hire a virtual assistant), detailed tax prep, and offers deep reports. Good if you have multiple income streams like client work, course sales, and affiliate income. It takes longer to learn but gives you the most complete financial picture.
When to choose Wave
Choose Wave if you're just starting your freelance journey, pre-revenue, or earning under $5,000 a month. It’s perfect if your budget is tight and you just need to send invoices, track payments from clients, and log expenses like your domain name, website hosting, or design software. Its free features are truly useful. Move to something else when your income grows, you need detailed project reports, or you hire a virtual assistant and need payroll.
When to choose QuickBooks
Choose QuickBooks when your freelance business is bringing in significant revenue, you have complex income (e.g., client work, YouTube ad revenue, digital product sales), or you hire other freelancers (like an editor or assistant) and need to pay them. It’s also the go-to if your accountant recommends it, which they often do for easier tax preparation during tax season.
The verdict
Start with Wave if you are under $5,000/month (or just starting out) and want a free, simple tool. Move to FreshBooks if you're a service-based creator (like a social media strategist or photographer) earning $5,000-$15,000/month, sending many invoices, and tracking time per project. Switch to QuickBooks when your freelance income is consistent and higher (e.g., over $15,000/month), your finances get complicated, or your tax professional advises it.
How to get started
Open a Wave account today. Connect your dedicated freelance bank account and credit cards. Take 30 minutes to categorize your last month's transactions, from client payments to software subscriptions (like your Adobe Creative Cloud or Zoom plan) and co-working space fees. This simple step of seeing exactly where your creative income goes and comes from is more valuable than any pricing strategy. You can't improve your freelance finances if you don't track them.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Wave
Free accounting, invoicing, and receipt tracking — no monthly fee
FreshBooks
Best invoicing and time tracking for service businesses
QuickBooks
Industry standard — works with every bookkeeper and accountant
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I switch from Wave to QuickBooks later without losing data?
Yes. You can export your chart of accounts and transaction history from Wave and import into QuickBooks. The migration takes a few hours and is worth doing at a fiscal year boundary to keep your records clean.
Does Wave really have no monthly fee?
Wave's core accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning features are free. Wave charges transaction fees when customers pay invoices through the platform (similar to Stripe or PayPal). Payroll is a paid add-on starting at $20/month.
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