FreshBooks wins on more features overall (4 vs 1, 14 tied). Below is the full feature-by-feature breakdown.
| Feature | FreshBooks | Refrens |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan |
✗ No
30-day trial only
|
✓ Yes
Branded free tier
|
| Entry paid plan |
— Paid add-on
AU$17/mo Lite, AU$30/mo Plus
|
— Paid add-on
Pro ~AU$8/mo
|
| Download PDF without signup |
✗ No
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | FreshBooks | Refrens |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited invoices |
— Limited
Lite plan caps at 5 clients
|
— Limited
|
| Custom logo & branding |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Recurring invoices |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Email invoices to clients |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Multi-currency |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Client management |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Feature | FreshBooks | Refrens |
|---|---|---|
| ATO-compliant GST invoices |
— Limited
Configurable but not ATO-formatted by default
|
— Limited
|
| ABN field built in |
— Limited
Manual setup via custom fields
|
— Limited
Custom field workaround
|
| Australian-focused support |
✗ No
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | FreshBooks | Refrens |
|---|---|---|
| Bank reconciliation |
✓ Yes
Plus plan and above
|
✗ No
|
| Expense tracking |
✓ Yes
|
— Limited
|
| Payroll |
— Limited
US-only via Gusto integration
|
✗ No
|
| Inventory tracking |
✗ No
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | FreshBooks | Refrens |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe payments |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Mobile app |
✓ Yes
|
— Limited
|
| Feature | FreshBooks | Refrens |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time |
— Limited
~15 min onboarding
|
— Limited
Account signup required
|
Neither tool fits your invoicing-only workflow? Try InvoiceSonic — free for unlimited ATO-compliant tax invoices, no signup required.
Create a free invoice now →FreshBooks starts at AU$17/mo (Lite); Refrens starts at Free; Pro from ~AU$8/mo. FreshBooks offers 30-day free trial. Refrens offers free unlimited invoices (with branding).
For ATO-compliant GST: FreshBooks = limited, Refrens = limited. For native ABN field: FreshBooks = limited, Refrens = limited. If you operate in Australia and either tool falls short here, InvoiceSonic handles both natively — and it's free.
Most freelancers want fast invoicing without paying for full accounting. Between these two, FreshBooks wins more categories overall. But if you're a freelancer who just wants ATO-compliant tax invoices for free, InvoiceSonic is purpose-built for that workflow.
Both FreshBooks and Refrens let you export client lists and invoice history (usually as CSV). Migration takes an afternoon for most small businesses. If you're considering switching anyway, it might be worth evaluating InvoiceSonic as a free alternative for invoicing while keeping your accountant's tool of choice for bookkeeping.
Both tools are accounting-first platforms; their invoicing modules are a subset of what they do. If invoicing is your only need, a free dedicated invoice generator like InvoiceSonic is usually faster, cheaper, and more focused — without paying for bookkeeping, payroll, or inventory features you won't use.
Yes — InvoiceSonic is free for unlimited Australian-compliant invoices with no signup required for PDF download. You can run it alongside or instead of paid accounting platforms.