OnBrio
Start free. No card needed→
Head-to-Head Comparison

17hats vs FreshBooks: which fits your business in 2026?

17hats is a small-business CRM with quotes, contracts, and invoices in one flow; FreshBooks is accounting software with stronger invoicing, expenses, and reports but no CRM, proposals, or contracts. Choose 17hats to manage clients, FreshBooks to manage books — or a combined platform if you would rather not run two subscriptions.

Start free. No card needed→No credit card required

At a glance

17hats is a legacy small-business CRM for solo service providers — quotes, contracts, and invoices with basic automations, at $45 per month. FreshBooks is accounting-first software: strong invoicing and expense tracking for small businesses, with light project features layered on top.

Feature17hatsFreshBooksOnBrio
Starting price$45/mo$19/mo$29/mo (free plan available)
Transaction fees on paymentsProcessor fees applyProcessor fees applyNone
Proposals + e-signatureIncluded×Included
ContractsIncluded×Included
Client portalBasic×White-label
CRM pipelineBasic×Full
Project management×BasicFull
Kanban / Gantt views××Included
Time tracking → invoiceBasicBasicIncluded
InvoicingIncludedIncludedIncluded
Automation builderBasic×All paid plans
AI assistant××Agency Brain
Team seatsSolo onlyPaid add-on per member5 on Agency plan
Mobile app×IncludedIncluded

Who should pick which?

Pick 17hats if you are:

  • Solo photographers
  • Established small service businesses
  • Simple quote → contract → invoice flow

Pick FreshBooks if you are:

  • Bookkeeping-first solo businesses
  • Expense tracking
  • Simple hourly invoicing

Pick OnBrio if you need:

  • Proposals, contracts, portal, projects, and invoicing in one workspace
  • Kanban and Gantt project views with team seats
  • Time tracking that flows straight to invoices
  • A white-label client portal under your brand
  • No transaction fees on client payments

Trade-offs to know before you decide

17hats limitations

  • Dated interface and solo-only focus
  • No project management views
  • No mobile app
  • Setup takes days to weeks

FreshBooks limitations

  • No proposals or e-signatures
  • No contracts
  • No client portal
  • No CRM pipeline — it is accounting software, not a client OS

Comparing other tools? See all OnBrio comparisons or the deep dives on 17hats alternatives and FreshBooks alternatives.

FAQ

Common questions.

17hats is a small-business CRM with quotes, contracts, and invoices in one flow; FreshBooks is accounting software with stronger invoicing, expenses, and reports but no CRM, proposals, or contracts. Choose 17hats to manage clients, FreshBooks to manage books — or a combined platform if you would rather not run two subscriptions.
17hats starts at $45/mo. FreshBooks starts at $19–$55/mo. Pricing was checked on each vendor's site (2026-06-01) and may change — verify before buying.
OnBrio combines proposals with e-signatures, contracts, a white-label client portal, full project management, time tracking that flows to invoices, and invoicing with no transaction fees, starting at $29/mo with a free plan.

Skip the 17hats-or-FreshBooks dilemma.

OnBrio covers client workflow, delivery, and billing in one workspace. Start free — no card needed.

Start free. No card needed→No credit card required