Handl vs FreshBooks:
Built for Agencies, Not Bookkeepers
FreshBooks has been around since 2003 and is one of the most recognisable names in freelance invoicing. It does time tracking, expenses, and simple invoicing well. Handl is a newer tool built specifically for project-based agencies and freelancers who need milestone billing, automated payment chasing, and a client-facing portal — without paying per seat. If you run a digital agency or freelance business and you're evaluating both, here's an honest breakdown of where each tool wins and where it falls short.
How they stack up
An honest look at where each tool wins.
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Simple pricing vs. per-seat costs
One flat price for your whole team, or pay more for every person who touches an invoice.
- Milestone-based billing — tie invoices to project phases
- AI-driven payment reminders — automated follow-up sequences
- Client payment portal — clients pay without an account
- Change order management — log and bill scope creep
- PM integrations — Jira, Asana, Monday, ClickUp, Trello
- Accounting integrations — Xero and MYOB
- Flat pricing — $29/month for your whole team
- Lite: 5 billable clients
- Plus: 50 billable clients
- Premium: 500+ clients
- Extra users cost more per seat
- Built-in time tracking
- Expense tracking + receipt scanning
What are our strengths?
Both tools do some things really well. Here's where each one shines.
- Milestone billing built in. You can tie invoices to project phases — not just time logged. That's how most agencies actually get paid, and FreshBooks simply doesn't do it.
- AI-driven payment reminders. Handl figures out when to nudge clients and does it automatically. No more manually scheduling follow-ups or being the awkward one who has to send the third reminder.
- Client portal. Clients can see their quotes, invoices, and project status in one place. FreshBooks has no equivalent.
- Digital signatures on proposals. Send a quote, get it signed, kick off the work. No PDF ping-pong.
- Change order management. Scope creep is a fact of life. Handl lets you create and get sign-off on change orders without leaving the platform.
- PM tool integrations. Jira, Asana, Monday.com — Handl sits on top of your existing workflow instead of competing with it.
- Flat pricing. $29/month for your whole team. FreshBooks charges extra per user, which adds up.
- Revenue forecasting and project health scoring. Actual insight into whether your pipeline is healthy — not just a list of unpaid invoices.
- 30-day free trial. More time to evaluate before committing — twice as long as most competitors.
- Built-in time tracking. If you bill hourly and want everything in one app, FreshBooks has solid native time tracking — no integration needed.
- Expense tracking. Snap a photo of a receipt, done. Useful for freelancers tracking business costs.
- Mature, polished product. 20+ years in the market. The core invoicing and reporting is genuinely solid and well-refined.
- Mobile app. One of the better mobile invoicing apps available — good for people who work on the go.
- Accountant-friendly. Your accountant probably knows FreshBooks. Tax time is easier when they are already familiar with the export format.
- Lower entry price. $15/month Lite plan is cheaper than Handl if you are just starting out with a handful of clients.
- Strong reporting. Profit and loss, expense reports, tax summaries — FreshBooks covers the accounting basics well for small businesses.
When to choose each tool
Choose the right tool based on how your agency bills and what problems you're solving.
When to choose
Handl
Choose Handl if your work is project-based rather than purely hourly. If you're sending proposals, managing milestones, dealing with scope changes, or spending too much time chasing late payments — Handl is built for exactly that.
The AI-driven reminders alone are worth it for most agencies. The system figures out when clients are overdue and follows up without you having to be the one to send the awkward email. After 13 years running a digital agency, Darren built Handl specifically because that problem — the payment chasing, the uncomfortable conversations, the scope creep with no paper trail — was never solved by any tool he tried.
If you've got a team, the flat $29/month pricing also makes more sense than FreshBooks' per-user model once you're past one person.
And if you're already using Jira, Asana, Monday, Xero, Harvest, or Toggl — Handl integrates with all of them instead of trying to replace them.
When to choose
FreshBooks
FreshBooks wins if you are a solo freelancer billing simple hourly work and you want one app to handle time tracking, expenses, and invoicing without much setup. The 30-day trial, strong mobile app, and lower entry price make it a reasonable choice if project complexity is not your problem.
It is also worth considering if your accountant is already on FreshBooks — switching accounting tools mid-year is never fun. And if you are primarily billing by the hour rather than by milestone or deliverable, FreshBooks handles that workflow cleanly without the overhead of project-based billing features you would not use.
For freelancers just starting out who need to look professional and get invoices out the door quickly, FreshBooks is a solid, reliable choice that has been battle-tested by millions of users over two decades.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate my data from FreshBooks to Handl?
Yes — you can import your client list, outstanding invoices, and project data. The onboarding team can help walk you through the process during your free trial.
Does Handl replace FreshBooks entirely?
It depends on your workflow. Handl handles billing, invoicing, and client-facing payment ops. If you need FreshBooks for time tracking or expense management, you can use both. If milestone billing is your primary need, Handl replaces the invoicing side.
Is Handl more expensive than FreshBooks?
Handl starts at $29/month flat for your whole team. FreshBooks starts at $15/month but charges extra per team member and caps billable clients on lower plans. For teams of 2+, Handl is often cheaper.
Does Handl have time tracking?
Handl integrates with Harvest, Hubstaff, and Toggl for time tracking rather than building it in. This lets you keep your existing time tracking tool and connect it to billing.
Do my clients need to create an account to pay?
No. Clients receive a payment link and can pay directly without creating an account. The optional client portal shows project status and all invoices in one place.
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