FreshBooks is $15/mo (Lite). Billfold is a self-hosted alternative at $0.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.
| Billfold | FreshBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted, your infra | Managed SaaS (cloud only) |
| Data location | Your server, your disk | FreshBooks's cloud |
| Free tier | 5 invoices/mo | Paid only |
| Pro pricing | $0.99/mo | $15/mo (Lite) |
| Dependencies | None (single binary + SQLite) | N/A (managed) |
| Setup time | ~30 seconds | Account signup |
| Dashboard | Built-in at /ui | Cloud dashboard |
| License | BSL 1.1 | Proprietary SaaS |
Billfold is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.
curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/billfold/install.sh | sh
Teams evaluating FreshBooks alongside Billfold tend to split on two axes: feature depth and data residency. FreshBooks wins on feature depth — it is a mature product with integrations, mobile apps, and a dedicated support team. Billfold wins on residency — your invoice generator data lives on your server in a SQLite file you can inspect, back up, and migrate without asking anyone for permission.
The operational difference is significant. FreshBooks requires you to trust their infrastructure, their security practices, and their business continuity. Billfold requires you to run a process and keep the data directory backed up. If your server dies, restore the binary and the SQLite file to a new server. The entire recovery procedure fits in a single paragraph because there is nothing else involved.
The migration path from FreshBooks depends on how much history you need to bring over. If you only need active records, a manual re-entry through Billfold's dashboard might be faster than writing a migration script. If you need full history, export from FreshBooks and use Billfold's POST API to import records. Either way, the process is measured in hours, not weeks.
Single binary. Free to start. $0.99/mo for Pro.