You're Switching from FreshBooks.
Here's Why Translators Choose Nexa.

FreshBooks
$43/mo
$516/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 6.5 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from FreshBooks after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified translator, former FreshBooks customer

The Bottom Line

Translators on FreshBooks pay $43/month — $516/year. Over three years, that's $1,548. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 6.5 months. The median translator earns $52,000/year, so FreshBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.0% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$52,000
Median translator income
2.5%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
6.5 mo
Break-even vs FreshBooks
$1,269
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What FreshBooks Is Costing You

The Damage

FreshBooks monthly $43/mo
Annual drain $516/yr
Year 2 (at today's price) $516
Year 3 $516
3-year total $1,548

That's $1,548 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your FreshBooks subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Translators Leave FreshBooks

✗Client caps force upgrades ($5 to $50 clients is $20 jump)
✗Per-user pricing adds $132/year per team member
✗Loses all data access upon cancellation
✗Limited customization options
✗No bank reconciliation on Lite plan
✗When I canceled my FreshBooks subscription, I lost access to all my old invoices and customer data. It felt like canceli
✗Lite was useless after 2 months. Had to upgrade to Plus as soon as I crossed 5 clients.
Translators are leaving FreshBooks every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Translators

I start with the brochure because it's for a direct client and due tomorrow: 2,400 words of Spanish marketing copy into English, where half the job is making the headlines sound like they were written in English. I work in my CAT tool with the client's glossary and translation memory open so product names match last year's catalogue. By 10 I switch to the legal document for an agency, a commercial lease, where I can't be clever at all; every 'shall' matters and I check terms against the bilingual legal dictionary and the client's termbase. I leave a translator's note on a clause that cites a local statute with no English equivalent. After lunch it's the technical manual, billed by the hour, so I start a timer and research torque specifications and part names that a previous translator rendered three different ways. I query the project manager about an ambiguous diagram label and keep going while I wait. Late afternoon I proofread the brochure out loud, check numbers, dates and units, and run a QA pass for missed segments and inconsistent terms. Then the admin: the brochure client counted 2,200 words and my count says 2,400 because they skipped the captions and the back panel, so I send the breakdown. I send an agency a reminder about an invoice now 75 days out on net-60 terms, and write down my hours on the manual before I forget them.

Translators face unique challenges: Billing per word vs per hour vs per page depending on the client. Tracking time across multiple simultaneous translation projects. Translation agencies paying net-60 or net-90. Managing terminology consistency across long-term client projects. On top of all that, FreshBooks charges $43/month ($516/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median translator earns $52,000/year. Software at $516/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your CAT tools (SDL Trados, MemoQ, Smartcat) is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.

Your Full Stack Cost

FreshBooks is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact FreshBooks cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying FreshBooks $43/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $1,548 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Translator business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature FreshBooks Nexa
Invoicing ✓ ✓
Scheduling ✗ ✓
CRM ✗ ✓
Time Tracking ✓ ✓
Full Accounting ✓ ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management — ✓
Works offline — ✓
Price $43/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $1,548 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most translators are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Settings → Export Data. Download clients, invoices, expenses, and time entries.

2

Set up Nexa

15-minute setup. Import your client list and expenses from CSV.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Re-create unpaid and recurring invoices in Nexa; keep the FreshBooks export as your invoice history.

4

Cancel FreshBooks

Cancel subscription. Download a final data export for your records.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel FreshBooks when you're confident. Zero risk.

What translators actually deal with

A day in the life of a translator

I start with the brochure because it's for a direct client and due tomorrow: 2,400 words of Spanish marketing copy into English, where half the job is making the headlines sound like they were written in English. I work in my CAT tool with the client's glossary and translation memory open so product names match last year's catalogue. By 10 I switch to the legal document for an agency, a commercial lease, where I can't be clever at all; every 'shall' matters and I check terms against the bilingual legal dictionary and the client's termbase. I leave a translator's note on a clause that cites a local statute with no English equivalent. After lunch it's the technical manual, billed by the hour, so I start a timer and research torque specifications and part names that a previous translator rendered three different ways. I query the project manager about an ambiguous diagram label and keep going while I wait. Late afternoon I proofread the brochure out loud, check numbers, dates and units, and run a QA pass for missed segments and inconsistent terms. Then the admin: the brochure client counted 2,200 words and my count says 2,400 because they skipped the captions and the back panel, so I send the breakdown. I send an agency a reminder about an invoice now 75 days out on net-60 terms, and write down my hours on the manual before I forget them.

The tools a working translator actually owns

Why translators leave the big platforms

Where translators actually talk shop

Local translators on Nexa

Real translators near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a translator? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every translator on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a FreshBooks replacement for translators?

For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. FreshBooks may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

$279 seems like a lot.

It's $7.75/month over 3 years. FreshBooks is $43/month — that's $1,548 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my FreshBooks data?

Export your data from FreshBooks as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.

Translators in San Diego

The average solo operator there spends about $2,700/year on software — and translator face their own version of that math. California's high state income tax applies. Military spouse solopreneurs may benefit from SCRA protections on state taxes. California CSLB license for contractors. San Diego requires a Business Tax Certificate. Short-term rental permits tightly regulated.

Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the San Diego metro. Your situation will vary.

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Translators run into with FreshBooks, and what Nexa does instead.

✗
FreshBooks gapLimited inventory management
✓
NexaInventory tracking included for product and service businesses.
✗
FreshBooks gapNo scheduling/booking
✓
NexaBuilt-in scheduling and booking — no separate tier.
✗
FreshBooks gapBasic reporting compared to QB
✓
NexaP&L, balance sheet, and 21 reports — built in.

Where Translators Talk Shop

If you want to compare notes or see how other translators are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.

Reddit
r/TranslationStudies, r/translator, r/freelance
Forums
ProZ.com Forums, TranslatorsCafe.com
YouTube
Translation Tips, Lingo Mastery
Podcasts
Speaking of Translation, The Troublesome Terps Podcast
"FreshBooks raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Translator, switched from FreshBooks

Stop Losing $516/Year to FreshBooks

$1,548 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Still want FreshBooks?

We think Nexa is the better deal at $279 once vs $43/mo. But if you've decided on FreshBooks, here's the link. No hard feelings.

FreshBooks — $43/mo →

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