The FreshBooks alternative that actually knows NZ GST
FreshBooks is a beautifully designed invoicing tool, built for the US and Canadian market. PayWren gives you everything FreshBooks does, plus the New Zealand parts FreshBooks ignores: automatic 15% GST, IRD-compliant tax invoices, a GST return summary, and NZBN lookup. And it starts at $0 instead of USD $19.
Pick FreshBooks if: you're based in the US/Canada, work primarily with US clients, and want time-tracking and project management bundled in.
Pick PayWren if: you invoice in NZD, pay NZ GST, and want a tool that's built for IRD rules, not retrofitted for them.
Pricing: the honest comparison
FreshBooks USD pricing as of May 2026. NZD conversions are approximate.
| Plan tier | FreshBooks | PayWren (NZ) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ❌ Not available | ✅ Unlimited invoices, unlimited clients |
| Entry | Lite $19 USD/mo (~$31 NZD), limited to 5 clients | Solo $12/mo NZD, unlimited |
| Mid | Plus $38 USD/mo (~$62 NZD), 50 clients | Pro $29/mo NZD, unlimited |
| Top | Premium $65 USD/mo (~$107 NZD) | Agency $59/mo NZD |
| NZ GST built in | ❌ Manual workaround | ✅ Automatic |
| IRD-compliant tax invoice | ❌ Generic template | ✅ Built to spec |
Plus you're paying foreign currency conversion fees on every monthly subscription charge. The Lite plan caps you at 5 clients. If you're a freelancer with 6+ clients, you're forced onto Plus immediately: ~$62 NZD/month for what PayWren gives you free.
Feature comparison
| Feature | FreshBooks | PayWren |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ||
| IRD-compliant tax invoices | Partial | ✅ |
| Unlimited invoices on the free plan | ❌ No free plan | ✅ |
| AI invoice drafting from plain English | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom invoice branding (logo, colours) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Quotes / estimates | ✅ | On roadmap |
| Recurring invoices | ✅ | On roadmap |
| Branded email delivery | ✅ | ✅ |
| GST & NZ tax | ||
| Automatic 15% GST (inclusive or exclusive) | Manual setup | ✅ |
| GST return with IRD box numbers (5/6/11/13) | ❌ | ✅ Free plan |
| GST anomaly & tax insights | ❌ | ✅ |
| Provisional tax estimate | ❌ | ✅ |
| Withholding tax (RWT/WT) handling | ❌ | ✅ Manual |
| Accountant export pack (PDF/CSV) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Expenses | ||
| AI receipt scanning | ✅ | ✅ |
| Expense auto-classification | Partial | ✅ |
| Bank statement import (NZ banks) | Limited | ✅ Pro+ |
| Mileage / vehicle logbook | ✅ | ✅ |
| Payments | ||
| Stripe payment links | ✅ | On roadmap |
| Paid into your own bank account | ✅ | ✅ |
| Automation & platform | ||
| Automated overdue reminders | ✅ | ✅ |
| NZBN business register lookup | ❌ | ✅ |
| ABN/ABR lookup (Australia) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Native iOS app | ✅ | ✅ |
| Team workspaces with roles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Time tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Multi-currency invoices | ✅ | On roadmap |
Who's actually switching from FreshBooks to PayWren
The pattern we see most:
- "I started on FreshBooks because it looked nicest." GST registration hit at the $60k threshold and they realized they were doing GST math manually every quarter
- "I was paying in USD and didn't realize how much." Exchange rate fluctuation made budgeting impossible
- "My Kiwi accountant couldn't make sense of my FreshBooks reports." Accountants here want NZ-formatted reports, not US ones
Switching from FreshBooks to PayWren
- Export your client list from FreshBooks as CSV
- Sign up for PayWren free and import the CSV
- Set your GST registration so PayWren handles 15% on future invoices
- Send your next invoice from PayWren: your clients get an IRD-compliant version
- Run both for one GST quarter to make sure your numbers reconcile
- Cancel FreshBooks when you're confident
Frequently asked questions
Doesn't FreshBooks have NZ GST support now?
You can manually add a 15% line item to invoices and call it "GST", but FreshBooks doesn't generate IRD-compliant tax invoices, doesn't calculate your GST return, and doesn't recognise GST registration thresholds. Workable but painful.
Is PayWren as polished as FreshBooks?
FreshBooks has had 20+ years to refine UX. PayWren is younger but built specifically for NZ workflows, so common tasks (filing GST, chasing overdue, claiming WT) are faster. You can judge for yourself on the free plan.
Can I do time tracking in PayWren?
Not yet. If time tracking is core to your workflow and you don't mind doing GST manually, FreshBooks is still a reasonable choice today. We're building time tracking. Join our roadmap newsletter to know when it ships.
Does PayWren support multi-currency invoicing?
Multi-currency is on the roadmap. If you invoice clients in USD/GBP/EUR regularly, that's a real gap right now.
How does PayWren handle US clients if I'm a Kiwi freelancer?
You can invoice US clients in NZD with no GST (if they're outside NZ, it's zero-rated). PayWren handles the zero-rating correctly so it appears in the right box on your GST return.
NZ freelancer? Start with a tool built for here.
Free unlimited invoicing. Automatic GST. IRD-compliant from day one.
Get started free, no credit card