Luthiers 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 luthier earns $40,000/year, so FreshBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.3% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
That's $1,548 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Luthiers face unique challenges: Custom builds take 100-300 hours over months. Tonewood costs are high and sourcing is inconsistent. Repair work has different economics than custom builds. Clients want progress updates but there's no project tracking. On top of all that, FreshBooks charges $43/month ($516/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median luthier earns $40,000/year. Software at $516/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Specialized hand tools (fret files, nut files, radius gauges) 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.
FreshBooks is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
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Your exact FreshBooks cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
| 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 |
Most luthiers are fully switched before the weekend.
Go to Settings → Export Data. Download clients, invoices, expenses, and time entries.
15-minute setup. Import your client list and expenses from CSV.
Run both for 1-2 weeks. Re-create unpaid and recurring invoices in Nexa; keep the FreshBooks export as your invoice history.
Cancel subscription. Download a final data export for your records.
My bench day starts with the neck reset on a customer's old dreadnought: I pull the 12th fret, drill into the dovetail pocket, steam the joint loose and pop the neck, then shim and re-cut the heel until a straightedge off the fretboard lands right at the top of the bridge. While the glue cures I pull the frets on a refret job, level the board with a radius block, press in new wire, then dress, crown and polish every fret. Next is a pickup install — reaming the end pin hole for the jack, fitting an under-saddle element and sanding the saddle bottom dead flat so the strings balance. Between repairs I get an hour on the custom build: a steel-string with an Adirondack spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, three months and about 120 hours in. Today I'm carving braces, tapping the top and listening for where it's still stiff. The client paid his deposit and wants photos and a progress note every couple of weeks, and I owe him one. Late afternoon I do the setups: string up the dreadnought, adjust the truss rod, file the nut slots, and bring the action down to 5/64 at the 12th fret on the bass side. Then I write up the repair tickets, text two customers that their guitars are ready, record what the rosewood set actually cost, and work out how the next tonewood order fits against a deposit I've already spent on materials.
Real luthiers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a luthier? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every luthier on Nexa →
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.
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.
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.
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Export your data from FreshBooks as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
The average solo operator there spends about $2,760/year on software — and luthier face their own version of that math. MD state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Columbia metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Luthiers run into with FreshBooks, and what Nexa does instead.
If you want to compare notes or see how other luthiers are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.
$1,548 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once