Party Entertainers 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 party entertainer earns $35,000/year, so FreshBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.5% 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.
Party Entertainers face unique challenges: Weekend-heavy scheduling conflicts. Deposit collection for parties. Managing multiple character/act options. Weather cancellation policies. On top of all that, FreshBooks charges $43/month ($516/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median party entertainer earns $35,000/year. Software at $516/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Costumes 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 party entertainers 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.
Most of my bookings are kids' birthday parties on weekends, with some school events, library shows and company picnics mixed in. A party is a tightly planned hour: a show with magic, balloons and games that holds a room of six-year-olds, then face painting or balloon animals for every child, and the birthday kid gets the spotlight. Before the day I call the parent to confirm the age range, the number of kids, indoors or outside, and any allergies or fears, because some little ones are scared of costumes. I arrive early to set up, and I'm always reading the room: a short attention span means changing the plan on the fly. Supplies are a steady cost: balloons, face paint that's safe for kids' skin, props and costumes that need replacing. Weekends are booked months ahead in spring and summer and are quieter in winter, so I fill weekdays with schools and daycares. I carry liability insurance because venues ask for it. Parties are booked with a deposit, and I charge travel fees beyond my home area.
Real party entertainers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a party entertainer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every party entertainer 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 $1,700/year on software — and party entertainer face their own version of that math. Alabama income tax up to 5%. Birmingham levies a 1% city occupational tax. Jefferson County also imposes a 0.5% tax. Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board oversees contractor licensing. Birmingham requires a city business license. Jefferson County has separate requirements.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Birmingham metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Party Entertainers run into with FreshBooks, and what Nexa does instead.
$1,548 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once