Pet Portrait Artists on FreshBooks pay $33/month — $396/year. Over three years, that's $1,329. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 8.5 months. The median Pet Portrait Artist earns $45,000/year, so FreshBooks's annual cost is roughly 0.9% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
That's $1,329 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Pet Portrait Artists face unique challenges: Capturing the exact pattern and eye color of a pet the owner says is 'one of a kind' from a single photo. A flood of memorial commissions where the pet has passed and there are only a few low-quality phone pictures left. Owners who don't realize the white blaze or specific brindle markings have to match perfectly or it 'isn't him'. Rendering fur texture (the difference between a poodle's curls and a lab's short coat) without it looking flat. On top of all that, FreshBooks charges $33/month ($396/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Pet Portrait Artist earns $45,000/year. Software at $396/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your colored pencils and Faber-Castell pastels 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 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $33/mo forever | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Cost | $1,329 | $279 |
| Stop paying? | Lose everything | Keep everything forever |
Most pet portrait artists are fully switched before the weekend.
Go to Settings → Export Data. Download clients, invoices, expenses, and time entries.
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Run both for 1-2 weeks. Verify invoice history and recurring invoices.
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The inbox usually opens with a heartbreaker: someone whose dog just died, asking if you can work from the three slightly blurry photos they have. You handle those with care, because a pet portrait is rarely just a drawing, it's grief on paper. The drawing day itself is layering, slow and patient, building up fur one directional stroke at a time so a golden retriever's coat actually catches light instead of looking like a brown smudge. You zoom into the reference constantly to nail the eyes, because owners recognize their animal by the eyes before anything else, and the wrong glint means the whole piece reads as a stranger's pet. Midday you spray a light fixative so the colored pencil doesn't smear, then step back to check the markings against the photo, because that one white sock or the asymmetric ear is the thing the owner will check first. Between sessions you answer messages, most of which include the phrase 'he's like my child,' quote a memorial commission, and remind a client to send a clearer photo of the face. By evening you scan the finished piece for the owner's approval, package the original between glassine and foam board, and update your tracker so the three commissions in progress don't blur together.
Real pet portrait artists near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a pet portrait artist? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every pet portrait artist 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 $33/month — that's $1,329 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 $2,000/year on software — and Pet Portrait Artist face their own version of that math. Mexico requires CFDI electronic invoicing for all formal businesses. ISR and IVA apply. Requirements vary by country and locality. Check local regulations.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Querétaro metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Pet Portrait Artists run into with FreshBooks, and what Nexa does instead.
$1,329 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once