Sand Sculptors 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 Sand Sculptor earns $42,000/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.
Sand Sculptors face unique challenges: Sourcing the right angular, silty sand that actually holds a carve instead of crumbling. Racing weather and wind that can erode or topple a piece before the event ends. Hand-pounding and compacting tons of wet sand into forms during the exhausting build-up phase. Stabilizing the finished sculpture with a glue mist so it survives an outdoor event day. On top of all that, FreshBooks charges $33/month ($396/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Sand Sculptor earns $42,000/year. Software at $396/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Stackable wooden forms for compacting and pounding sand 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 sand sculptors 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.
Cancel subscription. Download a final data export for your records.
It starts with sand and water and a lot of brute force. Beach sand alone slumps, so for a held carve I want angular, silty sand that locks together when compacted. I stack wooden forms and shovel in sand, adding water and pounding each layer with a tamper until it rings solid, because every air pocket is a future collapse. The build-up phase is hours of hauling and packing tons of material into a dense block. Only then does the carving start, working top down so falling sand does not damage finished detail, roughing the shape with a trowel and refining with knives, melon ballers, and a straw to blow away crumbs without touching the surface. Wind is the enemy, so I mist a dilute environmental glue over the finished faces to crust them against erosion. On an event day I am watching the sky, knowing a gust or a sprinkle can erode an edge I spent an hour on. The piece has to stand through the whole event with guests leaning in for photos, and when it is over it goes back to the beach or the pile, another sculpture that was only ever meant to last a day.
Real sand sculptors near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a sand sculptor? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every sand sculptor 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 $2,040/year on software — and Sand Sculptor face their own version of that math. WI state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Racine metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Sand Sculptors 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