Set Designers 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 Set Designer 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.
Set Designers face unique challenges: Designing to a real stage's fixed dimensions, sightlines, wing space, and fly-rail capacity — a gorgeous set that doesn't clear the proscenium is useless. The build budget and the scenic-shop labor hours never match the director's vision, and the value-engineering conversation falls on the designer. Coordinating with lighting, sound, and the technical director so a set piece doesn't block an instrument, a speaker, or a quick scene change. Tech week changes — a set piece that's too heavy to move in the blackout, a door that doesn't latch, a platform that flexes — landing days before opening. On top of all that, FreshBooks charges $33/month ($396/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Set Designer 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 Vectorworks or AutoCAD 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 set designers are fully switched before the weekend.
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Most days begin at the drafting station, refining a ground plan to the actual theater: I'm checking wing space for the storage of moving pieces, the fly-rail line set schedule for what can hang, and sightlines from the worst seat in the house so the back row isn't staring at a masking flat. The director loves the second-act reveal, but the scenic shop just sent labor hours that blow the build budget, so I spend the morning value-engineering — keeping the moment, losing the weight and the dollars. After lunch I'm in a production meeting with the lighting designer and the technical director: my upstage wall is exactly where she wants a backlight boom, so we negotiate a gap she can shoot through. I update the model in SketchUp so everyone's looking at the same thing. Late afternoon I cut a quick scale model of the tricky platform unit, because foamcore in my hand tells me things the screen won't — whether the stairs read, whether an actor can exit cleanly. I draft paint elevations for the scenic artist and note the door hardware. Tech week is coming, and I know the notes will pile up the moment real bodies move on real platforms.
Real set designers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a set designer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every set designer 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 $3,240/year on software — and Set Designer face their own version of that math. CA state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Torrance metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Set Designers 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