Upholsterers 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 upholsterer earns $38,000/year, so FreshBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.4% 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.
Upholsterers face unique challenges: Quoting accurately requires seeing the piece — surprises inside add cost. Fabric selection delays hold up projects. Each piece is custom so pricing is never standard. Turnaround times of 2-6 weeks with impatient clients. On top of all that, FreshBooks charges $43/month ($516/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median upholsterer earns $38,000/year. Software at $516/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Industrial sewing machine 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 upholsterers 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.
A job usually starts with a chair or sofa that someone loves too much to throw away. I look at the frame, springs and padding first, because new fabric on a broken frame is wasted money, and I explain what the piece really needs. Then the customer chooses fabric, and I calculate yardage carefully, including pattern matching, because a stripe that doesn't line up across the cushions is obvious to everyone. Stripping the old fabric is slow, careful work, removing hundreds of staples and tacks, and it often reveals surprises: broken joints, collapsed springs or old repairs. Frames get reglued and reinforced, springs retied, and new foam and padding shaped to the original lines. The new fabric goes on in a set order, stretched and stapled evenly, with welting sewn to match and cushion covers made on the machine. Commercial clients, restaurants with booths and offices with chairs, bring volume work. I quote labour by the piece, with fabric and materials separate, and take a deposit that covers the fabric order.
Real upholsterers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you an upholsterer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every upholsterer 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 $2,200/year on software — and upholsterer face their own version of that math. Chile requires SII electronic invoicing. IVA at 19%. Requirements vary by country and locality. Check local regulations.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Antofagasta metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Upholsterers run into with FreshBooks, and what Nexa does instead.
If you want to compare notes or see how other upholsterers 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