The verdict for grant writers: FreshBooks is solid software, but at $33/month it costs $1,329 over 3 years. Nexa does most of what FreshBooks does for $279 once. For solo grant writers and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.
Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $1,050. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.
| Feature | FreshBooks | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $33/mo | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Total | $1,329 | $279 |
| You own it? | No — stop paying, lose access | Yes — forever |
FreshBooks plus whatever else you're paying for:
Email yourself this comparison?
The math doesn't lie.
Grant Writers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Per-grant vs. hourly vs. success-fee pricing models. Deadlines are absolute and immovable. Research time is massive and often unpaid in flat-rate models. Multiple grants for multiple clients with different deadlines. FreshBooks charges $33/month on top of these daily realities. The median grant writer earns $52,000/year — $396/year in software subscriptions is a significant percentage of that income, paid every year, forever.
Nexa is $279 once. Invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, accounting — all connected, built for grant writers. You own it like you own your Grant research databases.
You're managing 5 active grants across 3 clients. Two federal grants due in 10 days. One foundation grant in review. Two state grants in research phase. The federal grants need budget narratives, logic models, and 15-page proposals. You charge $5,000 per federal grant and $2,000 per state grant. Research takes 20 hours per grant but you quoted flat rate. One client wants a success fee arrangement (5% of award). Your deadline tracker is a wall calendar.
Real grant writers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a grant writer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every grant writer on Nexa →
For solo grant writers and small teams, yes. invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting — all for $279 once. FreshBooks may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
FreshBooks has features like Very user-friendly for non-accountants and Built-in time tracking that some businesses rely on. For most solo grant writers, these aren't dealbreakers.
At $33/month, Nexa pays for itself in 8.5 months. After that: $396 saved every year.
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.
Own your tools. Stop renting your software.
Get Nexa — $279 Once