The verdict for luthiers: 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 luthiers 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.
Luthiers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Custom builds take 100-300 hours over months. Tonewood costs are high and sourcing is inconsistent. Repair work has different economics than custom builds. Clients want progress updates but there's no project tracking. FreshBooks charges $33/month on top of these daily realities. The median luthier earns $40,000/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 luthiers. You own it like you own your Specialized hand tools (fret files, nut files, radius gauges).
You have a custom acoustic guitar 60% done — 3 months in, $600 in tonewoods, 120 hours so far. The client put down a $1,500 deposit on a $4,000 build. You also have 3 repair jobs this week: a neck reset ($350), a refret ($300), and a pickup install ($100). Repairs pay the bills while custom builds tie up capital. You need to track both revenue streams but they have completely different cost structures.
Real luthiers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a luthier? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every luthier on Nexa →
For solo luthiers 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 luthiers, 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