FreshBooks vs Nexa
The Real Comparison for Mural Artists

FreshBooks
$33/mo ($396/yr)
VS
Nexa
$279 once — own forever
or 3 payments of $99
Break even: 8.5 months. Save $1,050 over 3 years.
"I compared FreshBooks and Nexa side by side. The math wasn't even close. $1,329 over 3 years vs $279 once. Switched and never looked back."
— Mural artist, Nexa customer

The verdict for mural artists: 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 mural artists and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.

Choose Nexa if:

  • You're done paying monthly forever
  • You're a solo operator or small team (1-5)
  • You need Invoicing, Connect CRM, task-manager in one purchase in one tool
  • You're tired of price increases
  • You want to own your tools like you own your equipment

Choose FreshBooks if:

  • You have a large team (10+) needing enterprise features
  • You're deeply invested in FreshBooks's specific workflow
  • You need a feature Nexa doesn't have yet

What FreshBooks Actually Costs Mural Artists

The 3-Year Damage

Year 1$396
Year 2 (+11.4% inflation)$441
Year 3$491
Total lost to FreshBooks$1,329

Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $1,050. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.

Your FreshBooks subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Feature-by-Feature

FeatureFreshBooksNexa
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 accessYes — forever
"The feature comparison convinced me. Nexa does 90% of what FreshBooks does — for 10% of the 3-year cost. And I actually own it."
— Mural artist

Calculate Your Full Stack

FreshBooks plus whatever else you're paying for:

Email yourself this comparison?

Switching from FreshBooks

1
Export your data — Go to Settings → Export Data. Download clients, invoices, expenses, and time entries.
2
Set up Nexa — 15-minute setup. Import your client list and expense categories from CSV.
3
Parallel run — Run both for 1-2 weeks. Verify invoice history and recurring invoices.
4
Cancel FreshBooks — Cancel subscription. Download a final data export for your records.
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee. Zero risk.
Mural Artists are switching from FreshBooks every week.

The math doesn't lie.

What This Means for Mural Artists

You're 3 days into a restaurant mural. The owner wants to 'add a few things' — scope creep on a $3,500 flat-rate project. You've used $400 in paint and your lift rental is $150/day. Rain delayed yesterday, adding another day of lift rental. You have 2 more projects queued — a brewery wants a quote by Friday and a homeowner wants a kids' room mural. No system for tracking per-project costs or managing your pipeline.

Mural Artists deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Estimating wall size and paint requirements remotely. Weather delays on exterior projects. Scope creep with design revisions after the wall is started. Lift and scaffolding rental costs eating into project profit. FreshBooks charges $33/month on top of these daily realities. The median mural artist earns $38,000/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 mural artists. You own it like you own your Projector for design transfer.

What mural artists actually deal with

A day in the life of a mural artist

You're 3 days into a restaurant mural. The owner wants to 'add a few things' — scope creep on a $3,500 flat-rate project. You've used $400 in paint and your lift rental is $150/day. Rain delayed yesterday, adding another day of lift rental. You have 2 more projects queued — a brewery wants a quote by Friday and a homeowner wants a kids' room mural. No system for tracking per-project costs or managing your pipeline.

The tools a working mural artist actually owns

Why mural artists leave the big platforms

Where mural artists actually talk shop

Local mural artists on Nexa

Real mural artists near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a mural artist? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every mural artist on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a FreshBooks replacement?

For solo mural artists 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.

What does FreshBooks do that Nexa doesn't?

FreshBooks has features like Very user-friendly for non-accountants and Built-in time tracking that some businesses rely on. For most solo mural artists, these aren't dealbreakers.

How fast does Nexa pay for itself?

At $33/month, Nexa pays for itself in 8.5 months. After that: $396 saved every year.

Can I pay in installments?

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.

"$1,329 over 3 years to FreshBooks. Or $279 once for Nexa. I own my tools now. No more renting software."
— Mural artist, Nexa owner

$1,329 Over 3 Years. Or $279 Once (or 3 × $99).

Own your tools. Stop renting your software.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back — save $500 or full refund

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