FreshBooks to QuickBooks Migration: Conversion Options
Sep 14, 2026
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There is no FreshBooks to QuickBooks migration tool from either company. FreshBooks has no QuickBooks export, its own Easy Switch service moves data into FreshBooks rather than out, and Intuit's US conversion program with Dataswitcher accepts only Sage 50 and Xero. A FreshBooks to QuickBooks Online conversion is therefore built from pieces: CSV exports from each area of FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online's Import data screen, and bank history rebuilt from statements. You can do that yourself or pay a migration firm to do it.
This guide is for the business owner or bookkeeper who has already decided on QuickBooks Online and now needs to price the move. It covers what FreshBooks actually exports, the QuickBooks Online import limits that decide how much work the move is, and where each route stops.
FreshBooks to QuickBooks migration: the three routes
The right route depends on one question more than any other: how much history do you need inside QuickBooks, as opposed to archived in files you can open if an auditor asks?
| Route | What ends up in QuickBooks Online | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid migration firm | Whatever the firm's scope covers, usually lists, open balances and a defined number of years of transactions | Quoted per file, based on volume and years | Businesses that need invoice level history in QuickBooks and do not want to own the cleanup |
| CSV lists and open balances, done yourself | Chart of accounts, customers, vendors, products and services, plus invoices and bills still open on your start date | Your time | A clean start date with history kept in FreshBooks exports |
| CSV lists plus bank history from statements | Everything in the row above, plus every bank and card transaction from any month you have a PDF statement for | Your time plus a converter plan with .qbo export | A year or two of reconciled bank history without paying for a full conversion |
What FreshBooks exports, and where each file goes
FreshBooks has no one click export of the whole account. Each area exports on its own as a CSV, and reports export through More Actions, then Export for Excel, which despite the name downloads a CSV. This is the map from FreshBooks file to QuickBooks Online import.
| FreshBooks export | What is in it | QuickBooks Online destination |
|---|---|---|
| Chart of Accounts (CSV) | Active, archived and deleted accounts | Settings, Import data, Chart of accounts. Clean it first: archived and deleted accounts do not belong in the new file |
| Clients (CSV) | Client names and contact details | Settings, Import data, Customers |
| Vendors (CSV) | Vendor names and contact details | Settings, Import data, Vendors |
| Items and Services (CSV) | What you sell | Settings, Import data, Products and services |
| Invoices (CSV) | Invoice history | Invoices import, 100 invoices at a time. Usually only the open ones are worth bringing |
| Expenses (CSV) | Expenses recorded in FreshBooks | Reference for categories and vendors. Bank history from statements is the cleaner record |
| Receipt images | Downloaded separately from the CSV exports | Attach individually where needed. There is no bulk receipt import |
| General Ledger and Journal Entry reports | Full account activity. Only on the Plus, Premium and Select plans | Archive copy of the FreshBooks years, and the basis for an opening balance journal entry |
The QuickBooks Online import limits that shape the plan
Most of the effort in this migration is created by a handful of limits on QuickBooks Online's side. Knowing them up front tells you whether to import something or type it.
| Import | Limit | What it means for a FreshBooks move |
|---|---|---|
| Any list or transaction file | Fewer than 1,000 rows per file, in CSV, Excel or Google Sheets | A large client list or a year of invoices has to be split into several files |
| Invoices | Up to 100 invoices at a time, no discounts or credit memos, and not available once sales tax is set up in the company | Import open invoices before you turn on sales tax, or enter them by hand |
| Bills | Bill import requires QuickBooks Online Advanced in the US | On Simple Start, Essentials and Plus, enter open bills by hand or with Upload multiple bills |
| Journal entries | CSV with journal number, date, account, description, debits and credits. Turn account numbers off first and write sub accounts as Parent:Sub | The practical way to post opening balances as of your start date |
| Bank transactions | QBO, QFX, OFX, CSV or TXT files up to 350 KB and 1,000 lines each, and a CSV needs three or four columns | FreshBooks expense exports do not fit this shape. Bank or card statements converted to .qbo do |
Where the bank history should come from
FreshBooks records expenses and payments, but it is not your bank's record, and nothing in its exports is formatted as bank data. When you connect your accounts in QuickBooks Online, the bank decides how far back the feed reaches. Intuit puts that anywhere from 90 days to 24 months, and you choose the start date from what the bank offers. Anything older has to come from somewhere else.
The cleanest source is the monthly statement. Upload a PDF statement to the bank statement to QBO converter and every transaction is extracted and totaled against the statement before you download a .qbo file, along with Excel and CSV copies. In QuickBooks Online the file goes in under Transactions, Bank transactions, Upload from file, and it lands in the review queue like a feed, where bank rules categorize the repeat payees. A year for two accounts is 24 statements. For older history see how to import old bank statements into QuickBooks, which covers the date handling in detail.
To be precise about scope: the converter reads PDF and image statements from banks and card issuers. It does not open FreshBooks exports and it does not connect to FreshBooks. It replaces the part of the move that decides whether the new books reconcile.
What a FreshBooks to QuickBooks migration costs
QuickBooks Online is a paid subscription on every route, so the real comparison is the conversion work itself.
| Your situation | Route that fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You need several years of invoices and payments inside QuickBooks | Paid migration firm | Rebuilding invoice history by hand costs more in hours than a quote |
| You want a clean start date and books that reconcile from day one | CSV lists plus bank history from statements | Bank history is the part auditors, lenders and tax preparers check first |
| Your last FreshBooks year is messy or half categorized | Statements, not FreshBooks expense exports | Importing old categorization mistakes just moves them into QuickBooks |
| You are a bookkeeper onboarding several FreshBooks clients | Statements in bulk, one company file per client | The same workflow repeats per client, which is where batch conversion saves the most time |
A migration firm prices by file size and years. The do it yourself routes cost time, and the statement route adds a converter plan with .qbo export, which on this site starts with the Plus plan. Firms moving several clients should look at the accountant workflow, which handles bulk uploads per client.
One more thing to settle before the move: open invoices. Bring the unpaid ones across as of the start date so receivables are right in QuickBooks, and if slow paying clients are part of why you are switching, accounts receivable automation that follows up on every overdue invoice is worth pricing alongside the new accounting system.
If you are also moving off Wave or Quicken
The same pattern applies to other small business tools with no path into QuickBooks Online. The Wave to QuickBooks conversion guide covers Wave's four file export and its 24 hour download link, and the Quicken to QuickBooks Online guide explains why Intuit's Quicken converter only works in Desktop.
Frequently asked questions
Can you convert FreshBooks to QuickBooks?
Yes, but not with a built in converter. Export each area of FreshBooks as a CSV, import the lists under Settings, Import data in QuickBooks Online, enter or import open invoices and bills, then bring bank history in by converting statements to .qbo files. A paid migration firm can do the same work for a quote.
Does FreshBooks integrate with QuickBooks?
No native integration exists between the two, and QuickBooks has no direct FreshBooks migration tool. FreshBooks' Easy Switch service works in the other direction, moving data from other accounting software into FreshBooks. Moving to QuickBooks means exporting CSV files and importing them.
How do I transfer data from FreshBooks to QuickBooks Online?
Pick a start date, export the chart of accounts, clients, vendors, items and invoices from FreshBooks, and import them into QuickBooks Online in that order, lists first. Post opening balances with a journal entry, enter what was still open, then upload statement history as .qbo files and reconcile month by month.
Can FreshBooks export to QuickBooks?
Not in a QuickBooks format. FreshBooks exports CSV files per area and reports through Export for Excel, which also produces a CSV. QuickBooks Online can import the list files, and invoices up to 100 at a time, but FreshBooks has no file that loads straight into QuickBooks bank transactions.
Will my FreshBooks invoices transfer to QuickBooks Online?
Only through the invoice import, which takes up to 100 invoices per file, skips discounts and credit memos, and is unavailable once sales tax is set up in QuickBooks Online. Most businesses import or type only the invoices still open on the start date and keep paid history in the FreshBooks export.
How long does it take to migrate from FreshBooks to QuickBooks?
For a small business with a year of history, a do it yourself move usually takes a day or two, most of it cleaning the chart of accounts and reconciling rather than importing. Bank history from statements converts in a batch. Migration firms quote their own turnaround based on file size.
What happens to my FreshBooks receipts?
Receipt images download separately from the CSV exports. QuickBooks Online has no bulk import for them, so keep the downloaded set with your records and attach individual receipts to transactions where you need the support. Do the download before you cancel FreshBooks.
FreshBooks to QuickBooks is a rebuild rather than a file conversion, and that is not a bad thing. Lists come across as CSVs, open items are entered as of a start date, and the bank history that makes the new books trustworthy comes from statements. Start with the statements for your first reconciled month in the converter above, then work backwards as far as you need.
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