How to export your data from FreshBooks

FreshBooks lets you download your data as CSV files (Chart of Accounts, clients, expenses, invoices, items, services, vendors, reports) and PDFs (invoices, estimates, proposals, receipts, payroll tax documents) directly from each section of the app — there is no single 'export all data' button, so you export each data type separately.

Formats: CSV, PDFPlan: Any paid FreshBooks plan (exports are done per-section from the standard account UI; no separate export add-on is mentioned)Role: Account owner or team member with access to the relevant section (Accounting, Clients, Expenses, Invoices, etc.)

✓ Verified against FreshBooks's official documentation, June 2026

Step by step

1Chart of Accounts: go to Accounting > Chart of Accounts and use Export Chart of Accounts to download a CSV with all active, archived, and deleted accounts.
2Clients: go to Clients and use the Manage Clients export option to download a CSV of active and archived clients, including secondary contacts.
3Expenses: go to Expenses and use Export Expenses (or run the Expense Report) to download a CSV of active and archived expenses.
4Expense receipts: from the Expenses section, use Export Expense Receipts to bulk-download uploaded receipt images.
5Invoices: go to Invoices, use Bulk Actions to download invoices as separate PDFs, or use Export Invoices to download active and archived invoices as a CSV.
6Estimates and Proposals: use Manage Estimates to download them as separate PDFs; for a CSV of estimates/proposals, contact FreshBooks Support with your date range and filters and they will email you the file.
7Items and Services: go to the Items list and use Export Items, and the Services list and use Export Services, to download each as a CSV.
8Vendors and Reports: go to Vendors and use Manage Vendors to export a CSV; go to Reports and use the export options on any report to download it as CSV or PDF.
9FreshBooks Payroll (if applicable): download the Payroll Journal Report and Contractor Payment Report as CSV files, and payroll-related tax documents as PDFs from the Payroll section.

What the export includes

✓Chart of Accounts (active, archived, deleted accounts) as CSV
✓Clients including secondary contacts (active and archived) as CSV
✓Expenses (active and archived) as CSV, plus uploaded expense receipt images
✓Invoices (active and archived) as CSV, or as individual PDFs
✓Estimates and Proposals as individual PDFs (CSV available on request from Support)
✓Items and Services (active and archived) as CSV
✓Vendors (active and archived) as CSV
✓Any report (e.g. Profit & Loss, Expense Report) as CSV or PDF
✓Payroll journal, contractor payments, and payroll tax documents (if using FreshBooks Payroll)

What it doesn't include

✗There is no single bulk 'export entire account' file — each data type must be exported separately
✗Estimates/Proposals as CSV are not self-serve; you must request them from FreshBooks Support
✗Integration/app configuration and connected bank feed settings are not part of these exports

Before you start

⚠Exports are done section by section (Chart of Accounts, Clients, Expenses, Invoices, Items, Services, Vendors, Reports, Payroll) rather than as one combined account export.
⚠A CSV export of Estimates and Proposals is not available directly in the UI — you have to contact FreshBooks Support with your desired date range/filters and they email you the file.
⚠Receipt images are downloaded separately from expense data via a dedicated Export Expense Receipts option.

Where to take your data

Free and cheaper tools that can take a FreshBooks export. See all FreshBooks alternatives →

Wave

Alternatives FreshBooks vs Wave

Use Wave's CSV import tools for customers/clients and transactions, and manually re-enter or re-upload exported invoice and expense CSVs/PDFs since Wave does not have a native FreshBooks-specific importer.

Invoice Ninja

Alternatives FreshBooks vs Invoice Ninja

Import your FreshBooks Clients and Invoices CSV exports using Invoice Ninja's CSV import feature, mapping columns like client name, invoice number, and line items.

Zoho Invoice

Alternatives FreshBooks vs Zoho Invoice

Use Zoho Invoice's import feature to bring in your FreshBooks Clients, Items, and Invoices CSV files, matching fields during the import wizard.

Exporting from FreshBooks: common questions

Can I export all my FreshBooks data at once?+

No. FreshBooks does not provide a single full-account export. You export each data type separately: Chart of Accounts, Clients, Expenses, Expense Receipts, Invoices, Estimates/Proposals, Items, Services, Vendors, Reports, and Payroll (if used).

What format does FreshBooks export data in?+

Mostly CSV for lists and reports (Chart of Accounts, clients, expenses, invoices, items, services, vendors), and PDF for documents like invoices, estimates, proposals, and payroll tax documents.

Can I download my invoices as PDFs in bulk?+

Yes. From the Invoices section, use Bulk Actions to download multiple invoices as separate PDF files, or use Export Invoices for a single CSV covering active and archived invoices.

How do I get a CSV of my estimates and proposals?+

There's no self-serve CSV export for estimates/proposals in the UI. You need to contact FreshBooks Support with the date range and filters you want, and they will email you a CSV.

Are my uploaded receipts included when I export expenses?+

No, the expense CSV export contains expense records only. Receipt images have to be downloaded separately using the Export Expense Receipts option.

Do I need a specific FreshBooks plan to export data?+

The export options (Chart of Accounts, Clients, Expenses, Invoices, Items, Services, Vendors, Reports) are accessed from the standard account sections, not gated behind a special export add-on.