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2 years ago
Testing BallPark to replace FreshBooks
VS. 
Discovered a new invoicing and estimating app last night called BallPark that is from the ever fresh producing Metalabs, coders of the ever populare Tumblr theme Fluid.
I’ve been testing FreshBooks since they began and the only thing that has kept me from becoming a paid member is the fact that you can only store a limited number of contacts per package, no more than 3 for the FREE package, and the entry paid subscription package was priced too steep for most cost conscious freelancers. $19 a month is heavy monthly obligation for any entry level user.
BallPark is taking FreshBooks head on in these 2 barriers to entry with the introduction of their new FREE 30 day trial period in which you can store unlimited amount of contacts. After the BallPark trial period ends you have a reasonable upgrade to the new $6 Freelance package option, though limited to sending out 10 invoices per month, which in my opinion is a smarter approach than FreshBooks because they will automatically get people to switch and get hooked just on the sheer fact that they can add and customize more of their contacts.
They are even making it a cinch for users to convert by supplying us with a simple Freshbook contact import solution and an API tie in to Basecamp and High-Rise with all the bells and whistles you would expect from any would be Freshbooks contender, including a ridiculously sexy iPhone app, the ability to email and print invoices, Live Search, Paypal integration, recurring invoicing, estimate to invoice conversion, additional currencies, and many more features!
My favorite feature is the integrated file attachment support so you can include proofs, contracts, and source files with your invoicing, further select any number of recipients to view your invoices and reply with inline comments so you can see comment history on each invoice. This is where they excel in user interface over their Freshbooks competitor.
FreshBooks should reconsider their entry level pricing structure and make it to where you can input more than 3 contacts with their FREE account and upgrade their abilities to interface with inline comments or I’m sure they will be seeing many of their accounts jump ship to test out the new player in the BallPark, and once they do, they will find that the guys over and MetaLabs can design one mean and clean sticky interface backed with some top notch functionality and may just decide to stick around for while.
Your move Freshbooks.
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