Simplicate vs. Moneybird: Best Choice for Freelancers

Simplicate is the better choice if you need CRM, project management, and invoicing in one platform. Moneybird is the better choice if you primarily need invoicing and accounting with a clean, simple interface. For most solo Dutch freelancers, Moneybird offers the right balance of features and price - but freelancers managing multiple projects and client relationships benefit from Simplicate's broader scope.

What Each Platform Does

Moneybird

Moneybird is an online accounting platform designed for small businesses and freelancers. Its core strengths are invoicing, expense tracking, and VAT administration. It also includes a time tracking module on paid plans.

Core focus: Accounting and invoicing.

Simplicate

Simplicate is an all-in-one business platform that combines CRM, project management, time tracking, and invoicing. It's designed for service companies and freelancers who want to manage their entire client lifecycle in one tool.

Core focus: CRM + project management + accounting.

Feature Comparison

Pricing Comparison (2026)

Key pricing difference: Moneybird charges per administration, while Simplicate charges per user. For a solo freelancer, the costs are comparable. But if you add a virtual assistant or part-time bookkeeper, Simplicate's per-user pricing adds up faster.

Invoicing

Moneybird

Invoicing is Moneybird's crown jewel. The workflow is fast: select a contact, add line items (or generate from time entries), apply your template, and send. Features like payment links (iDEAL via Mollie), automatic reminders, and credit notes make the invoicing process nearly frictionless.

Simplicate

Simplicate's invoicing is solid but secondary to its project management focus. Invoices are generated from approved hours within projects, which adds structure but also adds steps. The invoice editor is functional without being as streamlined as Moneybird's.

Verdict: Moneybird for invoicing speed and polish. Simplicate if you need the project-to-invoice pipeline.

Time Tracking

Moneybird

Moneybird's time tracking is basic: log entries against contacts, set rates, and convert to invoices. No timer, no idle detection, no mobile tracking UI optimized for quick entry. It works for freelancers who track a few entries per day, but most find it lacking compared to dedicated tools.

Simplicate

Simplicate's time tracking is more sophisticated. Entries are linked to projects and services, with budget tracking and utilization reporting. It's closer to what you'd expect from a project management tool, though still not at the level of Toggl or Clockify for pure tracking UX.

Verdict: Simplicate has the more capable time tracking system. But both fall short of dedicated tracking apps. Many freelancers use an external tracker and sync to either platform.

CRM and Client Management

Moneybird

Moneybird has a contacts module where you store client details, VAT IDs, and billing addresses. It's sufficient for invoicing but lacks pipeline management, interaction logging, and relationship tracking.

Simplicate

This is where Simplicate stands out. Its CRM includes:

• Organizations and persons: Full contact management with custom fields
• Sales pipeline: Track deals from lead to close
• Interaction logging: Notes, emails, and call records
• Acquisition tracking: Know your conversion rates and revenue pipeline

For freelancers who actively acquire new clients and manage ongoing relationships, this is valuable. For those with a few steady clients, it may be more than needed.

Verdict: Simplicate, clearly. If CRM matters to you, Moneybird is not in the same league.

Project Management

Moneybird

Moneybird doesn't have project management. You can create projects for grouping time entries, but there are no budgets, milestones, or resource allocation features.

Simplicate

Simplicate offers structured project management:

• Projects with budgets (hours and/or money)
• Services within projects (e.g., "Development", "Design")
• Budget tracking and burn-down
• Revenue recognition per project
• Margin analysis

This is particularly useful for freelancers who:

• Work on fixed-price projects and need to track profitability
• Manage multiple concurrent projects
• Want to forecast revenue based on project pipeline

Verdict: Simplicate. This is not Moneybird's domain.

Reporting

Moneybird

Financial reports: revenue overview, VAT summaries, income statements, balance sheet (basic). Good for tax compliance and understanding your financial position.

Simplicate

Financial + operational reports: revenue per client, utilization rates, project margins, pipeline value. Better for understanding business performance beyond just the numbers.

Verdict: Depends on what you need. Moneybird for financial compliance. Simplicate for business intelligence.

Integration and API

Both platforms have APIs that third-party tools can use to read and write data.

Both are supported by Synkr as destination systems. If you track time in Toggl, Google Sheets, Excel, or Notion, you can sync to either platform.

Verdict: Moneybird's OAuth2 is more user-friendly. Simplicate's API key is simpler for server-to-server. Both work well.

Who Should Choose What?

Choose Moneybird If:

• Your primary need is invoicing and accounting
• You want the simplest possible interface
• You're a solo freelancer with a few steady clients
• You don't need CRM or project management
• Budget matters (lower cost)
• You want strong mobile support
• Your accountant works with Moneybird

Choose Simplicate If:

• You need CRM to manage client relationships and sales
• You work on multiple projects with budgets
• You want utilization and margin reporting
• You value an all-in-one platform over best-of-breed tools
• You're willing to pay more for broader functionality
• You want structured project-to-invoice workflows

Consider Neither?

If your needs are purely bookkeeping with accountant collaboration, e-Boekhouden is worth evaluating - it's simpler and cheaper for traditional bookkeeping.

The Hybrid Approach

Many freelancers land on a hybrid setup:

1. Track time in Toggl or Google Sheets (best tracking UX)
2. Manage clients in a simple CRM or spreadsheet
3. Invoice and account in Moneybird (best invoicing UX)
4. Sync hours via Synkr (bridge between tracking and accounting)

This gives you the best tool for each job without forcing everything into one platform. The trade-off is managing multiple tools, but with sync automation, the admin overhead stays manageable.

Switching Between Platforms

If you're already on one platform and considering switching:

• Moneybird to Simplicate: Possible. Export contacts and financial data. Time entries and invoice history won't transfer cleanly - plan for a clean break at a logical point (e.g., new fiscal year).
• Simplicate to Moneybird: Also possible. You'll lose CRM and project management data. Consider whether you can replace those features with other tools.

Both platforms allow data export, but there's no automated migration path between them. Budget 2-4 hours for the switch.

Final Thoughts

There's no universal "better" platform - it depends on what your business needs. A freelance developer with 3 steady clients and simple invoicing will thrive on Moneybird. A freelance consultant managing a sales pipeline, multiple project budgets, and client relationships will get more value from Simplicate.

Whichever you choose, the key to efficient admin is connecting your tools so data flows smoothly from time tracking to invoicing - with minimal manual re-entry.