The Free plan lets you sort real vendor PDFs every month without a card on file. Knowing the limits upfront helps you decide when to stay on Free or move to Pro or Business.
What this guide covers
Monthly invoice caps, included features, and what happens when you hit a limit.
Before you begin
- A Free account registered at /register.
- PDF invoices ready on the Upload tab (no CSV upload on Dashboard).
Free plan at a glance
- 25 invoices per month processed on the active profile.
- 1 profile for your business.
- Full Dashboard workspace: Upload, Processing, Ledger, Tasks, Browse.
- Payment Command Center on Business HQ (read-only payables view).
- No AI assistant, no ZIP exports, no recurring gap emails, no billing verification.
Step-by-step: monitor your allowance
- Log in at /login and open Dashboard.
- Find the usage bar under your plan pill.
- Note "X of 25 invoices" for the current month.
- Plan uploads before month-end if you are close to the cap.
Step-by-step: when you hit the limit
- FilePile blocks new uploads until the next month or you add capacity.
- Options: buy credit packs or upgrade to Pro.
- Already-processed invoices stay in Browse and Ledger.
What you should see
- Tracked spend and charts for uploaded PDFs within the cap.
- Invoice dates on file reference list instead of full recurring product tracking.
- Upsell cards for Pro features like AI assistant and ZIP downloads.
Tips and common issues
- Only completed processing counts toward the 25; failed jobs you retry count once when they succeed.
- Free plan still requires PDF uploads; there is no CSV import on Dashboard.
- Use /docs and Help center links from the sidebar for guides without upgrading.
- Switching to Pro keeps your sorted folders; nothing is deleted.
Related guides
Tip: Use Free for a full month of real bills before upgrading so you know your true invoice volume.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 25 invoice counter reset?
Each calendar month on your account billing cycle shown on Dashboard.
Can I try Pro features?
Upgrade anytime; downgrades apply next renewal unless noted at checkout.
Is PDF file size limited?
Very large scans may take longer; see Troubleshooting uploads.
Scenario walkthrough
Imagine it is the 28th of the month. You log in at /login, land on Dashboard (/dashboard), and scan the stat tiles: Tracked spend, Estimated tax (if on Business), Account credit, and Open invoices for your FilePile subscription. You open the Upload tab, add any PDFs that arrived today, then switch to Processing until each row shows completed. You check Ledger for amounts and Browse for folder paths. If Business HQ (/account/business) applies to your plan, you open the relevant panel next. Finally you visit /docs if you need a deeper guide.
Glossary (FilePile terms)
- Dashboard: main workspace at /dashboard with Upload, Processing, Ledger, Tasks, Browse tabs.
- Business HQ: owner tools at /account/business including Payment Command Center, Email Invoice Inbox, Spend Budgets, Approval Workflows, Bank Reconciliation, Tax estimates, Executive P&L, and Accounting export/import.
- Profile: separate business archive under one login; see /account/profiles.
- Ledger: searchable table of processed vendor invoices.
- Tasks: review queue for missing fields or billing mismatches.
Keyboard and navigation habits
Use the left sidebar consistently: Dashboard for daily PDF work, Business HQ for payables and reporting, Reminders at /account/reminders for email preferences, Help center at /docs for articles like this one. The Invoice workspace never uses a tab named Process; uploads always start on Upload.
When to contact support
Contact support if a valid PDF fails after three retries on Processing, if team invites never arrive, if billing charges look incorrect on /account/invoices, or if Business HQ panels stay locked after a confirmed upgrade. Include your account email, active profile name, and screenshot of the error row.
Record-keeping reminder
FilePile sorts and extracts PDFs you provide. It does not replace professional tax, legal, or accounting advice. Keep original vendor emails and bank records alongside your FilePile Browse archive for audit readiness.
Growing past Free
When you routinely hit 20+ invoices before the 15th, model Pro pricing against packs. Also note Free lacks AI assistant and ZIP exports your accountant may already be requesting.
Quick reference card
| Item | Value |
|------|-------|
| Login | /login |
| Register | /register |
| Dashboard | /dashboard |
| Business HQ | /account/business |
| Company | /account/company |
| Reminders | /account/reminders |
| Help | /docs |
| Plans | Free (25/mo), Pro, Business |
| Upload types | PDF only on Dashboard |
| Workspace tabs | Upload, Processing, Ledger, Tasks, Browse |
Keep this table handy when onboarding teammates so nobody searches for a Upload tab that does not exist.