Invoicing software helps small-business owners and freelancers keep track of what goods and services they’re providing to customers and how much those customers owe. The best invoicing software lets businesses manage the billing process end to end — from creating estimates for new projects to tracking hours worked to collecting payments. Our top invoicing software picks offer these features, plus mobile apps and more, to help you stay organized.
Many times, accounting software has built-in invoicing features, so make sure to explore those before subscribing to a separate product. Here are the best invoicing software products and how to choose the right one for your business.
Best Invoicing Software
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Zoho Invoice | Best for Free invoicing software | $0 Free. | N/A | |
Invoice Ninja | Best for Payment flexibility | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $10, $14. | N/A | |
Hiveage | Best for Simplicity | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49. | 14-day free trial of the Pro plan. | |
Harvest | Best for Project invoicing | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12 per user. | 30-day free trial | |
FreshBooks Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website | 3.5/5 Best for All-in-one invoicing and accounting software | $17/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $30, $55, custom. | 30-day free trial or monthly discount (terms vary). | Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website |
Our pick for
Free invoicing software
Zoho Invoice
Starting at
$0
Free.
Promotion
N/A
Zoho Invoice is comprehensive yet easy to use. You can keep track of hours, expenses and tasks on a variety of projects in an app or browser. When work is complete, you can send highly customizable invoices to customers, along with automated email reminders if payments become overdue. Businesses can access all of Zoho Invoice’s features for free, but invoices are capped at 1,000 per year. In addition to online credit card payments, Zoho Invoice lets you accept cash, check and ACH payments.
Pros
- Send up to 1,000 invoices per year for free.
- Portal lets clients pay invoices and view their transaction history.
- Payment gateway integrations include Stripe, PayPal, Square and more.
- Autoscan uploaded receipts and convert them into expenses.
Cons
- Limited third-party integrations outside of other Zoho products and QuickBooks Online.
Our pick for
Payment flexibility
Invoice Ninja
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $10, $14.
Promotion
N/A
Invoice Ninja’s free plan offers all of the key features that invoice software should, including time tracking, the ability to ask customers to pay a deposit upfront and the opportunity to add taxes and discounts to invoices. Clients can pay online or use ACH payments to transfer funds. The paid plans come with additional useful features like bulk invoicing, but the free version is so robust that you may never need to upgrade — as long as you don’t exceed 20 clients. You can add additional users to only the most expensive Enterprise plan (for a fee).
Pros
- Free plan supports unlimited invoices for up to 20 clients.
- Automatically transfer credit card processing fees to customers and allow them to tip on invoices or pay incrementally over time.
- Integrates with more than a dozen payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square and Apple Pay.
- Built-in inventory tool tracks items as they’re invoiced.
- Portal lets clients view their invoices and payment history.
Cons
- No direct integrations with bookkeeping or accounting software.
- Enterprise plan pricing increases as you add more users.
Our pick for
Simplicity
Hiveage
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of the Pro plan.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the features other software programs offer and all you need to do is send invoices and receive payments, Hiveage stands out for its simplicity. Creating one-time and recurring invoices is straightforward, the dashboard is easy to navigate, and it offers time and expense tracking even in the free version. You can accept online payments with any plan, but to accept offline payments through cash, check and bank transfer, you’ll have to subscribe to the most expensive Plus plan. Hiveage can also integrate with accounting, CRM and project management software via Zapier.
Pros
- Free plan supports unlimited invoicing for up to five clients.
- Integrates with a dozen payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square and more.
- Assign different billable rates to each type of task.
- Direct clients to your own custom domain with the Plus plan.
Cons
- No built-in, direct integrations with bookkeeping or accounting software.
- All plans have client limits (highest-tier Plus plan caps at 1,000).
Our pick for
Project invoicing
Harvest
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12 per user.
Promotion
30-day free trial
Harvest allows members of a project team to track their hours and expenses in detail, often within whatever apps project managers are using. Managers can set the budget for a project and track expenses and hours to make sure teams are working efficiently. When it comes to invoicing, Harvest’s estimate, invoice and payment collection tools are easy to navigate, and it offers helpful features like automated email reminders to customers with late payments.
If you’re concerned about credit card processing fees adding up, you can switch off the ability to pay with a credit card through Stripe. Instead, your invoices will give clients the option to pay only via ACH transfer.
Pros
- Offers a free plan (limited to two projects).
- Advanced time-tracking features, including integrations with Google Calendar, Slack, Asana, Trello and other project management tools.
- Display billable hours by task, person or project on invoices.
- Snap and upload photos of billable expense receipts with the mobile app.
- Integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero for accounting.
Cons
- Invoice customization options are limited. Free users can’t add company logos to invoices, and Harvest offers only one template.
- Payment integrations are limited to Stripe and PayPal.
Our pick for
All-in-one invoicing and accounting software
FreshBooks
Learn more
on FreshBooks' secure website
Starting at
$17/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $30, $55, custom.
Promotion
30-day free trial
or monthly discount (terms vary).
FreshBooks offers invoicing features that are competitive with others in this space, albeit for a price. Still, its accounting services — including double-entry accounting reports and online bank feeds — set it apart from standalone invoicing products. In addition to accepting online credit card and PayPal payments, the software enables ACH transfers, too. If you’re a solopreneur or freelancer looking for an all-in-one invoicing and accounting product with a sleek mobile app, FreshBooks is a great choice.
Pros
- Built-in, direct integrations with dozens of other software programs, including payroll and e-commerce software. Payment integrations include FreshBooks Payments, Stripe and PayPal.
- Bookkeeping and accounting features.
- Client portal lets customers pay invoices and communicate with business owners.
- Mobile app recognizes when you’re driving and tracks miles for you.
- Snap and upload photos of billable expense receipts on the go.
Cons
- No free option, and adding users costs extra.
- Lower-tier plans have billable client limits.
What is invoicing software?
Invoicing software makes it easier to bill clients for products or services and accept payments. It allows you to create estimates and convert them into invoices, keeps track of outstanding invoices and may send payment reminders to clients as due dates approach or pass. Some options also let you set up recurring invoices for clients who make the same recurring payments to your business on a set schedule.
Invoices for products typically include line items for each product, while invoices for services can be a bit more complex and might include line items for billable expenses (like gas, meals or material costs) and billable hours (organized by task, project, etc.). For that reason, invoicing software usually comes with time and expense trackers, too. Other invoice components include payment terms, descriptions of products or services, billable rates and fields for adding sales tax.
How to choose your invoicing software
Ask yourself these questions to help determine what invoicing software is right for you.
Make sure to think about the future, not just the present. Because most invoicing software determines pricing based on how many clients you have, business growth could mean rising costs. Look for software that will support the business you’re planning to be running in a year without requiring you to leap to a much higher pricing tier.
Most invoicing software makers offer free trials to potential customers. Take advantage of these to make sure you understand how to use the features you need. Choose payment gateways that accommodate your clients, especially if you have clients abroad and need to support multiple currencies. Take time to test the software from the client's end, too.
If you rely on other software programs already, look for an invoicing option that integrates with them. Many of the options on this list integrate with other software via Zapier, intermediary software that users have to set up themselves. Make sure to test those integrations before you commit to one program.
The right invoicing software might allow you to consolidate some of your tasks into one place. If you use a time-tracking app, for instance, consider switching to an invoicing software with native, or built-in, integrations that can meet those needs, too.
The “freemium” model of most invoicing software programs can make it hard to project costs. Growth in your client base or changes to your staffing levels might bounce you into a different price tier. Plus, some important features might actually be add-ons with additional fees. If budget is top of mind, though, there are plenty of free invoicing software options available.
Last updated on February 17, 2023