BEST OF

Best Invoicing Software of June 2023

Invoicing software can help your business do more than create and send invoices.

By Hillary Crawford  and Rosalie Murphy 

Feb 17, 2023

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

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.

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.

Product	Best for	Starting at	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	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

Why we like it

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

Why we like it

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.

Why we like it

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

Why we like it

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

Learn more

on FreshBooks' secure website

FreshBooks

Starting at

$17/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $30, $55, custom.

Promotion

30-day free trial

or monthly discount (terms vary).

Learn more

on FreshBooks' secure website

Why we like it

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.

Read Full Review

Got feedback on these products?

Tell our Nerds what you think about the offerings here to help us refine our product evaluations.

Share Your Thoughts

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.

Is it scalable?

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.

Is it easy to use for you and your clients?

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.

Does it integrate with the software you already use?

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.

How much does it cost?

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

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Best Invoicing Software of June 2023

Zoho Invoice: Best for Free invoicing software
Invoice Ninja: Best for Payment flexibility
Hiveage: Best for Simplicity
Harvest: Best for Project invoicing
FreshBooks: Best for All-in-one invoicing and accounting software

Frequently asked questions

Bills are technically different from invoices, but the terms are often used interchangeably. Both indicate that payment is due, but bills are typically paid on the spot, whereas invoices include payment terms that establish a set amount of time a client has to submit full or partial payment. Regardless of when payment is due, you might hear clients refer to an invoice you issued as their “bill.”

In that sense, invoicing software and billing software are essentially the same thing, unless you run a subscription-based business. In that case, you might look specifically for subscription billing software.

The best invoicing software for your small business depends on what type of company you own, whether you provide products or services, your budget and which features you need. For example, project-based businesses may need more granular invoicing details, like billable hours by task or person, than retail businesses.

Think about where your billing process begins and ends. Maybe it starts with a quote and progresses into recording billable hours and expenses. After creating and sending an invoice, you might email automated payment reminders to your client and, finally, accept their payment online. The best invoicing software for you will be able to accommodate each step.

If you’d like to accept payments online, make sure your payment gateway is PCI compliant — this means it follows the data security standards established by global leaders in the payment industry.

When choosing invoicing software, look for basic features like the ability to send estimates and bill for hours and expenses. Each product also has its own invoice templates, so you’ll want to verify that they contain the fields you need. You’ll usually find invoice fields for sales tax and due dates, for example.

Other invoice software features to consider include the ability to set different billable rates depending on the job, a client portal and integrations. Ideally, your invoicing software will share data with your accounting software and accommodate your payment gateway.

Standalone invoicing software can cost anywhere from $10 to $49 or more per month, but many products offer free subscriptions, too. Some invoicing software charges per user, while other products make you upgrade if you want to send unlimited invoices to an unlimited number of clients.

However, if you already use accounting software, the least expensive option would be sticking with its invoicing feature as opposed to subscribing to an additional product.