Best Invoicing and Billing Software for Small Businesses of 2025

Best Invoicing and Billing Software for Small Businesses

Product	Best for	NerdWallet rating	Starting at	Promotion	Learn more
FreshBooks Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website	All-in-one invoicing and accounting software	4.8 /5	$21/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.	50% off for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.	Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website
Square Invoices Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website	Overall invoicing software	5.0 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20.	30-day free trial of the Plus plan.	Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website
Zoho Invoice Learn more on Zoho Invoice's secure website	Free invoicing software	4.5 /5	$0 Free.	N/A	Learn more on Zoho Invoice's secure website
Invoice Ninja	Payment flexibility	4.5 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12, $16.	N/A
Hiveage	Simple billing software	4.5 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49.	14-day free trial of the Pro plan.
Harvest	Project invoicing	4.5 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $13.75, $17.50 per user.	30-day free trial
Invoice Home	Free online invoice templates	4.0 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9.	N/A

Product	Best for	NerdWallet rating	Starting at	Promotion	Learn more
FreshBooks Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website	All-in-one invoicing and accounting software	4.8 /5	$21/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.	50% off for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.	Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website
Square Invoices Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website	Overall invoicing software	5.0 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20.	30-day free trial of the Plus plan.	Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website
Zoho Invoice Learn more on Zoho Invoice's secure website	Free invoicing software	4.5 /5	$0 Free.	N/A	Learn more on Zoho Invoice's secure website
Invoice Ninja	Payment flexibility	4.5 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12, $16.	N/A
Hiveage	Simple billing software	4.5 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49.	14-day free trial of the Pro plan.
Harvest	Project invoicing	4.5 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $13.75, $17.50 per user.	30-day free trial
Invoice Home	Free online invoice templates	4.0 /5	$0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9.	N/A

Best Invoicing and Billing Software for Small Businesses

FreshBooks

4.8

Best for All-in-one invoicing and accounting software

Starting at

$21/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.

Promotion

50% off

for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.

Learn more

on FreshBooks' website

Pros

Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
Weekday phone support in all plans.

Cons

Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.

FreshBooks

Best for All-in-one invoicing and accounting software

4.8

Starting at

$21/month

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $38, $65, custom.

Promotion

50% off

for 6 months. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.

Learn more

on FreshBooks' website

Pros

Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
Weekday phone support in all plans.

Cons

Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.

Square Invoices

5.0

Best for Overall invoicing software

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20.

Promotion

30-day free trial

of the Plus plan.

Learn more

on Square's website

Pros

Unlimited invoicing, estimates, contracts, users and clients in all plans.
Integrates with Square’s all-in-one payment platform.
Streamlined and intuitive.
Ability to process in-person and online card payments as well as cash, checks, ACH transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Send recurring invoices.
Automatic payment reminders.
Gives clients the option to include a tip.

Cons

Must use Square’s in-house payment processing to accept online payments.
Free plan does not enable custom invoicing fields and the ability to auto-convert estimates into invoices.

Square Invoices

Best for Overall invoicing software

5.0

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20.

Promotion

30-day free trial

of the Plus plan.

Learn more

on Square's website

Pros

Unlimited invoicing, estimates, contracts, users and clients in all plans.
Integrates with Square’s all-in-one payment platform.
Streamlined and intuitive.
Ability to process in-person and online card payments as well as cash, checks, ACH transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Send recurring invoices.
Automatic payment reminders.
Gives clients the option to include a tip.

Cons

Must use Square’s in-house payment processing to accept online payments.
Free plan does not enable custom invoicing fields and the ability to auto-convert estimates into invoices.

Zoho Invoice

4.5

Best for Free invoicing software

Starting at

Free.

Promotion

N/A

Learn more

on Zoho Invoice's website

Pros

Send up to 500 invoices per year for free.
Portal lets clients pay invoices and view their transaction history.
Payment gateway integrations include Stripe, PayPal, Square and more.
Photograph receipts and attach them to expense reports.
Free invoice app for iOS lets you add a timer widget to your home screen, send invoices via iMessage and add new contacts by taking photos of their business cards.

Cons

Limited third-party integrations outside of other Zoho products and QuickBooks Online.

Zoho Invoice

Best for Free invoicing software

4.5

Starting at

Free.

Promotion

N/A

Learn more

on Zoho Invoice's website

Pros

Send up to 500 invoices per year for free.
Portal lets clients pay invoices and view their transaction history.
Payment gateway integrations include Stripe, PayPal, Square and more.
Photograph receipts and attach them to expense reports.
Free invoice app for iOS lets you add a timer widget to your home screen, send invoices via iMessage and add new contacts by taking photos of their business cards.

Cons

Limited third-party integrations outside of other Zoho products and QuickBooks Online.

Invoice Ninja

4.5

Best for Payment flexibility

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12, $16.

Promotion

N/A

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.

Invoice Ninja

Best for Payment flexibility

4.5

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12, $16.

Promotion

N/A

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.

Hiveage

4.5

Best for Simple billing software

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49.

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Pro plan.

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 direct integrations with bookkeeping or accounting software.
All plans have client limits (highest-tier Plus plan caps at 1,000).

Hiveage

Best for Simple billing software

4.5

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19, $29, $49.

Promotion

14-day free trial

of the Pro plan.

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 direct integrations with bookkeeping or accounting software.
All plans have client limits (highest-tier Plus plan caps at 1,000).

Harvest

4.5

Best for Project invoicing

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $13.75, $17.50 per user.

Promotion

30-day free trial

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 two templates (one PDF and one GDoc).
Payment integrations are limited to Stripe and PayPal.

Harvest

Best for Project invoicing

4.5

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $13.75, $17.50 per user.

Promotion

30-day free trial

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 two templates (one PDF and one GDoc).
Payment integrations are limited to Stripe and PayPal.

Invoice Home

4.0

Best for Free online invoice templates

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9.

Bonus

Pros

Large library of customizable invoice templates.
Invoice up to $1,000 a month for free.
Payment gateway integrations include PayPal, Authorize.net and Stripe.
No contract and no cancellation penalty.

Cons

Lacks additional features such as time and expense tracking.
No direct integrations with accounting software.

Invoice Home

Best for Free online invoice templates

4.0

Starting at

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9.

Bonus

Pros

Large library of customizable invoice templates.
Invoice up to $1,000 a month for free.
Payment gateway integrations include PayPal, Authorize.net and Stripe.
No contract and no cancellation penalty.

Cons

Lacks additional features such as time and expense tracking.
No direct integrations with accounting software.

A closer look at our top invoicing and billing software picks

Square Invoices

Best overall invoicing software

Price

$0 per month for the Free plan.
$20 per month for the Plus plan.

What small-business owners think

Square Invoices receives mostly positive reviews on sites like Trustpilot and G2. Most of all, online reviewers like how intuitive Square is — and that goes for some of its other in-house products, like its POS system. They also appreciate that, unlike some of its competitors, Square Invoices lets you send contracts to clients.

Users who left negative reviews say the company froze their account or placed a hold on their clients’ payments. This isn’t atypical for

third-party payment processors

, like Square, that don’t require business owners to open their own individual merchant accounts.

» MORE:

Explore Square’s POS solution

FreshBooks

Best all-in-one invoicing and accounting software

Price

$21 per month for the Lite plan.
$38 per month for the Plus plan.
$65 per month for the Premium plan.
Custom pricing for the Select plan.

What small-business owners think

Positive reviews of FreshBooks’ invoicing feature applaud its simplicity and the platform’s overall ease of use. Online reviewers with basic invoicing needs, like freelancers and sole proprietors, say the platform does what they need it to do. However, thoughts on its price point are mixed.

For example, some online reviewers think the billable client limits (5 in the Lite plan and 50 in the Plus plan) should be higher, especially for what they’re paying. They also don’t like that plans have become more expensive over the years. Still, FreshBooks is less expensive than many of its competitors, including QuickBooks Online.

» MORE:

Best invoicing software for freelancers

Zoho Invoice

Best for free invoicing software

Price

Free.

What small-business owners think

Zoho’s five-star reviews applaud its free invoicing tool and mobile app. They say it’s user friendly and produces professional-looking invoices for clients. Lots of these online reviewers note that they also use Zoho’s platform for other purposes, like social media management and expense tracking.

However, some users wish the platform’s customer support was better. Part of this might have to do with the fact that Zoho Invoices only offers email support. The same goes for Zoho Books’ free accounting plan, which also includes invoicing capabilities.

Invoice Ninja

Best for payment flexibility

Price

$0 per month for the Free plan.
$12 per month for the Ninja Pro plan (or $120 billed annually).
$16 per month for the Enterprise plan for up to 2 users (or $160 billed annually); price increases with more users.

What small-business owners think

Invoice Ninja doesn’t receive as many reviews as standalone accounting platforms, like FreshBooks and Zoho, so it’s difficult to spot trends in user sentiment. Still, it seems like online reviewers are pretty satisfied with its mobile app.

They say the app is user friendly, and they like that you can self-host the software and play with the API. Self-hosting can give you more control over the software and its data, but probably isn’t ideal for people without developer experience. The same goes for accessing the API.

Hiveage

Best for simple billing software

Price

$0 per month for the Free plan.
$19 per month for the Basic plan (or $16 per month billed annually).
$29 per month for the Pro plan (or $25 per month billed annually).
$49 per month for the Plus plan (or $42 per month billed annually).

What small-business owners think

Hiveage has even fewer user reviews than Invoice Ninja, so it’s hard to draw conclusions on user sentiment. A handful of reviewers say it’s a simple option for small businesses that don’t need all of the bells and whistles competitors offer. They also like its clean layout.

A couple of other online reviewers, however, wish the software had more accounting features. The free plan, for example, doesn't include reports.

Harvest

Best for project invoicing

Price

$0 per month, 1 user, for the Free plan.
$13.75 per user per month for the Pro plan (or $11 per user per month billed annually).
$17.50 per user per month for the Premium plan (or $14 per user per month billed annually).

What small-business owners think

For the most part, online reviewers say Harvest’s user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. And, they appreciate its built-in time and project tracking tools. A handful of users also say its Google Calendar integration is convenient, especially for freelancers.

Poor reviews, on the other hand, focus on its mobile app. Users say it can be laggy and frequently crashes. It’s also worth noting that you cannot generate and send new invoices from the mobile app. They need to have been previously drafted on the web version.

» MORE:

Best business expense trackers

Invoice Home

Best for free online invoice templates

Price

$0 per month for the Free plan.
$9 per month for the Unlimited Invoicing plan.

What small-business owners think

Users like the simplicity of Invoice Home, as well as the fact that it lets you create invoices for free. But there’s a caveat. Many online reviewers say they ended up getting charged for invoices they thought would be free.

The company responded to these complaints, clarifying that you can charge up to $1,000 in invoices every month, but need to pay if you exceed that limit. I agree that this is misleading. The company’s home page doesn’t mention that $1,000 limit and could certainly be more transparent.

Additional invoicing and billing software to consider

In our review of fifteen invoicing software products, NerdWallet determined a few products that don’t make our “best” list are still strong contenders that are worth consideration. Consider one of the following solutions if those on our list above don’t suit your small-business invoicing needs.

Xero

Another solid choice for all-in-one invoicing and accounting

5.0

NerdWallet rating

Price

$20 per month for the Early plan.
$47 per month for the Growing plan.
$80 per month for the Established plan.

Why it’s worth considering: Xero lets you send automatic payment reminders to clients, create customizable invoice templates and accept payments via ACH transfer, Google Pay, Apple Pay or card. To access time tracking and mileage tracking or claim expenses, you’ll have to subscribe to the Established plan. On the accounting software front, Xero stands out as a scalable solution that supports an unlimited number of users in all plans. This makes it a great fit for small-business owners who need to give multiple employees access to the software. Read our full

Xero Accounting review

Wave Invoicing

Another good option for free invoicing software.

4.5

NerdWallet rating

Price

$0 for the Starter plan.
$16 per month for the Pro plan.

Why it’s worth considering: Wave is a simple accounting and

invoicing solution for freelancers

, solopreneurs and microbusinesses that mostly receive payments via invoice. However, there is no easy way to mark expenses as billable so that you can add them to invoices later. While you can create a reimbursable expense account as a workaround, it isn’t as convenient as the billable expense features other accounting products offer. Read our full

Wave review

» MORE:

Best free invoicing software

Hopscotch

Ideal for early access to invoice funds.

3.5

NerdWallet rating

Price

$0 per month for Hopscotch plan.
$45 per month for Hopscotch Pro plan (or $36 per month billed annually).

Why it’s worth considering: Hopscotch’s Flow feature is comparable to invoicing financing, in that it lets you access invoice funds before your client pays them. Since this service comes with a fee, it’s not something you’ll want to use for every invoice. However, if you trust that your customers will promptly pay their outstanding invoices, it can be a helpful short-term solution to cash flow issues. The software also lets you connect your bank account, send payment reminders to clients and

pass on credit card fees

to clients.

Invoicing software pros and cons

Using invoicing software, as opposed to sending paper invoices, has become the norm for many small businesses. Consider invoicing software if you’re interested in the following benefits:

✅ Immediate customer receipt

Customers receive online invoices instantly, cutting out the delivery time of non-digital methods.

✅ Faster payments

Adding a link in an invoice to pay it online is not only convenient for customers but also good for your

business’s cash flow

. And if you’ve connected your bank account to the invoicing software, the funds should get directly transferred.

✅ Streamlined accounting records

Invoicing software options usually integrate with accounting programs and consolidate record-keeping in one location. For example, lots of accounting software products let you view unpaid invoices right from your dashboard.

✅ Saved time

You’ll spend less time tracking which invoices are paid, prepping new ones by hand and mailing them to customers.

While using invoicing software is preferable to paper invoicing in most situations, there are a few potential pitfalls to be aware of:

🆇 Processing fees

Offering your customers the option to pay online is convenient, but it often comes with a

payment processing fee

, unlike receiving payment by check.

🆇 Spam filters can hide invoices

Sending invoices by email means a customer’s inbox could tag them as spam, so you might still have to call a few customers who are unaware they have an invoice waiting.

🆇 Email can be hacked

Privacy might be compromised if a customer’s email is hacked, which is much less likely if an invoice is mailed.

» MORE:

4 reasons to switch to online invoicing

How to choose the best invoicing software

Consider the following factors to help determine what invoicing software is right for your small business.

Scalability

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.

Ease of use

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.

Software integrations

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 also allow you to consolidate some of your tasks into one place. If you use time tracking software, for instance, consider switching to an invoicing software with native, or built-in, integrations that can meet those needs, too.

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.

How we determined the best invoicing software

To determine the best invoicing software for small businesses, NerdWallet considered the following features:

Paper documents wrapped with a ribbon that has a checkmark on it.

Invoicing capabilitiesLook for invoice customization options, the ability to send automatic payment reminders and accept online payments, a dashboard to easily track invoice status plus some reporting capabilities. Standout products also make it easy to convert estimates to invoices and offer most or all features within a mobile app as well.

AffordabilityMost of the plans for the software included on our list start below $20 per month (and many offer free plans).

IntegrationsIdeally, standalone invoicing software directly integrates with popular accounting software, like QuickBooks Online and Xero. Some of the higher-rated products on our list also offer direct integrations with e-commerce, CRM, inventory and other software applications.

We considered customer support availability, pricing transparency and whether a free trial is offered for paid products, as well.

We also took user sentiment into account to gauge what small-business owners think about any given invoicing software product. This involved looking through individual reviews and feedback on sites like Trustpilot, G2, Reddit, the App Store and Google Play. Then, we used AI tools to help spot larger trends within those comments.

However, we don't incorporate these user reviews in our star ratings, because we can't verify every user's individual experience.

NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our

editorial guidelines

Frequently asked questions

Is billing software the same as invoicing software?

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. Invoices also serve as a detailed, itemized record of goods and/or services exchanged and the costs associated with each line item, whereas a bill typically offers more general price and tax information. 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.

What is the best invoicing software for small businesses?

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.

Is it safe to accept invoice payments online?

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.

What features should invoicing software include?

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.

Is invoicing software expensive?

Standalone invoicing software can cost 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.

NerdWallet writers Rosalie Murphy and Whitney Vandiver also contributed to this article.

Last updated on April 18, 2025

Meet the editorial team

Hillary Crawford

Business software

Hillary Crawford is a small-business writer at NerdWallet, with a special focus on business software products. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Yahoo Finance and Entrepreneur, in addition to other publications. She is based in Traverse City, Michigan.