Best Invoicing and Billing Software for Small Businesses of 2025
Invoicing software tracks goods and services, plus how much customers owe. The best options help automate the entire invoicing process online — from creating estimates to tracking hours to collecting payments.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
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NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
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Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
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 is our top overall invoicing software pick thanks to its feature-filled free plan and clean layout. The free plan includes unlimited invoicing, options for collecting deposits upfront and automatic payment reminders. You can upgrade to its paid plan to access batch invoicing and more customization options, like the ability to change field names. As an added bonus, Square Invoices also lets you send contracts to make sure your clients understand and acknowledge your payment terms, due dates and refund policy.
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 is our top overall invoicing software pick thanks to its feature-filled free plan and clean layout. The free plan includes unlimited invoicing, options for collecting deposits upfront and automatic payment reminders. You can upgrade to its paid plan to access batch invoicing and more customization options, like the ability to change field names. As an added bonus, Square Invoices also lets you send contracts to make sure your clients understand and acknowledge your payment terms, due dates and refund policy.
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 got its start as an invoicing product designed for freelancers and creatives. Though it doesn’t offer a free plan like some of its competitors do, 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, Stripe and PayPal payments, the software enables ACH transfers for a small fee. Unlike some of its competitors in the accounting software industry, all of its plans include time tracking, mileage tracking and the ability to mark expenses as billable. If you're looking for an all-in-one invoicing and accounting product with a sleek mobile app, especially if you’re a solopreneur or freelancer, FreshBooks is a great choice.
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 got its start as an invoicing product designed for freelancers and creatives. Though it doesn’t offer a free plan like some of its competitors do, 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, Stripe and PayPal payments, the software enables ACH transfers for a small fee. Unlike some of its competitors in the accounting software industry, all of its plans include time tracking, mileage tracking and the ability to mark expenses as billable. If you're looking for an all-in-one invoicing and accounting product with a sleek mobile app, especially if you’re a solopreneur or freelancer, FreshBooks is a great choice.
Customizable invoicing, mobile app and robust reporting.
Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
Cons
No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to track time and mileage.
Xero is an accounting software product with built-in invoicing capabilities. It lets you add as many users as you’d like for free and has more than 1,000 integrations. This makes it a great choice for larger small businesses that need a scalable solution. In terms of invoicing, you can use Xero to 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 and mileage tracking or claim expenses, you’ll have to subscribe to the Established plan.
Customizable invoicing, mobile app and robust reporting.
Unlimited users in all pricing plans.
Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.
Cons
No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to track time and mileage.
Xero is an accounting software product with built-in invoicing capabilities. It lets you add as many users as you’d like for free and has more than 1,000 integrations. This makes it a great choice for larger small businesses that need a scalable solution. In terms of invoicing, you can use Xero to 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 and mileage tracking or claim expenses, you’ll have to subscribe to the Established plan.
Recurring invoices and automatic billing for repeat clients.
Automatic online payment reminders.
Converts estimates into invoices.
Cons
Limited features may not be suited for fast-growing businesses.
Must use Zapier for third-party integrations.
Wave is a simple accounting and , 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.
Recurring invoices and automatic billing for repeat clients.
Automatic online payment reminders.
Converts estimates into invoices.
Cons
Limited features may not be suited for fast-growing businesses.
Must use Zapier for third-party integrations.
Wave is a simple accounting and , 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.
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 is comprehensive yet easy to use. You can keep track of hours, expenses and inventory items 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 500 per year. Zoho Books, the company’s accounting software product, also comes with invoicing features.
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 is comprehensive yet easy to use. You can keep track of hours, expenses and inventory items 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 500 per year. Zoho Books, the company’s accounting software product, also comes with invoicing features.
Invoice Ninja
Best for Payment flexibility
4.5
Starting at
$0
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 gives you the flexibility to choose from dozens of payment gateways, like Stripe and Square, to process online payments. Additionally, it enables you to ask customers to pay a deposit upfront, set a minimum payment requirement, and add taxes and a tipping option 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).
Invoice Ninja
Best for Payment flexibility
Best for Payment flexibility
4.5
Starting at
$0
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 gives you the flexibility to choose from dozens of payment gateways, like Stripe and Square, to process online payments. Additionally, it enables you to ask customers to pay a deposit upfront, set a minimum payment requirement, and add taxes and a tipping option 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).
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).
With Hiveage, creating one-time and recurring invoices is straightforward and the dashboard is easy to navigate. The billing software includes 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, customer relationship management (CRM) and project management software via Zapier.
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).
With Hiveage, creating one-time and recurring invoices is straightforward and the dashboard is easy to navigate. The billing software includes 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, customer relationship management (CRM) and project management software via Zapier.
Harvest
Best for Project invoicing
4.5
Starting at
$0
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 allows members of a project team to track their hours 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.
Harvest
Best for Project invoicing
Best for Project invoicing
4.5
Starting at
$0
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 allows members of a project team to track their hours 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.
Invoice Home
Best for Free online invoice templates
4.0
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9.
Promotion
$0
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 offers a generous library of free invoice templates, and for a reasonable monthly fee, you can send an unlimited number of invoices to an unlimited number of customers. If all you need from your invoicing software is the ability to quickly spin up a large volume of invoices and make it easy for your customers to pay them online, then Invoice Home is a strong solution. You can use the billing software for free if you invoice less than $1,000 per month.
Invoice Home
Best for Free online invoice templates
Best for Free online invoice templates
4.0
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $9.
Promotion
$0
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 offers a generous library of free invoice templates, and for a reasonable monthly fee, you can send an unlimited number of invoices to an unlimited number of customers. If all you need from your invoicing software is the ability to quickly spin up a large volume of invoices and make it easy for your customers to pay them online, then Invoice Home is a strong solution. You can use the billing software for free if you invoice less than $1,000 per month.
Jump to
How we choose the best invoicing software
Our writers and editors gather more than 20 pieces of data for each invoicing software product we rate. This includes information about:
Affordability.
Scalability.
Features (e.g., customization options, reporting, mobile app).
Customer support.
Accounting integrations.
Some of our top picks are standalone invoicing software products. These are good choices for very small businesses and side hustles that use spreadsheets instead of accounting software to track their sales. To make our list, these products need to offer free plans, accept online payments and receive at least four stars in our invoicing rubric.
Our other picks are accounting software products with built-in invoicing capabilities. These all-in-one options are best for most small businesses. To make our list, they need to receive at least four stars in both our accounting and invoicing rubrics or fill a specific niche.
What invoicing software we consider
NerdWallet’s editorial team has evaluated more than 60 products, including standalone invoicing software and accounting software with built-in invoicing capabilities.
We prioritize big names in the accounting industry, like Xero and FreshBooks, and free or low-cost invoicing software. We also interview small-business owners and scan user reviews and online forums to broaden our scope.
What do small-business owners think of our top invoicing picks?
We took user sentiment into account to gauge what small-business owners think about any given invoicing software product. This doesn’t contribute to our star ratings. That’s because it can be difficult to verify every comment and guarantee each reviewer is credible. However, we think it’s still helpful to highlight what real-life business owners commonly like and dislike about a product.
This process 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.
Here’s a summary of each product’s user feedback:
Square Invoices: Intuitive, but beware of account freezes
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.
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 $21 Lite plan and 50 in the $38 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.
Overall, Xero gets lots of positive reviews on sites like G2 and Trustpilot. People appreciate its simplicity and ease of use. They say it’s made the accounting process less tedious.
A large number of negative reviews, however, criticize the transition from its “classic” invoicing platform to a new one. It seems like the company has acted on the feedback, making changes to the new invoicing platform. These include the ability to save column preferences so you don’t have to reset them for each invoice.
Wave: Straightforward, but customer support is lacking
Online reviewers say Wave makes it easy to invoice customers. They also appreciate the fact that it has a free plan. However, the free plan has its pitfalls.
Negative reviews commonly mention customer support. This isn’t necessarily surprising. Free plan users who don’t accept payments online through Wave can’t access live customer support. Instead, they’re limited to using a chatbot. Pro plan users and those who pay for add-ons can access live customer support via email and chat.
Zoho Invoice: Thumbs up for free invoicing and accounting
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: Developer experience is preferred
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: Simple and clean, but lacking bells and whistles
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: Easy to navigate, but mobile app could use some work
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.
Invoice Home: Could be more transparent about cost
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.
What are the pros of online invoicing software?
Consider invoicing software if you’re interested in the following benefits:
Saved time. Invoicing software tracks invoice payments for you and alerts you when payments are overdue. It’s also quicker than prepping invoices by hand and mailing them.
Streamlined accounting records. Most accounting software either integrates with invoicing software or has built-in invoicing capabilities. This lets you consolidate your records.
Faster payments. Adding a “pay now” link to an invoice isn’t just convenient for customers. It’s 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.
Immediate customer receipt. Customers receive online invoices instantly. This cuts out the delivery time of non-digital methods.
What are the cons of online invoicing software?
Using invoicing software is preferable to paper invoicing in most situations. But there are a few potential pitfalls to be aware of:
Processing fees. Offering your customers the option to pay online often comes with a payment processing fee. This makes it more expensive than receiving payment by check. Processing fees are usually around 2.9% plus 30 cents per invoice (and sometimes more).
Spam filters can hide invoices. A customer’s inbox might tag emailed invoices as spam. This isn’t a deal breaker — just make sure to follow up if you don’t receive payment by the due date.
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. That being said, mail can get lost, too.
How do you choose the best invoicing software for your small business?
Follow these steps to determine the best fit for you:
Decide on standalone invoicing or all-in-one accounting software. Most businesses should use accounting software. And all of our top accounting software picks include invoicing features. If you use spreadsheets to track income and expenses, however, standalone invoicing software will probably do the trick.
Weigh free vs. paid options. Free invoicing software often has fewer bells and whistles than paid products. The same goes for accounting software. Free options, for example, typically put a limit on billable clients or invoices. They may also have mediocre reporting capabilities. If these things matter, you might want to subscribe to a paid product.
Gauge whether you’ll need to scale up in the future. If you’re planning to grow your business, make sure the product you’re considering has multiple plan tiers. If not, you may have to switch invoicing software down the road. This can be time consuming.
Make sure it’s user friendly. Watch demo videos and tutorials and take advantage of free trials. Does a product make the invoicing process feel intuitive? If you struggled to create or customize a mock invoice, that product probably isn’t the right one for you.
Confirm it integrates with your business software suite. If you use other business software for tasks like inventory or time tracking, make sure your invoicing software syncs with it. This eliminates manual data entry.
Last updated on November 4, 2025
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. 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.
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 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.
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