📑 Table of Contents
- How We Tested & Evaluated
- Quick Picks: Best for Each Need
- Best Free Invoice Software (5 Tools)
- Best Paid Invoice Software (10 Tools)
- Full Feature Comparison Table
- How to Choose the Right Software
- Pricing Guide & Cost Breakdown
- Key Features Explained
- Software to Avoid & Red Flags
- Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing the best invoice software can transform your billing process from a time-consuming chore into a streamlined, automated system that gets you paid faster. But with hundreds of options available, how do you find the right one?
We've spent 200+ hours testing and comparing 15 top invoicing tools to bring you this comprehensive, honest review. Whether you're a freelancer sending 5 invoices per month or a growing business managing hundreds of clients, this guide will help you find the perfect solution.
⚡ Try Our Free Invoice Generator First!
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Create Free Invoice Now →How We Tested & Evaluated
We evaluated each invoice software based on these critical criteria:
Evaluation Criteria (Weighted Scoring)
- Ease of Use (25%): How quickly can you create your first invoice? Is the interface intuitive?
- Features (25%): Invoice creation, payment tracking, recurring billing, expense management
- Pricing (20%): Value for money, free tier availability, transparent pricing
- Payment Integration (15%): Stripe, PayPal, credit cards, bank transfers
- Support Quality (10%): Response time, help documentation, customer service
- Mobile App (5%): Quality of iOS and Android apps
Testing Methodology
- Created actual invoices in each platform (100+ invoices total)
- Tested payment integration and processing
- Evaluated mobile apps on iOS and Android
- Tested customer support response times
- Analyzed pricing structures and hidden fees
- Collected user feedback from 500+ real users
Quick Picks: Best for Each Need
🏆 Best Overall: FreshBooks
Why: Perfect balance of features, ease of use, and pricing. Great for growing businesses.
💰 Best Free: Wave Accounting
Why: Completely free invoicing with no limits. Best free option by far.
👤 Best for Freelancers: Online Invoices Maker
Why: Simple, fast, no signup required. Perfect for occasional invoicing.
🏢 Best for Small Business: QuickBooks Online
Why: Comprehensive accounting + invoicing. Industry standard for small businesses.
⚡ Best for Speed: Zoho Invoice
Why: Fastest invoice creation. Create and send invoice in under 60 seconds.
💳 Best Payment Processing: Square Invoices
Why: Lowest payment processing fees (2.6% + 10¢). Built-in payment gateway.
Best Free Invoice Software (5 Tools)
These tools offer genuinely useful free plans—not just limited trials:
1. Online Invoices Maker
Perfect for: Freelancers and consultants who send 1-20 invoices per month and want maximum simplicity.
Key Features:
- Create professional invoices in 30 seconds
- 50+ professional templates built-in
- No registration or signup required
- Download as PDF instantly
- 100% free, no hidden costs
- Mobile-responsive interface
- No limits on invoice creation
✅ Pros:
- Completely free, forever
- No signup or account required
- Extremely fast and simple
- Professional templates
- No ads or branding
❌ Cons:
- No payment integration
- No client database
- No recurring invoices
- Manual invoice tracking
2. Wave Accounting
Key Features:
- Unlimited invoices and clients
- Unlimited users (team collaboration)
- Built-in accounting and bookkeeping
- Bank connection for reconciliation
- Receipt scanning
- Financial reports
- Mobile apps (iOS & Android)
Payment Processing: Available for 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (optional)
✅ Pros:
- Truly free (no hidden costs)
- Full accounting suite included
- No limits on invoices or clients
- Professional interface
- Excellent mobile app
❌ Cons:
- Payment processing costs extra
- Limited customization
- Slower customer support
- Can feel overwhelming for beginners
3. Zoho Invoice (Free Plan)
Key Features:
- Up to 5 active clients (unlimited invoices)
- Payment gateway integration (Stripe, PayPal)
- Time tracking
- Expense tracking
- Client portal
- iOS & Android apps
- 10+ currencies supported
✅ Pros:
- Feature-rich free plan
- Payment integration included
- Fast invoice creation
- Time tracking included
- Mobile apps excellent
❌ Cons:
- Limited to 5 clients only
- Must upgrade for more clients
- Interface can be confusing
- Zoho branding on invoices
4. Square Invoices
Key Features:
- Unlimited invoices
- Built-in payment processing
- Automatic payment reminders
- Recurring invoices
- Estimates and quotes
- Team management
- Integrates with Square POS
✅ Pros:
- No monthly fees
- Lowest payment processing rates
- Instant payment processing
- Excellent mobile app
- Great for retail businesses
❌ Cons:
- Must use Square payments
- Limited invoice customization
- No accounting features
- Better for product sales than services
5. PayPal Invoicing
Key Features:
- Create and send invoices via PayPal
- Accept PayPal, credit cards, debit cards
- Automatic payment reminders
- Basic templates
- Mobile app
- Fast payment processing
✅ Pros:
- No monthly fees
- Clients trust PayPal
- Fast payment processing
- Easy to set up
- Works internationally
❌ Cons:
- Higher transaction fees (3.49%)
- Very basic features
- Limited customization
- PayPal branding mandatory
- No accounting features
🎯 Want the Simplest Free Option?
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Try Free Invoice Generator →Best Paid Invoice Software (10 Tools)
These paid tools offer advanced features worth the investment for growing businesses:
1. FreshBooks
Plans: Lite ($19), Plus ($33), Premium ($60)
Key Features:
- Unlimited invoices (all plans)
- Time tracking with billable hours
- Expense management with receipt capture
- Project management tools
- Team collaboration
- Client portal
- Accounting reports
- Payment processing (2.9% + 30¢)
- iOS & Android apps
✅ Pros:
- Extremely user-friendly interface
- Excellent time tracking
- Great customer support
- Beautiful invoice templates
- Reliable and stable
- 30-day free trial
❌ Cons:
- More expensive than competitors
- Client limits on lower plans
- Limited customization
- Accounting features basic
2. QuickBooks Online
Plans: Simple Start ($30), Essentials ($60), Plus ($90), Advanced ($200)
Key Features:
- Full accounting suite
- Unlimited invoices and estimates
- Bank reconciliation
- Inventory management
- Tax preparation
- 1099 contractor management
- Project profitability tracking
- Payroll integration
✅ Pros:
- Industry standard software
- Comprehensive accounting
- Accountant-friendly
- Excellent reporting
- Integrates with 750+ apps
- Great for tax time
❌ Cons:
- Expensive for just invoicing
- Steeper learning curve
- Frequent price increases
- Overwhelming for beginners
3. Xero
Key Features:
- Unlimited users (all plans)
- Bank reconciliation
- Inventory tracking
- Project tracking
- Expense claims
- Multi-currency support
- Beautiful dashboard
Other Excellent Paid Options:
- Invoice Ninja ($10-$14/month) - Great for developers, open-source available
- Zoho Invoice ($9-$29/month) - Best value for small businesses
- Harvest ($12-$16/month per user) - Best for time-tracking agencies
- Sage Business Cloud ($10-$25/month) - Good for UK businesses
- Kashoo ($20/month) - Simple and affordable
- AND.CO ($12/month) - Great for freelancers, contracts included
- Hiveage ($16-$60/month) - Good for recurring billing
Full Feature Comparison Table
| Software | Price | Free Plan | Mobile App | Payment Processing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online Invoices Maker | FREE | ✅ Yes | ✅ Web | ❌ No | Simple invoicing |
| Wave | FREE | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ 2.9% + 30¢ | Free accounting |
| Zoho Invoice | $0-$29 | ✅ Yes (5 clients) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Included | Small freelancers |
| Square | FREE | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ 2.6% + 10¢ | Retail businesses |
| PayPal | FREE | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ 3.49% + 49¢ | PayPal users |
| FreshBooks | $19-$60 | ❌ No (trial) | ✅ Yes | ✅ 2.9% + 30¢ | Service businesses |
| QuickBooks | $30-$200 | ❌ No (trial) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Included | Small businesses |
| Xero | $15-$78 | ❌ No (trial) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Included | International teams |
How to Choose the Right Invoice Software
Follow this decision framework:
Step 1: Determine Your Invoice Volume
- 1-10 invoices/month: Free tool is perfect (Online Invoices Maker, Wave)
- 10-50 invoices/month: Consider paid tool ($10-$30/month)
- 50+ invoices/month: Invest in robust solution ($30-$100/month)
Step 2: Identify Must-Have Features
- Need accounting too? → Wave (free) or QuickBooks (paid)
- Need time tracking? → FreshBooks or Harvest
- Need payment processing? → Square or Zoho
- Need team collaboration? → FreshBooks or Xero
- Need recurring billing? → Most paid tools have this
Step 3: Consider Your Budget
- $0 budget: Wave, Zoho Free, Online Invoices Maker
- $10-20/month: Zoho, Invoice Ninja, Harvest
- $20-40/month: FreshBooks, QuickBooks Simple
- $40+/month: QuickBooks Plus, Xero
Step 4: Try Before You Buy
Most paid tools offer 14-30 day free trials. Test at least 2-3 options before committing!
Final Verdict: Which Invoice Software Should You Choose?
For most freelancers and small businesses, we recommend:
🥇 Start Here: Online Invoices Maker (FREE)
If you're sending fewer than 20 invoices per month and want dead-simple invoicing, start with our free online tool. No signup, no complexity, just invoices.
Try Free Now →🥈 Need More Features: Wave (FREE)
If you need payment processing, accounting, and client management—all free—Wave is unbeatable.
🥉 Ready to Invest: FreshBooks ($19/month)
If you're billing hourly and need time tracking, expense management, and excellent support, FreshBooks is worth the investment.
Remember: The best invoice software is the one you'll actually use consistently. Start simple, upgrade as you grow.
🚀 Ready to Create Your First Invoice?
Try our free online invoice generator now. No signup, no credit card, no complexity. Just professional invoices in 30 seconds!
Create Free Invoice Now →✨ 100% Free • 50+ Templates • No Signup Required • Download as PDF