Updated: October 05,2022
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Tired of manually creating invoices?
A dedicated billing app could be just what the doctor ordered, then!
We’ve assembled and tested some of the best invoicing solutions for small businesses. Our reviews cover:
But wait, there’s more!
We’ve even provided you with a buyer’s guide that will help you find the best invoice software for your company.
Let’s get started!
Free
Unlimited invoices, users, and clients
Multiple payment gateways
Zoho Invoice is a powerful online billing solution. It combines ease of use with flexibility, making it suitable for a wide range of businesses. Still, startups and sole proprietors will benefit the most. The cherry on top is that it’s free!
Let’s zoom in and see what all the hype is about.
This invoicing software supports multiple languages (17, in fact!) and currencies. The payment gateway options are also extensive. They include:
You can send invoices and accept card payments from all over the world. Additionally, you are free to personalize various templates and make them match your brand. You can even digitally sign your invoices and send thank-you notes for received payments.
You can also keep track of invoice history — when it was created, sent, and viewed by the customer.
Other than one-time invoices, you can also create recurring ones and automate payment reminders. We really appreciate this feature, as it saves both time and effort. However, compared to the rest of the invoicing program, this tool can be a bit tricky to set up.
Furthermore, Zoho has iOS, Android, and Windows apps for mobile invoicing. It’s a practical feature for users who are constantly on the move. Unfortunately, the mobile app is pretty stripped down compared to the desktop version, especially the invoice customization.
But, its capabilities do not end here.
You can also:
This billing and invoicing software are decently versatile. It’s not as comprehensive as a full-fledged accounting app, but you still get loads of features that go beyond invoicing. The integrations are great, too!
Zoho can connect with most of its siblings (Zoho CRM, Zoho Flow, Zoho Analytics, Zoho Projects, Zoho People) except Zoho Inventory. It’s a bit of a shame because inventory management is often connected to billing.
Third-party apps include:
One of the most appealing things about Zoho is that it’s completely free. You don’t need a credit card to sign up, only your email.
In short, it’s the best free invoice software for small businesses and freelancers looking to simplify their billing process.
Convenient auto-tools
Practical integrations
Affordable
FreshBooks is a robust online accounting app suitable for freelancers and sole proprietors. Other than invoicing, it has a specialized set of tools for financial record keeping. It offers several pricing plans that scale in size, including an unlimited Premium plan.
We’re going to focus on FreshBooks’ invoicing capabilities mainly.
The invoice generator makes creating professional branded invoices a piece of cake. It works very well for quick, simple edits. You can’t finetune the details, though. On the brighter side, you can duplicate invoices and keep a uniform look.
This invoice program supports multi-currency billing and multi-language invoices. That’s a must-have feature for companies dealing with clients worldwide.
You can accept credit cards and ACH (US only). To further speed up the billing process, you can also set certain features on auto-pilot! That includes automatic:
You can also do these tasks manually — it’s all up to you.
Furthermore, FreshBooks lets you add discounts and request deposits on your invoices. You are free to set up retainers for more complex invoicing, as well.
But what about integrations?
The best billing software needs to have tons of connections and automations — and Freshbooks excels in this area.
It integrates with 115 apps, and new ones are being added all the time. The impressive collection includes:
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg!
There are also Android and iOS apps for accessing core features while on the go. Interestingly enough, they can automatically record your mileage, too.
Besides invoicing, FreshBooks deals with:
This invoice and billing software have four pricing plans in total. You can familiarize yourself with the service thanks to the generous 30-day free trial.
Your options include:
All packages are limited to one user, though. You’ll need to pay $10 per person per month to add team members. So, both users and clients are capped, regrettably.
On the bright side, this invoicing service supports unlimited invoices across all plans. Still, the Lite plan might be too minimalistic for most users. It doesn’t offer auto-tools, for example.
Overall, FreshBooks is a smart accounting and invoicing solution for very small businesses. Scaling issues aside, it’s got a fantastic array of tools that will make short work of taxes, billing, inventory tracking, and more.
Unlimited invoices, users, and clients
Free plan available
Handy mobile app
Square Invoices is part of the large Square family of financial services apps. This software for invoicing has a pretty decent free version and a buffed-up paid package. Best of all, it’s got a knack for customer management that most of its peers don’t.
Let’s see why.
The app allows you to share your invoices via email, SMS, or as a link. It supports recurring invoices, too. You are free to arrange them on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis.
Naturally, this business invoice software will also record their status in real-time. You’ll be notified if they’re unpaid, paid, or overdue.
Another cool detail is that you can accept tips and issue refunds. And you don’t have to play the bad guy — simply line up payment reminders before, on, or after deadlines.
What’s more, your clients can choose whether to pay you online, in person, or from their phone (via credit card, ACH, Apple Pay, and Google Pay). But, it’s very unfortunate that Square doesn’t support multi-currency. On the brighter side, you can set up deposits.
And here’s the best part:
This invoicing system will automatically add your clients’ contact and business info to the Square Customer Directory. You can save your customer’s business name, payment cards, email address, phone number, etc.
Additionally, you can import your existing customer lists and use filters to segmentize them. That means organizing your clients into smart groups based on similar feedback (from digital receipts) and purchases.
Square will issue estimates, too, and observe whether they’ve been viewed, accepted, or declined. You can then convert them into invoices manually (free plan) or automatically (Pro plan).
Other than that, this invoice program lets you set taxes and discounts. You can record non-digital payments like cash and checks, too.
If you’re wondering about integrations, Square Invoices plays well with:
Finally, you can take Square everywhere you go, thanks to the mobile apps for iOS and Android. You can keep an eye on payments, send invoices, and set auto-reminders.
This billing and invoice software has two pricing plans:
And there’s a 30-day free trial to test the waters first!
However, invoice customization being reserved for the paid package is a big miss. You can’t even add custom fields like your terms of service, return policy, cancelation policy, and personalized messages.
Some users have also been complaining about the invoice processing rates. The service is transparent about them at least:
Square is a top billing software for small businesses focusing on customer management. Smooth invoicing, estimates, and integrations are part of its appeal, as well.
Robust project management features
Multiple currencies and payment gateways
Novice-friendly billing and invoice software
Hiveage is a cloud-based online billing software that will help you manage money, customers, and your team — all in one. The service aims to please anyone from greenhorn entrepreneurs to thriving businesses. It prides itself on its simple yet effective core features.
Let’s dig in!
Hiveage allows you to make custom invoices with your branding. You can keep an eye on their status at all times. You’ll be notified whether they’re saved as drafts, sent, viewed, or paid (in full or partially).
This invoice generator software supports numerous currencies and online payment gateways. There’s PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, Authorize.Net, Wepay, Coinbase, and many more. You can also accept credit card payments directly using your Hiveage account. However, this feature is only available in the US.
But, there’s more!
As you're crafting your invoices, you can quickly add taxes, shipping, and discounts to the subtotal or line items. You can accept and record offline payments, too.
Likewise, Hiveage will send payment reminders and receipts for you. You are free to arrange recurring and subscription billing (daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly). We appreciate that you can always review recurring invoices before sending them out!
This invoice billing software also lets you send estimates to your clients. Once they’re approved, you can convert them to invoices in one click. You can set up expiration dates and send reminders for your estimates, as well.
In addition to that, the service will generate real-time financial reports for you. You can count on monthly summaries and year-to-date income vs. expenditure summaries. Still, the reports are simple, which might not suit users looking for more details on their activity.
Hiveage comes as a mobile app for iOS and Android, too.
But, what about non-invoicing features?
This top invoice software can track:
Furthermore, you can manage multiple teams and businesses with a single Hiveage login. That means sharing invoicing responsibilities with other members and granting them different levels of access.
But, when it comes to integrations, you’ll have to enable API connectivity by yourself. This can be a bit of a burden for less tech-savvy users, as you have to integrate other apps with Hiveage manually.
This online invoice software has four pricing options. You can choose between:
There’s a 14-day free trial that lets you experience Hiveage’s Pro plan, as well.
All packages include unlimited invoices, estimates, time tracking, and expense tracking, which is excellent! The only disappointment is that the free plan doesn’t offer recurring billing.
If you’re looking for a simple billing software that does its job reliantly, this is the one. Even complete novices to invoicing will quickly get the hang of Hiveage.
Free plan
Detailed financial reports
Multi-currency and multi-language business invoicing
Invoice Ninja is an open-source billing solution that comes as a:
It features a whole arsenal of business tools — you can even get a custom domain!
Let’s see if it’s the right fit for your needs:
The software allows you to customize your invoice, with additional fields and branding. You’ll get to see immediately what it will look like as you export it, thanks to the convenient PDF window.
Moreover, this invoicing program has an alert system that will notify you whenever your clients open and pay your invoices.
The template options, however, aren’t too generous. There are only four free ones and ten for Pro users.
On the other hand, Invoice Ninja has the functionality you can expect from top billing apps. That includes:
In addition to that, this invoicing system supports around 50 currencies and 20 languages! You can also count on numerous payment gateways across the world, including but not limited to:
The only thing that Ninja’s missing is automatic tax calculation.
The software’s other capabilities lie in project management. Thanks to the Kanban boards, you can visualize your workflow and plan ahead. You can log tasks, too — and cash your hours in!
Additionally, the app will send you financial reports (such as Client Statements and Aging Accounts). You are free to export them as CSV, XLS, and PDF files.
One more thing!
This client billing software has multiple integration partners, like:
Invoice Ninja has three pricing options:
You can give the paid options a spin during the 14-day free trial. The Enterprise plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee, as well.
And it’s the only plan that multiple users can use! The price will depend on the number of licenses, but it’s still pretty cheap.
The best software for invoices doesn’t have to be pricey — Invoice Ninja is proof of that. It’s an affordable option suitable for solo freelancers and small businesses with no more than 20 employees.
Advanced business analytics
Comprehensive accounting features
Brilliant auto-tools for billing
QuickBooks Online is a small-business accounting solution. It has it all: invoicing, bookkeeping, reporting, inventory management, and project management. For some users, it might even be a bit too much!
So, is it good for you?
QuickBooks will help you keep your invoices sleek and professional. You can customize them and add your logo. You can also rely on real-time status updates - whenever your customers view and open your invoices.
If you’re wondering about payments, this billing and invoicing software accepts credit cards, debit cards, and ACH transfers. And, since it doubles as a bookkeeping solution, each payment will be recorded and matched.
You can also import transactions and automatically organize them into the correct tax categories. QuickBooks will even match pics of receipts to existing expenses!
Other than that, the software allows you to line up recurring invoices and send batches of them at once. It will automatically calculate taxes and send payment reminders, too.
What about estimates, though?
You can customize them, accept mobile signatures, and convert them into invoices. Another useful feature is progress invoicing. This client billing software lets you split estimates into multiple invoices as a project reaches certain milestones.
In addition, you can keep an eye on your cash flow and run reports on profit and loss, expenses, balance, and more. The app supports advanced business analytics, as well.
It will also help you track products, create purchase orders, and manage vendors. You can import your inventory from Excel or sync with Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and similar platforms.
You can also record miles with your phone’s GPS and organize your business and personal trips. And there’s one more thing this invoice and billing software will track for you — time. You can clock billable hours and automatically add them to invoices!
Finally, Quickbooks is available as a mobile app (iOS and Android). It also integrates with over 650 business apps! You can expect:
And many more.
QuickBooks’ first-rate quality of service doesn’t come without a price. You have the choice of four pricing packages:
There’s a 30-day free trial if you’re interested!
Still, QuickBooks is pricy when compared to similar apps. Also, only users who subscribe to the most expensive plan (Advanced) can restore and back up their company data. Not cool.
If you need an invoicing software for small businesses with an extensive suite of accounting tools, try Quickbooks. It’s a powerful (although expensive) solution, especially if you plan on regularly collaborating with an accountant or bookkeeper.
Smart monitoring and automation
Multiple modules of accounting features
Productive HR management tools
BQE Core proudly calls itself an “all-in-one accounting and invoicing software” — and it’s true. Its talents lie in billing, bookkeeping, time tracking, project management, and even human resources! The app was designed with engineering, architecture, accounting, and similar firms in mind.
First, let’s look into what you’re primarily here for — invoicing.
Core offers over 20 standard invoice templates that you can edit. You can create invoices for hourly, fixed fee, cost plus, unit cost, and percentage contract types. This top billing software also does automation based on your schedule for recurring invoices.
Other than that, you can:
However, it can be hard to find all these features in the slightly cluttered interface.
Core will also lend you a hand with cash, accrual, and engagement-based accounting. It will automatically download all your bank and credit card transactions, as well. Similarly, it dabbles in financial reporting — Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Trial Balance, and GL.
But, this invoice management software truly excels at time tracking. It’s available both on web and mobile (Android and iOS) apps. You can choose between daily, weekly, and bi-weekly timecards and daily timers. You can even run multiple timers simultaneously! Plus, you’re free to edit the billing rates for different project tasks.
Core also allows you to oversee every detail of your projects. That includes smart monitoring of activities, teams, budgets, and schedules. It will also deal with repetitive administrative HR tasks for you. It can automate:
This online invoice software can connect to:
This is where things get a bit confusing.
The website states that Core is priced on a per-module and per-user basis — and nothing else. Not even a starting price is listed!
You’ll have to contact the sales team for a price quote. They’ll build you a custom plan based on your company’s needs.
Other than that, there’s an available free demo if you’re curious about the app.
In truth, if you’re a small business owner who’s just looking for a quick and easy invoice software, BQE Core will be overly ambitious. But, if you want a flexible, multitalented accounting app with invoicing elements, look no further.
Finding the optimal billing solution can be quite a challenge. So many options, so little time!
So, let’s cut right to the chase.
Here are some of the most vital details you should keep in mind while making your choice:
If you want to save yourself a lot of time and energy, templates are where it’s at. You can transform them into personalized, professional invoices with a couple of clicks and edits. Most importantly, top invoicing software lets you add your logo.
This should be your primal objective — effective auto-tools. They will keep mistakes to a minimum and let you focus on growing your business. Your customers will also appreciate their speed and accuracy.
The basic invoicing features you should look for are:
Flexible online payments should be one of your priorities. There’s a whole world of possibilities outside of debit and credit cards — take advantage of it. The best invoice software will grant you a wide choice of payment gateways such as PayPal, Wepay, Stripe, and more.
Another vital feature is multi-currency support. If your business has frequent international dealings, it’s a must-have.
Gone are the days of manually creating estimates for your clients. A proper invoicing app will provide you with quote forms you can customize, fill out, and then send. Best of all, you can convert them into invoices with ease.
Each client comes with their own contact info, transaction history, and feedback. A capable customer management system will store all these details and keep them at hand for your invoices. Some invoicing programs even have advanced segmentation tools you can use to filter your client base.
One of the primary functionalities of billing apps is to record your earnings and expenses and generate reports. Daily, monthly, and yearly summaries will keep you updated on your activities and cash flow. They can even help you optimize your performance.
What if you need a beefier software that can also handle other business tasks?
Lucky for you, there are many such options equipped to deal with:
Depending on your needs, the best invoicing software for your company might be an all-in-one accounting app. Or, it might specialize in project management. You’ll need to identify your requirements before committing to a solution.
Another thing to take into account is your connectivity requirements. You probably already have a collection of accounting, CRM, and HR apps you regularly use.
Your invoicing app should be able to integrate with your everyday tools. So, always check out its integration partners and API connectivity beforehand.
Let’s not forget about your budget!
Luckily, there are great options, even if you’re a freelancer with a minimal client base. Many free invoicing platforms will do the job just fine.
Additionally, there are very affordable billing solutions for small businesses that need more than just the bare necessities. They include automations and extra workflow features.
Finally, the most robust invoicing and accounting apps are also the most expensive. They offer a plethora of functionalities that might even be a bit of an overkill for very small companies.
A proper invoicing program will streamline your whole billing process. Your invoices will also seem more professional to your clients. So, you’ll reduce your workload and get more done at the same time — it’s a win-win situation!
But, to find the best invoicing software for your company, you’ll need to figure out your specific business needs first. Depending on your answers, it will either be a specialized billing app, an accounting-billing hybrid, or a full-fledged accounting solution.
In any case, there are numerous options to choose from, for small businesses of all sizes and budgets.
Good luck on your hunt!
If you’re looking for a straightforward yet powerful invoicing app, Hiveage might be your best pick. You can generate estimates, custom invoices, and payment reminders with ease. It also supports many currencies and payment gateways.
Zoho Invoice is the best free software for invoices, hands down. You can customize and automate them without worrying about any limits. It doesn’t limit the number of users and clients.
Yes, Zoho Invoice is completely free. You only need your email to sign up and use it. It’s among the for the best invoice software with a free plan!
Microsoft Invoicing used to be free — the app was retired in 2020. But, there are plenty of alternatives. We’ve hunted down and reviewed the best ones, so why not give them a read?
Selma Citakovic
Selma is a content writer with a love for all things nerdy by day and an internet archaeologist that likes to dig up obscurities by night. Mostly she's trying to balance between many obsessions. Right now, it's bass playing and reading hard sci-fi about vampires in outer space - next week, who knows.
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