Best Invoicing Software in 2026: 11 Tools Compared by Company Size and Requirements

Top picks by situation

• A freelancer who wants invoicing at no cost

  Zoho Invoice

  Zoho Invoice costs nothing, though yearly caps apply to customers and invoices, and an upgrade path leads into Zoho Books and the wider Zoho family.

  From: Free

• A five-client consultancy billing hours

  FreshBooks

  The Lite tier runs $23 monthly for 5 billable clients, and every tier includes recurring invoices, late reminders and unlimited timers.

  From: $23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients)

• A 15-person agency billing by tracked hours

  Harvest

  Tracked time and expenses become invoice lines without retyping, and Teams is priced at $9 a seat each month when paid yearly.

  From: $9/seat/month billed annually (Teams)

• A finance team handling payables and receivables

  Bill.com

  Bill pay and invoicing share one tool with approval chains, and two-way sync with QuickBooks Online and Xero starts on the Team plan.

  From: $49 per user per month (Essentials)

• A software startup already paid through Stripe

  Stripe Invoicing

  There is no seat fee, each paid invoice costs 0.4% on Starter, and Stripe Tax can calculate, collect and file sales tax.

  From: 0.4% per paid invoice (Starter)

• A 20-person firm billing in several currencies

  Xero

  Unlimited users come at flat plan prices from $27 monthly, and multi-currency needs are a listed strength of the product.

  From: $27/month (Early)

Invoicing Software comparison table

Invoicing Software compared

Tool	Best for	Starting price	Free plan	Free trial	G2 rating
Zoho Invoice	Freelancers and micro businesses that want free invoicing	Free	Yes	No	4.7 (364 reviews)
Xero	Teams that need unlimited users without per-seat cost	$27/month (Early)	No	Yes	4.4 (1,558 reviews)
FreshBooks	Freelancers and service businesses billing a limited number of clients	$23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients)	No	Yes	4.5 (981 reviews)
Bill.com	Finance teams that run both bill pay and invoicing in one tool with approval chains	$49 per user per month (Essentials)	No	Yes	4.5 (3,985 reviews)
Square Invoices	Small businesses already taking payments through Square	Free	Yes	Not stated	4.7 (215 reviews)
Invoice Ninja	Freelancers and small firms comfortable self hosting to avoid per seat fees	Free (5 clients)	Yes	Not stated	4.3 (22 reviews)
Wave	Freelancers and micro businesses wanting free bookkeeping	$0 (Starter)	Yes	Not stated	4.3 (327 reviews)
PayPal Invoicing	Freelancers whose clients already pay through PayPal	No monthly fee	Yes	No	4.3 (210 reviews)
Stripe Invoicing	Businesses already processing payments through Stripe	0.4% per paid invoice (Starter)	No	No	4.1 (24 reviews)
Harvest	Agencies and consultancies that bill clients by the hour from tracked time	$9/seat/month billed annually (Teams)	Yes	Yes	4.3 (881 reviews)
QuickBooks Online	Small businesses that work with an outside accountant who already uses QuickBooks	$38/month (Simple Start, 1 user)	Yes	Yes	4.0 (3,866 reviews)

What is invoicing software?

Instead of building bills by hand in a word processor, a business enters what it delivered and the invoicing tool turns that into a branded document, emails it and notes when the money arrives. Stronger products add payment links, scheduled repeat invoices for retainers, automated nudges for late customers, and an aging report that lists who owes what. Freelancers, agencies, tradespeople and small service firms use it most, sometimes next to a separate accounting package. Because the output is a document customers see, appearance and payment convenience both affect how fast cash arrives.

Core capabilities

• Invoice creation and branding

  Builds invoices from templates with your logo and terms, then sends them by email or a shareable link.

• Online payment links

  Allows customers to settle with a card, a bank debit or a digital wallet right from the invoice, with the payment matched to it automatically.

• Recurring billing

  Re-issues an invoice at set intervals for retainers and subscriptions, so nobody recreates it each month.

• Payment reminders

  Sends polite nudges ahead of and past the deadline, so collections do not depend on someone remembering.

• Time and expense billing

  Turns tracked hours and costs into invoice lines, which matters for agencies and consultants.

• Accounting sync and reports

  Passes invoices to the ledger and shows receivables aging, so cash owed is visible at a glance.

The 11 best invoicing software, reviewed

1

Zoho Invoice

Free

Zoho Invoice is a free app from Zoho aimed at freelancers and micro businesses, with annual caps on customers and invoices. Users who outgrow it move to Zoho Billing or Zoho Books. The free plan prints a Powered by Zoho mark, and currency cannot change mid-invoice.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: workable
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Freelancers and micro businesses that want free invoicing
• Businesses already on Zoho apps

Look elsewhere if

• Companies that need many customers or entities on the free plan
• Teams that want a paid tier of the same product (upgrade is to Zoho Billing)

Key features

Accounting integration

Zoho Books and other Zoho apps ( not confirmed by the vendor in detail)

Branding and templates

Invoice branding on free plan shows Powered by Zoho

Pricing model and transparency

Free with annual usage limits

Target company size

Freelancers and small businesses

What users like

• Free and easy to start
• Quick invoice creation and customization

Common complaints

• Free plan limits on customers and invoices
• Cannot change currency while generating invoices

Full Zoho Invoice profileRequest an offer

2

Xero

$27/month (Early)

Xero is a cloud accounting product with three flat-priced plans, beginning at $27 monthly, and no per-user fees. It handles multiple currencies and has strong bank reconciliation. Early limits the number of bills and invoices, and reviewers note repeated list price increases.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: workable
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Teams that need unlimited users without per-seat cost
• Businesses with multi-currency needs
• Firms working with accountants who use Xero practice tools

Look elsewhere if

• Buyers needing annual billing discounts (none on the US page)
• Teams needing SAML SSO, which we could not confirm

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

not confirmed by the vendor

Online payment acceptance

not confirmed by the vendor

Automated payment reminders

not confirmed by the vendor

Sales tax and multi-currency

not confirmed by the vendor

Accounting integration

Native accounting product

Time and expense billing

Projects tracking on Established

Branding and templates

not confirmed by the vendor

Reporting and aging

Cash flow forecast 30/60/180 days by plan

Pricing model and transparency

Flat per plan; usage charges for payroll, projects and expenses billed monthly in arrears

Target company size

Small businesses; Established for larger teams

What users like

• Usable for owners without accounting background
• Strong automatic bank reconciliation
• No per-user fees

Common complaints

• Repeated list price increases
• US payroll and tax depth thinner than QuickBooks (not confirmed by the vendor)
• Plan limits on bills and invoices on Early

Full Xero profileRequest an offer

3

FreshBooks

$23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients)

FreshBooks puts invoicing first and prices by billable client count, from $23 monthly for 5 clients, with $11 for each extra user. Recurring invoices, reminders and time tracking come on every tier. It suits freelancers and service firms, not inventory-heavy businesses.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: poor fit
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Freelancers and service businesses billing a limited number of clients
• Teams wanting time tracking and invoicing in one tool
• Buyers who want simple, guided accounting

Look elsewhere if

• Teams that need many staff seats cheaply ($11 per extra user)
• Businesses needing inventory or deep ledger control

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

Automated recurring invoices on all tiers

Online payment acceptance

Cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, BNPL; lower fees on Select

Automated payment reminders

Automated late payment reminders on all tiers

Sales tax and multi-currency

Tax-time reports on Lite; multi-currency not confirmed by the vendor

Accounting integration

Native accounting from Plus

Time and expense billing

Unlimited time tracking and expenses on all tiers

Branding and templates

Custom email templates on Premium; branding removal on Select

Reporting and aging

Financial and double-entry accounting reports from Plus

Pricing model and transparency

Client-count tiers plus $11 per extra user

Target company size

Freelancers to small service firms

What users like

• Very easy invoicing for non-accountants
• Strong customer support reputation
• Time tracking integrated with billing

Common complaints

• Cost for solo users and annual price increases
• Limited invoice flexibility
• Access to records after cancelling

Full FreshBooks profileRequest an offer

4

Bill.com

$49 per user per month (Essentials)

Bill.com covers both bill payment and invoicing with approval workflows, priced from $49 per user monthly plus per-transaction fees on payments. It syncs with QuickBooks Online and Xero, and NetSuite on Enterprise. Reviewers cite weak international payment options and uneven customer service.

• 1-10: poor fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: strong fit

Best for

• Finance teams that run both bill pay and invoicing in one tool with approval chains
• Small and mid-size companies on QuickBooks Online or Xero that want 2-way sync

Look elsewhere if

• Freelancers who only need to send a few invoices (starts at $49 per user per month)
• Companies needing many international payment options (reviewers complain about this)

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

Recurring invoices listed explicitly on Corporate and Enterprise; Essentials and Team list 'send invoices flexibly' only

Online payment acceptance

Card 2.9% and ACH $0.59 on received payments; instant transfer 1.25% ($1 min)

Automated payment reminders

Automated payment reminders on all plans

Accounting integration

2-way sync QuickBooks Online/Pro/Premier and Xero from Team; NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Dynamics and QuickBooks Enterprise on Enterprise; Essentials is CSV only

Time and expense billing

No billable-time invoicing found; separate BILL Spend & Expense product covers expenses

Reporting and aging

Cash flow forecasting from Team (QBO users); full reporting detail not confirmed by the vendor

Pricing model and transparency

Per user per month plus per-transaction fees for payments

Target company size

Small to mid-size businesses and accounting firms (accountant partner programs); Enterprise tier for larger finance teams

What users like

• Scalable and centralized payment management
• Approval workflows and audit trail for bills

Common complaints

• Customer service quality
• Difficulty integrating with some accounting systems
• Limited international payment capabilities

Full Bill.com profileRequest an offer

5

Square Invoices

Free

Square Invoices belongs to the Square payments system, with a free software plan and Plus at $49 monthly. Cards and ACH are accepted, and paid tiers lower the processing rates. Custom templates start on Plus, and reviewers miss e-signature support.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Small businesses already taking payments through Square
• Service businesses wanting to collect by card or ACH with no software fee on the Free plan

Look elsewhere if

• Businesses wanting to avoid per transaction fees by paying invoices off platform
• Users needing e-signature (reviewers cite it missing)

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

Included in invoices features

Online payment acceptance

Card, ACH; fees by plan

Branding and templates

Custom invoice templates start on Plus

Pricing model and transparency

Free software plus processing fees; paid tiers cut rates

Target company size

Small businesses and sole traders

What users like

• Simple interface and easy sending
• Fast payouts when using Square

Common complaints

• Processing fees
• No e-signature feature

Full Square Invoices profileRequest an offer

6

Invoice Ninja

Free (5 clients)

Invoice Ninja is open source and runs hosted or self-hosted. The free plan covers 5 clients, and Pro costs a flat $140 yearly. A client portal exists on all plans. Reviewers like the low cost but describe the interface as technical, and review volume is small.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Freelancers and small firms comfortable self hosting to avoid per seat fees
• Teams wanting client portal, recurring invoices and many payment gateways at a flat low price

Look elsewhere if

• Teams wanting a large vendor with polished support and many reviews (only 22 on G2)
• Users needing a free plan with many clients

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

Supported (Pro)

Online payment acceptance

Multiple gateways; not confirmed by the vendor in detail

Branding and templates

Custom branding URL on Pro; client portal branded on all plans

Pricing model and transparency

Flat annual fee, not per invoice

Target company size

Freelancers and small businesses (95.5% small business reviewers on G2)

What users like

• Low cost compared with per seat invoicing tools
• Self hosting gives data control and flexibility

Common complaints

• Interface and setup feel technical
• Limited review base and support depth versus larger vendors

Full Invoice Ninja profileRequest an offer

7

Wave

$0 (Starter)

Wave offers free bookkeeping and invoicing for solo and micro businesses and earns revenue from payments and a $19 monthly Pro tier. Card payments on Starter cost 2.9% plus $0.60. Slow support is the main complaint, and depth is limited for growing firms.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: workable
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Freelancers and micro businesses wanting free bookkeeping
• Service businesses collecting card payments through invoices

Look elsewhere if

• Teams wanting a wide app ecosystem or inventory
• Buyers needing fast support (slow support is the main G2 complaint)

Key features

Online payment acceptance

2.9% + $0.60 per card on Starter

Accounting integration

Native accounting

Pricing model and transparency

Free Starter, $19 Pro, per-transaction payment fees

Target company size

Solo and micro businesses

What users like

• Free core bookkeeping
• Simple interface

Common complaints

• Slow customer support
• Payment fees replace subscription revenue
• Limited depth for growing firms

Full Wave profileRequest an offer

8

PayPal Invoicing

No monthly fee

Invoices live inside a PayPal business profile, with no subscription fee and a charge of 2.99% plus $0.49 on each card payment. Recurring invoices and automatic reminders are included, and 24 currencies work. Accounting, time and expense tracking are missing.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Freelancers whose clients already pay through PayPal
• Occasional invoicing across currencies

Look elsewhere if

• Businesses wanting low payment fees
• Teams needing accounting, time or expense tracking

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

Recurring invoices or templates

Online payment acceptance

PayPal, Venmo, cards, Apple Pay, Pay Later, ACH

Automated payment reminders

Automatic reminders

Sales tax and multi-currency

24 currencies in 200+ markets

Pricing model and transparency

Per transaction fees only

Target company size

Freelancers and small businesses

What users like

• Easy to use and set up
• Clients trust and already use PayPal

Common complaints

• Transaction fees feel high
• Few billing features beyond invoices

Full PayPal Invoicing profileRequest an offer

9

Stripe Invoicing

0.4% per paid invoice (Starter)

Stripe Invoicing charges a percentage of each paid invoice, 0.4% on Starter and 0.5% on Plus, instead of a seat or monthly fee. It supports many payment methods and sends reminders automatically. Time tracking is absent, and G2 users rate support lowest.

• 1-10: no data
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: no data
• 500+: no data

Best for

• Businesses already processing payments through Stripe
• Teams that want no seat fee and no fixed monthly cost

Look elsewhere if

• Service firms needing time tracking and expense billing
• Teams that want a standalone accounting or AP tool

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

Recurring invoicing via Stripe Billing; Smart Retries recover about 38% of originally failed payments (Stripe figure)

Online payment acceptance

Card, bank transfer and 100+ global payment methods; ACH credit with virtual bank account numbers and auto-reconciliation

Automated payment reminders

Automatic email reminders when invoices are due or overdue

Sales tax and multi-currency

Manual tax rates or automatic calculation, collection and filing via Stripe Tax; 135+ currencies, 25+ languages

Accounting integration

Syncs with NetSuite, Xero and QuickBooks; revenue recognition available

Branding and templates

Hosted invoice page included in both plans; template depth not confirmed by the vendor

Pricing model and transparency

0.4% (Starter) or 0.5% (Plus) per paid invoice, plus payment fees; no seat fee

Target company size

Mostly small businesses (79.2% of G2 reviews)

What users like

• Easy setup and administration
• Fits naturally if Stripe already handles payments

Common complaints

• Limited invoicing depth versus dedicated tools (inferred from small-team skew; not confirmed by the vendor)
• Support quality scored lowest of sub-ratings (8.1)

Full Stripe Invoicing profileRequest an offer

10

Harvest

$9/seat/month billed annually (Teams)

Harvest began as a time tracker and adds invoicing and expenses on top, so tracked hours become invoice lines automatically. A free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects, and Teams starts at $9 per seat monthly. Reporting is lighter than in dedicated project tools.

• 1-10: strong fit
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: strong fit
• 500+: workable

Best for

• Agencies and consultancies that bill clients by the hour from tracked time
• Teams that want one tool for timesheets, expenses and invoices without a separate accounting app

Look elsewhere if

• Solo users needing more than 2 projects on a free plan
• Teams that need SCIM provisioning (not offered on any plan per a third party guide)
• Companies needing payroll or attendance compliance features

Key features

Time and expense billing

Time and expenses roll into invoices

Reporting and aging

Custom reports (4 on Teams, unlimited on Enterprise)

Pricing model and transparency

Per seat, free tier of 1 seat and 2 projects

Target company size

Small teams to enterprise; SSO and approvals aimed at larger teams

What users like

• Simple timer that is easy for staff to adopt
• Time entries turn into invoices without re-keying

Common complaints

• Reporting and budget features feel limited versus project tools
• Costs rise per seat for the approvals and SSO tier

Full Harvest profileRequest an offer

11

QuickBooks Online

$38/month (Simple Start, 1 user)

Intuit offers QuickBooks Online as cloud bookkeeping in four paid tiers limited to 1, 3, 5 or 25 users, from $38 monthly. A big app ecosystem and widespread accountant familiarity are the draw. Reviewers cite repeated price increases and mixed support.

• 1-10: workable
• 11-50: strong fit
• 51-500: workable
• 500+: poor fit

Best for

• Small businesses that work with an outside accountant who already uses QuickBooks
• Teams that want a wide third-party app ecosystem
• Businesses needing inventory, projects and budgeting on the Plus tier

Look elsewhere if

• Companies needing SAML SSO with an external identity provider
• Very small freelancers watching cost, since list prices rose in 2025

Key features

Recurring invoices and subscriptions

Not stated on pricing page

Online payment acceptance

QuickBooks Payments, card and ACH; Free plan gets unlimited invoices if you enable Payments

Automated payment reminders

Not stated on pricing page

Sales tax and multi-currency

not confirmed by the vendor

Accounting integration

Native accounting product

Time and expense billing

Employee time added to invoices from Essentials

Branding and templates

Custom lead form on Essentials; not confirmed by the vendor for templates

Reporting and aging

Top 3 reports on Free, general business reports on Simple Start, enhanced reports on Essentials, custom KPIs and dashboards on Advanced

Pricing model and transparency

Tiered flat price with user caps; no per-user price listed

Target company size

1 to 25 users; Advanced aimed at the upper small business end

What users like

• Easy to learn and intuitive for non-accountants
• Large ecosystem of connected apps and accountant familiarity
• Cloud access lets owner and bookkeeper work at the same time

Common complaints

• Repeated price increases and promo-then-list pricing
• Support quality and billing issues reported by some reviewers
• User caps force a jump from Plus (5 users) to Advanced (25 users)

Full QuickBooks Online profileRequest an offer

How to choose invoicing software

Feature coverage at a glance

A check means the vendor documents the capability publicly (hover for the detail). A dash means we found no public documentation, which is a question to put in your request, not proof the feature is missing.

Invoicing Software requirements checklist

Use this list to write down what your team actually needs. Sorting requirements into must-have, should-have and nice-to-have is what lets vendors quote accurately instead of pitching their biggest plan.

Turn this checklist into a request

Questions vendors will ask you

Have answers ready for these, and your first conversation with a vendor starts at pricing instead of discovery.

1. How many invoices do you send per month, and to how many distinct clients?Some plans cap billable clients or invoices, and that drives the tier.
2. Which payment methods should your customers use?Processing fees differ widely between cards, ACH and wallets.
3. Do you bill from tracked hours, fixed fees or subscriptions?Billing style decides whether time tracking or recurring invoices are needed.
4. Which accounting software holds your books today?Native sync exists for some systems only, and some vendors charge extra for it.
5. Which countries and currencies do your customers use?Sales tax and foreign currency support differ by region.
6. How many colleagues need to create or approve invoices?Seat prices and user caps change the monthly total.

Example request

Write your own request

Invoicing Software FAQ

The bottom line

Decide how you bill first, whether by the hour, by retainer or per order, then drop tools that lack that function or sync with your accounting system. Three or four candidates will usually remain. A specific request on SaaSBid shows vendors your invoice volume, payment methods and users, so each offer prices the same scope and hidden fees are easier to spot.

Related categories

• Accounting Software
• Expense Management Software
• Payroll Software
• ERP Software