The Best Invoicing Software For Small Businesses
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There are lots of tasks you have to perform to keep your business operating. Ordering supplies and inventory, marketing to your customers, and — perhaps most importantly — getting paid. Getting paid for your services or products is critical to keeping your business on track. And to get paid, you have to invoice your clients — a task made simple using invoicing software.
Invoicing software allows you to create and send invoices directly to your customers. But today’s software options take things a little further, providing you with a variety of tools that simplify getting paid and running your business. These options include creating estimates and proposals, tracking time and expenses, and integrating with payment gateways (so you no longer have to wait on a paper check in the mail).
If you have explored invoicing software in the past, the many options out there can be overwhelming. That’s why we created this guide. We’ve narrowed down the choices to seven of the best options on the market today. We’ll dissect each option, giving you the most important information, such as pricing and features. We’ll also look at the factors you should consider when making your choice. Invoicing software simplifies invoicing your clients, and this guide is designed to simplify choosing the best software for your business. Let’s get started!
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Best For | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|
Zoho Invoice
 |
Overall Invoice Software For Businesses | |
Invoice Ninja
 |
Free Invoicing Software | |
FreshBooks
 |
Invoice Software With Bookkeeping | |
Bill.com
 |
Managing Bills & Invoices | |
Square Invoices
 |
All-In-One Invoicing & Payment Processing |
Other Featured Options:
- Harvest: All-In-One Project Management & Invoicing
- Invoice2go: Mobile Invoice Apps
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
What To Look For In Good Invoicing Software
The good news is that there are lots of invoicing software options on the market. The bad news? Choosing which one is best for your business can be a challenge. While forever-free options and free trials make it easy to shop around, know what to look for before you sign up by considering these factors.
- Price: Nothing in life is free…or is it? Fortunately, there are plenty of invoicing software options available at no cost. What’s the catch? It depends on the software. Some software is ad-supported, while other apps place limitations on the number of clients you invoice or lack features found in paid options. While free software may work in the beginning stages of your business, you may need a more robust program as your business grows. In this case, an upgrade may be in order. Be aware, however, that if your subscription costs more than $30 per month, there are more affordable options out there. Or you can use those funds to invest in full accounting software instead.
- Strong Features: Any software you select should have a strong feature-set. Specific features that you need vary based on your preferences and the needs of your business. At a minimum, though, every business should look for software that offers powerful security features, good mobile apps, a user-friendly interface, and a well-designed client portal.
- Automations: Some invoices will need to be sent manually. Others can be sent automatically with software that offers invoice automation, allowing you to set up recurring invoices, send out reminders, and schedule other tasks. The more automations, the more smoothly your business runs, so you can get back to doing what you love most.
- Integrations: The software you choose should integrate with third-party apps and software. For example, if you already use bookkeeping or accounting software, look for an invoicing solution that syncs with this software. It’s also important that your chosen software integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing your customers to pay their invoices online easily.
- Good Customer Support: There may come a time when you have a question about your software, need troubleshooting advice, or simply want to upgrade your subscription. All of this is made much easier with good customer service. Look for software that offers multiple ways to get in touch, has fast response times, and provides resources to help you get the most out of your software.
Best Invoicing Software For Small Businesses
Invoicing software is key to getting paid for your hard work. Good invoicing software should be feature-rich, easy to use, mobile-friendly, and affordable. Here is the best invoicing software for small businesses, including Zoho Books, FreshBooks, Harvest, and more.
1. Zoho Invoice: Best Overall Invoice Software For Businesses
Zoho Invoice
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Best overall invoicing software for small businesses. Ideal for businesses needing strong features, great invoicing automations, and international invoicing.
Zoho Invoice, introduced in 2008, has grown to become one of the most popular invoicing options on the market today. This cloud-based software offers features ideal for small- to medium-sized businesses at multiple pricing options, including a free version for business owners on a budget.
In addition to boasting such features as customizable templates and support for multiple languages, Zoho Invoice goes beyond merely invoicing. Through this program, you can create estimates, track time and expenses, manage contacts, and create and manage projects. Zoho Invoice also has a very user-friendly interface and excellent customer support. It should come as no surprise that Zoho Invoice has gotten overall favorable reviews from its users.
There are, however, a few drawbacks, although these are minimal. If you need an extensive inventory tracking system, look elsewhere, as Zoho Invoice only has a basic item list available. This software also falls a little short in terms of integrations, although that number is on the rise. At this time, Zoho Invoice has ten payment gateways and 14 integrations. For most businesses, though, this shouldn’t pose a problem, and the many positive aspects of this software overshadow the few negatives.
Pros
What makes Zoho Invoice’s offerings stand out from other invoicing software solutions? There are quite a few benefits to selecting this software, including:
- Unlimited invoices and estimates
- 16 customizable invoice templates
- Cloud-based
- Easy to use
- Invoicing in 14 languages
- Excellent customer support
- Well-designed client portal with real-time notifications
- Expense and time tracking
- 30 reports
- Exceptional customer support and resources
- Multiple mobile apps
Pricing
Zoho Invoice offers four pricing plans. The Free plan allows one user to invoice up to five customers at absolutely no cost. The paid plans range from $9-$29/month. The larger the plan, the more customers and users are supported.
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2. Invoice Ninja: Best Free Invoicing Software
Invoice Ninja
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Best for small businesses that want to save money with free software.
Since 2014, over 90,000 small business owners have signed up with Invoice Ninja for its great features and free pricing plan.
This forever-free software boasts features you would find with paid software, including invoices and estimates, time and expense tracking, item lists, contact management, and project management. An especially unique feature is Invoice Ninja’s voice commands, which allows you to send invoices and perform other tasks using your voice. If you need assistance, Invoice Ninja offers multiple ways to get in touch and exceptional customer support. The software has overall received excellent reviews from past and present users.
The free version of Invoice Ninja is best for small businesses and freelancers that serve 100 or fewer customers. If you have more than 100 customers, you will have to upgrade to one of the paid (but still affordable) software options. If you also have more than one user, you will need to upgrade your subscription, as the free version only allows access to a single user.
InvoiceNinja is also the only invoicing software on this list to offer an open-source invoicing software option.
Pros
Invoice Ninja is one of the top options for forever-free invoicing software. If you need additional features, you can upgrade to one of the paid subscriptions. However, many small businesses will find everything they need with the no-cost plan. All plans include the following benefits:
- Unlimited invoices and estimates
- Over 40 payment gateways
- Excellent customer support
- Cloud-based and open-source options
- Strong mobile apps
- Available in 30 languages
- Up to 10 invoice templates
- Recurring invoices and payment reminders
Pricing
The Forever Free plan is truly free. This plan allows one user to send invoices to up to 100 customers (the real price is that your invoices will have Invoice Ninja branding on them). If you have more than 100 customers, you can sign up for one of the paid plans, which range from $10-$14/month.
The larger the plan, the more features and users that you have access to. The paid plans also remove Invoice Ninja branding from your invoices.
Get Started with Invoice Ninja
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3. FreshBooks: Best Invoice Software With Bookkeeping
FreshBooks
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Best for small businesses seeking an all-in-one invoicing and bookkeeping solution.
Freelancers and small business owners that want an invoicing software with bookkeeping options should look no further than FreshBooks. FreshBooks launched in 2003, but the company rebranded in 2017. The new version of FreshBooks offers lots of great accounting features, including double-entry accounting, journal entries, and bank reconciliation. If that’s more than you need, don’t worry — the smallest FreshBooks plan just focuses on invoicing. This software is a great choice for businesses that need basic bookkeeping and accounting functions but is not suitable for businesses that have more complex accounting needs.
With FreshBooks, you can send unlimited invoices and estimates to your customers. You’ll also be able to complete other tasks critical to your business, including time management, expense management, and project management tools. Depending on the plan you select, you may also be able to use features, such as bank reconciliation, reports, journal entries, and proposals. Customer service is excellent, and FreshBooks has received mostly positive reviews from its users.
It’s obvious why over 10 million customers have chosen FreshBooks as an invoicing solution. So what’s the catch? Businesses with multiple users won’t find what they need here, as each plan only supports one user. If you have multiple businesses, another software will be a better fit, as FreshBooks doesn’t offer support for more than one business. While there are numerous integrations, FreshBooks only has two payment gateways.
Pros
FreshBooks stands out from its competitors because of accounting features that you won’t find with other invoicing software. Other benefits of this all-in-one software include:
- Unlimited invoices and estimates
- Cloud-based
- Support for 14 languages
- Excellent customer support
- Strong mobile apps
- Two customizable templates
- Up to 11 reports
- Over 80 integrations
- Recurring invoices and payment reminders
Pricing
Unlike many of the other software we’ve recommended, FreshBooks does not offer a free plan. However, there are three pricing tiers available to fit your needs best. The Lite plan is best for freelancers or microbusinesses with five or fewer customers who just want invoicing and don’t need accounting. This plan’s price is $15 per month.
The two accounting plans range from $25-$50/month. These plans give you access to double-entry accounting features and up to 500 customers (if you need a more customized solution, you can inquire about the Select plan). While you may not need the accounting plans yet, having the options there for down the road makes FreshBooks the most scalable invoicing option on this list.
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4. Bill.com: Best For Managing Bills & Invoices
Bill.com
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Best for businesses that want a simple, no-fuss solution for managing bills and invoices.
Need a hassle-free way to simplify bills and invoices? If this sounds familiar, Bill.com may be the right solution for your business. Since 2006, Bill.com has streamlined the process of paying your bills and invoicing your customers. With this software, you can take control of your accounts payable by reviewing and approving bills from any device, sending domestic and international payments to vendors and suppliers, and storing invoices, checks, and receipts.
But that’s not all that Bill.com offers. You can also manage your accounts receivable through this software. With Bill.com, getting paid is faster and easier with features that include automated invoices, automated reminders, contact management, and direct payments with ACH, credit card, or PayPal. Bill.com syncs with your accounting software, simplifying the process of reconciling your bank accounts and keeping your books balanced. There are also some features you won’t find with most other invoicing software, such as a customizable chart of accounts.
This software is best for medium- to large-sized businesses that want a more streamlined way to send invoices and pay bills. Small businesses may also benefit if they have a large number of payments and/or invoices. While this software can be a bit pricey, it’s a fraction of the cost of hiring an employee to handle these tasks. However, keep in mind that if you only want invoicing software and have your accounts payable under control, there are more affordable invoicing software options out there.
Pros
If billing and invoicing are slowing down your business, take advantage of all that Bill.com has to offer, including:
- Cloud-based
- Unlimited document storage
- Unlimited users (for an additional cost)
- Strong security features
- Up to 30 reports
- Recurring invoices and payment reminders
Pricing
There are four pricing plans available through Bill.com. The Essentials plan is the cheapest at $39 per user per month. With this plan, you can choose to manage payables or receivables, but not both. The Team plan costs $49 per user per month. This option also only includes payables or receivables. The difference is that this plan allows you to sync the software with Xero, QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and QuickBooks Online.
The third plan allows you to manage both receivables and payables at the cost of $69 per user per month. This plan includes additional features, such as invoice and payment automation. Finally, you can get a custom quote for the Enterprise plan if you need more advanced features.
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5. Square Invoices: Best All-In-One For Invoicing & Payment Processing
Square Invoices
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Best for product-based small businesses that want an easy way to send invoices on the go.
Square has become known for its payment processing services, but in 2014, the company added Square Invoices to the Square Dashboard. When you sign up for a Square account, you automatically have access to Square Invoices as well as other tools for your small business. One of the best things about Square Invoices is that it’s completely free to send invoices to your customers.
Square Invoices is very easy to use and has a well-organized interface. There is just one template for invoices, but it can be customized by changing the colors and adding your logo. Square Invoices is the perfect software for busy entrepreneurs, making it easy to send invoices right from your smartphone or another connected device. In addition to mobile invoicing, Square Invoices has other tools to help you operate and grow your business, such as estimates, contact management, employee management, advanced inventory features, and sales tracking. You can even create contracts and easily attach them to your invoices.
Square Invoices is best for small- and medium-sized product-based businesses. Because of a lack of project management features and advanced invoicing capabilities, it’s not a good fit for service-based or project-based businesses.
Pros
Square is more than just a payment processor. Its invoicing feature and other tools are also beneficial to many businesses. Why should you choose Square? Consider the following benefits:
- Unlimited invoices and estimates
- Excellent mobile apps
- Cloud-based
- An easy three-step process to send custom invoices
- Recurring invoices and payment reminders
- 14 reports plus custom reports
- Good customer support
- Over 100 integrations
Pricing
To use Square Invoices, you must sign up for a Square account. The good news is that your Square account is free. Sending invoices to your customers is also free. However, if you want to take advantage of some of Square’s other features — such as payment processing, payroll, or advanced employee management — there are additional fees.
Square charges a transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per invoice (or 3.5% + $0.15 for cards on file). There is no charge for customers who pay via cash or check.
Get Started with Square Invoices
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6. Harvest: Best All-In-One For Project Management & Invoicing
Harvest
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Best for small businesses that want to manage time, projects, and invoices in one place.
Harvest launched in 2006 with a focus on time tracking. Since its launch, the software has evolved to provide additional tools for small businesses. Though its invoicing features are limited when compared to its competitors’, Harvest’s time tracking features, basic invoicing, and project management tools are ideal for service-based and project-based businesses.
You won’t find advanced invoicing features with Harvest, but there’s enough to get the job done. In addition to being able to create and send invoices, you can also create and send estimates, track time, set up recurring invoices, create reminders, and manage your employees. Harvest also offers basic expense tracking as well as project management options that allow you to assign projects, set budgets, and track time and expenses.
There are a few drawbacks to be aware of before you sign up. Harvest isn’t a good fit for product-based businesses or any business that needs advanced invoicing features. If you need more advanced accounting features or don’t have much use for the project management tools offered through Harvest, consider shopping around for another software option.
Pros
Why is Harvest on this list? In addition to being a great choice for project-based and service-based businesses, here are more reasons why you should consider using this software:
- Unlimited invoices
- Unlimited estimates (paid plan only)
- Cloud-based
- Unlimited clients
- Over 90 integrations
- Good customer support
- Strong security features
Pricing
Harvest offers two plans. The first is the Free plan, which doesn’t cost a dime. This plan allows one user to manage up to two projects and gives access to all of the other great features.
If you need to add more users or projects, you can sign up for Harvest Pro, which costs $12 per user per month. With this plan, you can manage unlimited projects as well as take advantage of Harvest’s other features.
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7. Invoice2go: Best Mobile Invoice Apps
Invoice2go
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Best for creating and sending invoices through mobile devices.
Most business owners aren’t just sitting behind a desktop computer anymore. Today’s busy entrepreneurs are relying more and more on mobile devices to keep in contact with vendors and clients, collaborate with team members, and even send invoices. If you’re one of the people that prefers using your smartphone to conduct business, Invoice2go can help simplify sending invoices and getting paid by your customers.
Invoice2go features strong Android and iPhone apps that make it easier than ever to create customized professional invoices on the go. Setting up and using the software is simple, allowing you to send your first invoice in just minutes. Invoice2go offers additional features as well, such as expense tracking, invoice templates, estimates, time tracking, and purchase order management. You can send invoices in a variety of ways, including SMS and mobile apps. Cloud-based desktop software is also available if you prefer to go that route.
On the downside, though, Invoice2go — as the name implies — focuses primarily on invoicing. If you need more advanced bookkeeping and accounting features, another option will better suit your needs. If you don’t primarily use your mobile device for business purposes, Invoice2go likely won’t be a good fit for your business.
Pros
Considering Invoice2go as your invoicing software? There are many reasons why you should choose this option, including:
- Strong mobile apps
- Good customer service
- Unlimited storage
- Easy to use
- 13 reports
- Good customer service
Pricing
There are several plans to choose from if you select Invoice2go as your invoicing solution. Invoice2go has four paid plans ranging from $2.99-$33.99. The larger the plan, the more customers, users, and features you have access to. All plans include mobile apps and the ability to accept payments through PayPal.
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Looking For One Of These Names?
Wondering why a certain app isn’t on our list? From the software you’ve previously used to the big names that everyone knows, here are the options that didn’t quite make the cut:
Wave
Wave Accounting has been making waves with small business owners because its completely free software that doesn’t have any limitations on its many features. Wave software includes invoicing, but it’s not invoicing software — it’s accounting software. If you don’t need accounting software, the many features of Wave can be confusing. If you’re in the market for an invoicing solution, consider a simpler option. However, if your business needs budget-friendly accounting software, consider giving Wave a try.
QuickBooks Online
No matter how long you’ve been in business, odds are you’ve heard of (or even used) QuickBooks Online. While it’s true that QuickBooks Online does have invoicing tools, it isn’t actually invoicing software. It is full accounting software that comes loaded with features you won’t find in invoicing software — features you might not even need. If you are just looking for an invoicing solution, the higher subscription cost and the abundant features may be overkill. However, if you need a full accounting solution for your business, QuickBooks Online is a solid choice.
Choosing The Best Invoicing Software For Your Business
Choosing the right invoicing software can be a hassle, but there are a few things to keep in mind to help narrow down your choices.
Start with the options in this post and compare pricing, features, and other factors to find software that works for your business. Don’t be afraid to shop around and even test out a few options before making your final decision.
When testing out software, look for options that offer free plans or free trials, so you can fully explore the software before investing. If the software you test lags, is difficult to use, or it doesn’t offer the features you need, move on to another option until you find your perfect match. Your ideal match should have the features you need and make sending your invoices a breeze.
In Summary: Best Invoicing Software For Small Businesses
- Zoho Invoice: Overall Invoice Software For Businesses
- Invoice Ninja: Free Invoicing Software
- FreshBooks: Invoice Software With Bookkeeping
- Bill.com: Managing Bills & Invoices
- Square Invoices: All-In-One Invoicing & Payment Processing
- Harvest: All-In-One Project Management & Invoicing
- Invoice2go: Mobile Invoice Apps
Erica Seppala
Erica is a writer based in Greenville, South Carolina. She is a graduate of Limestone College. Initially determined to be an accountant, she put away the calculator and picked up a laptop to pursue her dream of being a writer. Erica has spent the past 10 years writing blogs and articles for hundreds of private clients, and she loves sharing her love of research and the written word with everyone around her.
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