Best Invoicing Software for Small Businesses

Invoicing software provides an easy way for small businesses to streamline billing operations. These tools allow business owners and freelancers to request payments and get paid faster. Some even offer advanced features like time tracking, project management, and the ability to send recurring invoices.

Every business is likely to have different needs when it comes to their invoice software. But there are plenty of options available to meet every need and manage your invoice and collect more efficiently.

20 Invoicing Software Solutions to Consider

Are you considering invoicing software as a way to get paid faster by customers and clients? Then check out our list of 20 software solutions to help you create and send invoices more quickly and easily.

1. Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice is a fully featured invoicing software for small businesses. In addition to sending basic invoices, Zoho Invoice offers advanced features like estimates, expenses, and templates. There’s also a client portal to let your customers easily complete payments and track invoice information. Zoho also provides a wide array of other solutions for small businesses. So Zoho Invoice can easily integrate with other tools like Zoho Sign to make tasks like document signing easy.

There is a free plan for businesses that only need to send invoices to up to five customers per month. Paid plans range from $9 to $29 per month. And they offer advanced options like automated workflows, extra users, and custom domains.

2. Quickbooks Online

Quickbooks Online offers a full array of business accounting tools. So Intuit’s invoicing software can be used on its own or with other Quickbooks features. Quickbooks Payments lets you accept credit card payments, debit cards, and ACH bank transfers. You can send customer invoices with a simple “pay now” button to make payments easy. And there’s even a mobile app and credit card scanner to simplify in-person payments. These functions can also be used in conjunction with tools like time tracking and bookkeeping, if necessary.

There are no long term contracts with the Payments feature of Quickbooks Online. You simply pay processing fees for each payment. Rates range from 1 percent for bank transfers to 3.4 percent plus $0.25 for keyed credit card purchases.

3. Freshbooks

Freshbooks offers invoicing and accounting solutions for small businesses. Solutions are tailored to various types of businesses, from freelancers to companies with employees and/or contractors. Invoices are designed to look professional and only take seconds to create. But the software also offers extra features like expenses, estimates, projects, and payment reports. You can even automate certain tasks like payment reminders.

Plans range from $4.50 to $15 per month. There are also add-ons available like options for extra team members. Or you can create a fully custom plan based on your business’s specific invoicing and payment needs.

4. Invoice Ninja

Invoice Ninja offers a full suite of online business apps, with invoicing and other finance options included. The invoice software is designed to be fully customizable. You can even add your own branding, custom domains, and choose from more than 40 payment gateway integrations. In addition to sending invoices, you can also create proposals, provide quotes, time tasks, and create custom processes with your team.

There is a free plan which includes basic features like quotes, payments, and integrations. The Pro plan for $10 per month offers extra customizations, templates, and bulk invoicing. There’s also an Enterprise plan for $14 per month that includes multiple users and access permissions perfect for teams.

5. Wave

Wave offers a series of financial apps for businesses. They cover everything from accounting to payroll. But the invoicing software in particular is known for being fast, customizable, and free. Wave provides a full dashboard where you can manage all of your invoices, payments, and customer information. And you can easily integrate it with other Wave accounting products to keep track of your entire financial picture.

The free account includes the ability to manage invoicing, accounting, and receipts. You can create and send invoices to unlimited clients. So it’s one of the best options for those looking for a free solution without limits. The paid plans include advanced features like payment processing and payroll. Payroll starts at $20 per month. And payments are calculated on a per transaction basis.

6. Bill.com

Bill.com is a payments solution that is designed to integrate with your business’s accounting software. You can connect to a variety of popular platforms, including Sage, Xero, Quickbooks, and SAP. The invoicing solution uses AI to intelligently capture payment information from customers and create invoices quickly when necessary. For example, the platform can detect duplicate invoices to make sure you’re sending them to the right customers.

For businesses, plans range from $39 to $69 per user per month. And there are custom enterprise plans available as well. These plans provide payment networks, document storage, and even team approval workflows. So this may be a useful option for companies that need to manage multiple types of payments or work with large finance teams.

7. Square Invoices

Square Invoices is an online tool that lets you send invoices quickly at no cost. Customers can pay with just one click from their phone, computer, or even in person. And the platform accepts credit card payments, as well as those from Apple Pay and Google Pay. So it’s meant to be a streamlined experience that helps small businesses get paid for simple products and/or services quickly. Square also offers time-saving features like auto billing, cash flow reporting, and invoice progress reports.

There’s no monthly fee with Square Invoice. You only pay a small processing rate of $0.30 plus 2.9 percent per invoice paid online. So it’s an ideal solution for small businesses that just need to process a few payments and want to keep monthly costs low. It may also be useful for service providers who work with customers in person, since it’s one of the few invoicing solutions that offers this functionality.

8. Xero

Xero offers a full suite of accounting options for small businesses. The invoicing software lets you quickly create invoices to send to customers online. A simple “pay now” button makes it easy for users to get paid quickly. And it integrates with Stripe and Apple Pay. So customers can easily pay using a credit card or bank account. It even enables automatic payments for recurring customers.

Plans range from $5.50 to $31 per month. The base plan is best for freelancers and independent contractors that work with just a few clients each month. And the upgraded options provide advanced features like unlimited quotes and invoices, project tracking, and support for multiple currencies.

9. PayPal

PayPal is a popular online payments solution that also offers invoicing functionality. You can access the platform from nearly any device. And you can even make templates for the types of invoices you send most often. Then you can track payments, send reminders, and access all of your business’s money from one online dashboard. Of course, one of the biggest benefits of using PayPal for invoicing is that it’s so widely used and recognized. So there’s a good chance that your clients are familiar with the platform and able to pay you easily. It can also accept credit card and bank account payments.

It’s free to sign up for a PayPal account. And it’s free to create invoices as well. PayPal simply takes a transaction fee of $0.30 plus 2.9 percent per transaction. So it’s ideal for users that don’t need to process a ton of payments. But the fees may add up for those with a larger volume.

10. Invoice2Go

Invoice2Go is a professional invoicing app that provides a simple interface, time-saving features, and plenty of integrations. The dashboard includes invoices, estimates, and business reports. And you can accept payments via credit, debit card, or PayPal. There’s even a mobile app so you can manage everything on the go. This can be especially useful for service providers that need to send information or accept payment information from work sites.

Plans range from $3 to $33.34 per month. And there’s a free trial available for all plans. You can pay extra for things like unlimited invoices, time tracking, expense tracking, and appointments. But basic functions like receipts and profile pages are available with all plans.

11. Sage50

Sage50 is an accounting software that’s built for productivity. You can send and track invoices from the same dashboard where you manage outgoing payments and even inventory. So it’s an ideal solution for companies looking for a full financial management solution. However, the invoice software is not offered separately. So it’s more costly for those who just want the simple ability to send invoices and get paid.

Plans range from $567 to $1,404 per year. That includes full accounting functionality. So you do get more than just invoicing. There’s also a free demo available. And you can get a deal on Microsoft 365 when you sign up.

12. Harvest

Harvest is an easy to use time tracking and invoice software perfect for freelancers and companies that charge an hourly rate. You start by creating a new timesheet for each project. Then you can designate start times and pause or stop tracking when you’re done working on a particular item. Then it’s easy to add that time to an invoice or just use it to send more accurate estimates. There are also reports and analytics features available to help you make better use of your time going forward. You can customize the experience for one user working on hourly projects or teams that need to keep track of internal processes.

There’s a free version available if you just need one user and up to two projects. The paid version is $12 per seat per month. And you can work on unlimited projects with this plan.

13. PaySimple

PaySimple offers a flexible solution to help businesses get paid online, in person, and via mobile devices. You can create configurable online payment forms or even set up an online storefront. Then you can accept payments from credit cards or ACH bank transfers. You can also send payment reminders, manage recurring billing, and provide customers with their own payment gateways.

You can get all of the PaySimple features included for $59.99 per month. And then there are transaction fees for those that want to use PaySimple to process transactions. Users that process more than $50,000 per month in transactions can also request a custom pricing quote.

14. Zervant

Zervant is a cloud based invoicing software that is built to be easy to use. Enter a few quick pieces of information to create invoices in 60 seconds. Then you can quickly send them to your customers via email or PDF. You can even create estimates and sales reports to easily manage multiple financial aspects of your business.

Zervant does offer a free plan that you can use to send unlimited invoices to up to five clients. The premium plans offer advanced invoicing features like payment schedules and quick payment reminders. Unfortunately, the service seems to use only European currency currently, so invoicing US companies may not be possible at present. Plans range in price from 8 to 36 Euros per month.

15. Sliq Invoicing

Sliq Invoicing is a desktop invoice software. It lets you create multiple invoice templates, access invoicing reports, and even offers stock control features. Sliq is meant to help business users manage payments from beginning to end. Start by sending quotes. Then offer invoices, statements, and reminders as you track incoming payments.

Sliq Invoicing is a downloadable invoice software instead of an online tool. So you pay $65.20 per year instead of a monthly subscription fee. The company sends an unlock code so you can download the tool and sign up once payment has been received.

16. BillQuick Online

BillQuick Online offers an SaaS model for payments and invoice software. You can access the company’s business tools online, via mobile app, or through integrations with other products like Microsoft Outlook. The tool is designed for professional service firms. And they provide 24/7 support to customers.

BillQuick Online is a fully customizable business management solution. So they don’t offer set pricing models. Instead, you can request a free quote online to receive a customizable price for your company’s needs. Free demos are also available.

17. Scoro

Scoro offers an end-to-end work management software that also includes invoicing. The idea is for Scoro to act as a control hub for your business. You can add on the apps you need within the platform. And it even integrates with third party programs like Slack and Evernote as well. When it comes to invoicing features, the platform lets you automate billing and create custom invoices for customers. You can also track the rest of your finances within the same dashboard.

Scoro plans range in price from $26 to $49 per user per month. They all support a minimum of five users. And they include features beyond invoicing like task management and bundles. The upgraded plans offer options like recurring tasks and project templates. There are also custom plan options for advanced users.

18. Honeybook

Honeybook offers a client management platform that includes invoicing and more. The invoicing software lets you create branded invoices in 30 seconds. Then you can create templates, include product or service lists, and set up recurring invoices. Clients can pay from any device and even set up automatic payments or receive payment reminders. The invoice software also includes options for things like proposals, contracts, and online payments.

Plans range from $9 per month to $390 per year. Advanced features include unlimited invoicing, transaction processing, and concierge support. There’s also a 7-day free trial available.

19. OneUp

OneUp is an online business banking solution. The invoicing software lets you input accounts, track transactions, and even forecast your company’s finances. There’s even a smart assistant that offers business advice based on the financial information you add. The invoicing portion of the tool allows users to send quotes, get paid, and even calculate expenses like sales tax.

Plans range from $9 per month for one user to $169 per month for unlimited users. There’s also a 30-day free trial offered.

20. Chargebee

Chargebee is an invoicing software that is built for subscription based businesses and recurring payments. You can set up billing schedules, create invoicing templates and proration, and even manage your taxes. The invoice software even integrates with third party tools like Salesforce, Paypal, and Stripe. This allows you to automate everything from sales and CRM to the ability to accept online payments through various payment gateways.

The invoicing tool is completely free for up to three users until you hit up to $100,000 in revenue. Then plans range from $249 to $549 per month. And it includes everything you need to manage subscriptions and recurring payments.

What is the best way to create invoices for your business?

The best way to create invoices is by using a tool that can automate as much of the process as possible. The specifics vary from business to business. But for many, this involves choosing an invoicing software that lets you save templates for the invoices you send regularly. Some also send recurring invoices to regular clients.

What are the benefits of invoicing and billing software?

In general, invoicing and billing software is designed to help businesses facilitate easy payments as well as getting paid on time. Here are some of the specific benefits:

• Save time: Manually creating and sending invoices can be time-consuming. Then you have to manage your payments and billing information in a separate spreadsheet or document. Invoicing software provides time-saving features like templates, automatic billing, and reminders.
• Get paid faster: When it’s easy for you to send invoices, your clients get invoices faster. Invoicing software can also make it easier for them to pay with credit cards or online accounts. So it removes barriers for them to actually send the money they owe.
• Keep financial records: Invoicing software stores your previous invoices and payments in one dashboard. So if you ever need to go back and look at a payment or find billing details, you know where to find that information.
• Offer accurate payment breakdowns: Sending a general invoice to clients may leave them wondering what they’re actually paying for. Many invoice software programs offer the ability to break down invoices into specific projects or hourly rates. This provides more information to clients so they’re more likely to feel comfortable with their payment.
• Look professional with clients: A professional invoicing software provides a streamlined experience for your clients. This contributes to your overall brand image. And it can make them more likely to continue your business relationship going forward.

What is the best free invoicing software for small business?

The best free invoice software depends on your company’s needs. Zoho Invoice, Square Invoice, Wave, PayPal, Quickbooks Online, and Harvest all offer free options. Zoho, Wave, and Quickbooks offer the most features for users that want to manage multiple elements of their business finances. PayPal and Square are perfect for those that just want a simple solution. And Harvest is an ideal free invoicing software for those that need to bill for hourly work.

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This article, "Best Invoicing Software for Small Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends