Invoicing is an essential, not to mention time-consuming, process. If your business is growing, and you are still invoicing manually, life will become no less than hell for you.
The best invoice app can simplify the process and make it easier for you to track projects, estimates, and invoices and get paid on time. They include features that track billable hours, convert quotes into invoices, and backlog data.
Choosing the right invoicing software for your business depends on many factors, including your industry, the size of your business and team, your budget, and, most importantly – your personal preferences.
To help you decide, I have researched several software programs and narrowed them down based on ease of use, affordability, feature, and integrational capabilities. Here are my top 8 picks:
But before we get into the nitty gritty and details of things, let us look at how they are going to make your life easier and business more productive.
Benefits of Using Invoice Software
Multiple Invoices
The manual invoicing process is a tedious one. It is very time-consuming, especially when you are dealing with several clients and projects at the same time.
With invoicing software programs, you can send multiple invoices simultaneously, speeding up the process and efficiency. Plus, you can add services or products you usually offer the clients in your inventory and have the record of all the previously set invoices preserved in case you need it for future reference.
Suffice it to say, if you’re looking for productivity apps, invoicing software must make it to the final cut.
Easy and Organized Follow Ups
Having a record of the incoming payments and your work allows you to be more organized and well aware of your finances. You can also keep a record of who paid you and who has kept you lagging without having to go through dozens of files and paperwork.
Increased Accuracy
Humans make mistakes, but software programs don’t! Your invoicing tool will get the job done with the utmost accuracy. Some can also auto-fill the dates and do auto-fit layouts, which saves you more time, allowing you to give undivided focus to the actual contents of the invoice.
Improved Cash Flow
With a faster production of invoices and a more organized system in place, you will observe an improvement in your cash flow.
By sending out invoices early and receiving payment earlier, you can stay on top of your books. Some software, such as CloudBooks, forwards your invoices right after you get a new client.
Unlimited Storage
With a cloud storage service-based invoicing platform, you won’t have to worry about your files piling up or running out of space (quite literally). You don’t have to worry about pc crashes or email problems amidst data entry.
An invoicing software program will automatically process and save all your data, with enough storage capacity to preserve hundreds of files.
Enhanced Security
Security is a priority for any business, whether a small one or an enterprise. With softwares, this isn’t a concern. Most invoicing software and tools have strong data encryption to preserve the integrity of their customer’s data with SSL encryption and PCI Security Standards.
Ideal for Brand Identity
Invoicing software and tools have all kinds of features to add to your logo, branding colors, and matching fonts giving it a neat and professional look that suits your brand’s aesthetic.
Studies show that showcasing your brand’s identity can increase the collection of online payments by three times. Plus, with digital platforms, you can add customized messages such as a thank you note.
You can also link your website to generate more organic traffic. Such small things will enhance your brand value and strengthen your credibility in the field.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. If we delve deep into the benefits of invoicing tools, we can unravel a world of advancements that can literally make your business performance go through the roof.
With that, let’s move on to this blog’s prime focus – finding you the best invoicing software for your business. .
My Top Picks of Best Invoice Software & Apps
Choosing invoicing software that gives you the best value for money is the easiest for you to function and suits your business, all at the same time, can be challenging. But you don’t have to worry!
Here’s my list of the best invoicing softwares in 2023, suitable for both individuals and businesses.
1. Zoho Invoice – Billing App
| Suitable for service-based businesses, Zoho Invoice is a full-service invoicing tool with advanced features.
Starting from: $0.00/month Pricing model: Free |
Zoho Invoice is a billing and invoicing software loved by many. It has all the tools a service-based business needs, including tracking billable hours, sending estimates, creating custom invoices, and much more. The software also has a built-in client portal that enables instant communication with clients and approvals of budgets etc.
However, the free version comes with a limitation of 5 clients and 1000 invoices a year. Still, Zoho Invoice remains one of the best invoice tools for small businesses. If you’re a solopreneur or someone with a small team managing a few customers, this billing app might just be it for you!
Key Features
- Bill multiple customers
- Create invoices, retainers, and credit notes
- Create multi-currency & multi-lingual invoices
- Collect payments online and offline
- Automate payment reminders
- Log time and manage projects
- Scan receipts and track expenses
- Provide a customer self-service portal
- Get real-time insights with 30+ built-in reports
- Work anywhere with iOS and Android apps
Pros
- Free—pay only for a payment gateway or add-ons
- Ample customization options
- Simple solution for all business sizes
- Templates based on personal preference/style.
- Ease of use
- Dashboard shows income and expenses in a snapshot.
- Recurring invoices make the process quick and easy.
Cons
- Limited functionalities for the free tier
- Does not integrate with Zoho Inventory
- Limit of 1,000 invoices per year
2. Wave Financial
| Ranked among the top free invoicing software and tools, Wave Financial covers all your business’s billing and invoicing needs.
Starting from: $0.00/month Pricing model: Free basic version (requires payment for some features) Free Trial: Available for paid features |
Wave Financial is another great option if you’re looking for free invoicing software. In addition to all the standard features, Wave supports online payments, unlimited invoices as well as professional invoice templates. My favorite thing about the tool is that it sends out reminders, even on the mobile app, so you never miss an update.
The only problem – business banking, invoicing, and accounting are only in the U.S. for sole proprietorships.
Key Features
- Better and faster bookkeeping
- Invoicing
- Calculation of Tax and Deductions
- Direct Credit Card Payments
- Fully integrated single login solution
- Profit and loss statement
- Automatic data backup
Pros
- Wonderful options for selecting the features which can give a solution of customized accounting
- Reconciliations and bank upload are made easily
- Hassle-free Invoice management
- Smoothly managing the transaction
- A user-friendly interface makes it simpler for navigation
- Learning wave app and software is much simpler
- As wave accounting is cloud-based software, there are no concerns about damage to data due to uneven circumstances.
- Handling multi-currency is made simpler with this software
- Except for the features like payments and payroll, this software is totally FREE.
Cons
- Lacks time-tracking features
- Linking of bank account is troublesome in some cases
- Lesser provision for calculating the depreciation for the fixed assets
- Basic options for the reporting
3. Paymo
| A perfect combination of project management, invoicing, and time tracking features, Paymo can be perfect fit your business.
Starting from: $0 for Basic Version, $4.95 per user/month for Starters Pricing model: Subscription Free Trial: Available |
Paymo is a one-stop solution for all your invoicing, payment processing, and project management needs. The main focus of the app is to help teams collaborate and simplify their payment processing. From the start of the project till the end, Paymo has features that are going to prove useful throughout the process.
It is an excellent option for small to medium-sized businesses and freelancers.
Key Features
- Task management
- Time tracking function
- Planning & scheduling
- Resource management
- File management
- Financial management
- Client & team collaboration
- Customization
- Mobile solutions
- Analytics & reporting
- Invoicing & online payments
- Profitability tracking
Pros
- Easy to use
- Accounting module
- Timesheet reports
- Kanban boards
- Desktop and mobile apps for time tracking
- Adobe CC extension
- Can be used as time tracking tool
- File sharing
- Free community support
Cons
- Free plan only allows users to create up to 3 invoices
- only 1 GB of storage for the free accounts
- no advanced task management for the free plan
- integrations are only available with paid plans
4. Invoice2go
| With top-notch features and an affordable price, Invoice2go makes invoicing and billing easier and hassle-free.
Starting from: $5.99/month Pricing model: Subscription Free Trial: Available |
Starting from an affordable price, Invoice2go has plans that cater to all – individual to enterprise use. It offers unlimited storage, automated payroll, status tracking, and regular payment reminders. The invoicing software also has a robust mobile app so you can access your accounts anywhere, anytime.
One commonly reported issue, however, is with integration with other apps. Although it works well with Quickbooks, you might face some issues linking it with other tools.
Key Features
- Accept credit and debit cards
- Invoice tracking
- Professional invoice templates
- Customer database
- Client portal
- Charts
- Companion mobile apps
- Multi-currency
- Customizable branding
- Payment reminders
- Expense tracking
- Performance reporting
Pros
- Easily create estimates and invoices
- Free trial and affordable month plans
- Time tracking included
- Loads of customizable options to fit your needs
- Super fast and effective process
Cons
- Features are limited to the cheapest edition.
- Lacks optical character recognition (OCR).
- Confusing billing structure.
5. Invoicely
| A cloud-based solution Invoicely is designed to streamline billing, invoicing, and accounting operations with one tool.
Starting from $9.99 per user/month (Free plan also available) Pricing model: Subscription Free Trial: Available |
Yet another great cloud-based solution on our list, Invoicely has all the tools to streamline billing, invoicing, and all other accounting operations on one centralized platform. Supervisors can choose templates for invoices with some customization options to enhance personality. Plus, you can actively track all the activities, amount of payables, and incoming payments through the dashboard.
Using advanced analytics, Invoicely produces financial summaries so you can gain a weekly/monthly overview of your business accounts.
One thing that I do find annoying is the lack of an autosave feature. So, if your system shuts down or you delete your data, you will never be able to retrieve it.
Key Features
- Sales tax settings
- Expenses tracking
- Multi-currency support
- Data export & import
- Online payments
- Mileage tracking
- Estimate to invoice conversion
- Reporting
- Time tracking
- Accounting integration
- Customizable email
- Multiple businesses management
- Billing & Invoicing
- Dashboard
Pros
- Automatic reminders and email sending
- Multi-language support
- Instantaneous invoice generation
- Robust feature profile for free version
- Caters to all business sizes and enterprise level
- High-security encryption to protect data
Cons
- Limited customization
- Can be slightly difficult to understand at first
- Lacks autosave feature
6. Quickbooks
| Designed to automate and customize invoicing and billing, Quickbooks is an easy-to-use and effective tool laced with advanced features.
Starting from: $15/month Pricing model: Subscription Free Trial: Available |
QuickBooks, not to be confused with Quickbooks Online, is a widely used invoicing solution suitable for businesses of all sizes. It is known for its advanced accounting tools and invoice functionality.
With QuickBooks, users can add billable hours, customize and automate invoices and duplicate them to send to multiple customers. The platform also offers multiple bookkeeping and record-keeping services, making it the best choice for business owners looking for deep insights into invoicing and similar financial metrics.
Key Features
- Access for users and accounting firms.
- Track income and expenses.
- Send invoices and accept payments.
- Sort income and expenses into tax categories.
- Run and export financial reports.
- Upload or email receipts on the go with the QuickBooks mobile app.
- Automatically track miles with your smartphone’s GPS.
- Monitor and manage cash flow.
- Customise and send estimates.
- Manage contractor payments.
- Sync sales channel with QuickBooks.
Pros
- Easy to use and learn
- Integrates well with other systems and flexible with 3rd party applications
- Provides good accounting reports
- Affordable price
- Easy to access from any device – phone, tablet, and computer (depending on the version)
- Easy to find and fix errors/mistakes
- Easy to look-up customer information
Cons
- Lack of industry and business-specific features (such as lot tracking, eCommerce and barcode scanning)
- Lack of key reports outside of accounting
- File-size issues/limitations on the number of transactions
- Limitations on the number of users
7. Freshbooks
| A scalable invoicing tool, Freshbooks can automate the entire process with its customization options.
Starting from: $9/month Pricing model: Subscription Free Trial: Available |
Equipped with polished templates, inventory tracking, and convenient payment processing solutions, Freshbooks brings a scalable invoicing solution for your business. The software can watergate with over 100 apps, with automated payments and various customization options.
Although most features are available with the mobile app, some users complain that they don’t function as well on the web.
Freshbooks offers a 30-day trial, so you can test the software out and determine if it’s one for your business.
Key Features
- Quickly and easily create professional-looking invoices, helping you get paid faster
- Keep track of business expenses and log receipts by snapping them with your smartphone
- Track how much time you spend working on different projects
- invoice for those hours with one click
- Manage projects with a dedicated projects view, with different access levels for employees, contractors, and clients
- Create a range of financial reports
- Create MTD VAT reports, and submit them directly to HMRC
Pros
- Quickly and easily create professional looking invoices, helping you get paid faster
- Invoicing with one click
- Sports direct online payments
- Advanced accounting tools
- Automation in processes help speed up things
- Powerful mobile app
Cons
- Limits on the number of users and clients
- Charge for additional users
- Phone support operates on US business hours
8. Square
| A suitable option for business owners looking to prioritize their payment processing and invoicing needs above all
Starting from: $29/month (Free version available) Pricing model: Subscription Free Trial: Available for paid features |
With a reputation for helping small businesses, Square has a streamlined approach towards payment processing which is also showcased in their invoicing services.
The software comes with a free version, sufficient for a business owner for individual use. But if you want access to advanced functionality, you will have to pay for them separately. Due to this, it may not be ideal for high-volume industries.
That said, Square is the perfect choice for business owners looking to prioritize their payment processing and invoicing needs above all.
Key Features
- Billing & invoicing
- Client portal
- Credit Card Processing
- Customizable branding
- Electronic Payments
- Email invitations & reminders
- Invoice Management
- Recurring/Subscription Billing
- Reminders
- Search/Filter
- Secure data storage
- Status Tracking
Pros
- Free to start
- No monthly fees in Basic Plan
- Wide range of hardware to choose from
- Instils confidence from the buyer
- Easy to train others to use
- Real-time updates on tickets sold and revenue made
Cons
- Account can freeze due to irregular activity
- Not cost-effective for high-volume transactions
- No phone support
Now, features of each invoicing software are plentiful. So, now you need to make a call as to what suits your business the best in terms of functionality and pricing.
Got something to say? Drop it down in the comments below!