When you work for yourself, you have the added job of soliciting and chasing payment for your hard work. Invoicing software for freelancers can help ease the burden by automating much of the process. And to help you avoid awkward communications with clients, invoicing software often includes automatic payment reminders, too.
Here are some of our top invoicing software picks for freelancers, followed by our complete list:
- Overall best: FreshBooks.
- Best free solution: Wave.
- Best for time tracking: Harvest.
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Best Invoicing Software for Freelancers
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
FreshBooks Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Overall invoicing software for freelancers | $19/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom. | 30-day free trial or monthly discount (terms vary). | Learn more on FreshBooks' secure website |
Square Invoices Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Sending contracts | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20. | 30-day free trial of the Plus plan. | Learn more on Square Invoices' secure website |
Wave Invoicing | 4.5/5 Best for Free invoicing software for freelancers | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16. | N/A | |
Bonsai | Best for End-to-end project management | $25/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $79. | 7-day free trial | |
HoneyBook | Best for Streamlined client experience | $19/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $79. | 7-day free trial or 50% off for the first year if billed annually. | |
Harvest | 5.0/5 Best for Time tracking | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12 per user. | 30-day free trial of the Harvest Pro plan. | |
QuickBooks Solopreneur | Best for Separating business and personal expenses | $20/month | 50% off for first three months or free 30-day trial. |
Our pick for
Overall invoicing software for freelancers
FreshBooks
Learn more
on FreshBooks' secure website
Starting at
$19/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom.
Promotion
30-day free trial
or monthly discount (terms vary).
FreshBooks is a simple and affordable option for freelancers and very small businesses that don’t require many users and prioritize being able to operate on the go via mobile app. It’s an especially inexpensive choice for those who can work within lower-tier plans’ billable client limits, and all plans include time tracking.
Pros
- Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.
- Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.
- Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.
- Weekday phone support in all plans.
Cons
- Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails for accountants to review.
- Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.
- Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.
Our pick for
Sending contracts
Square Invoices
Learn more
on Square Invoices' secure website
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20.
Promotion
30-day free trial
of the Plus plan.
Square is right up there with PayPal as one of the top all-in-one payment platforms for small-business owners. User-friendly design is its style, so even tech-shy users will likely be able to navigate its invoicing platform. Unlike many of the software solutions on this list that require integration with a payment gateway, as a payment processor first and foremost, Square offers a built-in processing solution. That makes it a great option for existing Square POS users who want to add invoicing functionality and small-business owners who don’t want the hassle of choosing a separate payment gateway to accept payments.
Pros
- Unlimited invoicing, estimates, contracts, users and clients in all plans.
- Integrates with Square’s all-in-one payment platform.
- Streamlined and intuitive.
- Ability to process in-person and online card payments as well as cash, checks, ACH transfers, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Send recurring invoices.
- Automatic payment reminders.
- Gives clients the option to include a tip.
Cons
- Must use Square’s in-house payment processing to accept online payments.
- Free plan does not enable custom invoicing fields and the ability to auto-convert estimates into invoices.
Our pick for
Free invoicing software for freelancers
Wave Invoicing
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $16.
Promotion
N/A
Wave offers completely free invoicing and accounting software, with the option to pay additional fees for payment and payroll features. The company’s software is ideal for self-employed professionals. In addition to invoicing capabilities, users get access to income and expense tracking, along with reporting and the ability to add an unlimited number of users.
Pros
- No billable client or invoice limits.
- Integrates with Wave Accounting.
- Recurring invoices and automatic billing for repeat clients.
- Automatic online payment reminders.
- Converts estimates into invoices.
Cons
- Limited features may not be suited for fast-growing businesses.
- Must use Wave’s in-house payment processing to accept online payments.
Our pick for
End-to-end project management
Bonsai
Starting at
$25/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $79.
Promotion
7-day free trial
Bonsai automates everything on the invoicing front, including invoice creation and sending, payment reminders and recurring payments. Clients can choose to pay you via credit card or ACH payment in more than 100 currencies. Use the highly rated Bonsai app to access everything from your iPhone or Android.
Pros
- Unlimited clients and projects in all plan tiers.
- Extensive library of invoice templates, open to all plan tiers.
- Can also send proposals and contracts.
- Upgrade, downgrade or cancel your plan at any time.
- Add-ons for additional collaborators and tax assistance are available.
Cons
- Lower plan tiers limit the number of project collaborators.
- No phone support available, email and in-app chat only.
Our pick for
Streamlined client experience
HoneyBook
Starting at
$19/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $39, $79.
Promotion
7-day free trial
or 50% off for the first year if billed annually.
With HoneyBook’s invoice feature, you can quickly create and send a customized invoice to your clients. You can also schedule invoices and payment reminders and set recurring payments. Clients can pay you via credit and debit card, bank transfers and even cash or checks. You can access HoneyBook’s invoicing and payment tools through its mobile app as well, which is available for iOS and Android devices.
Pros
- Manage all aspects of a project and client experience, not just invoices.
- Access to a library of templates across all plan tiers.
- Smooth and attractive client experience.
- Mobile app has robust functionality, including the ability to create and send invoices, share files, track time, access reports and more.
Cons
- Must use HoneyBook as your payment processor to accept online payments.
- QuickBooks Online integration only available at higher tier plan.
Our pick for
Time tracking
Harvest
5.0
NerdWallet rating Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $12 per user.
Promotion
30-day free trial
of the Harvest Pro plan.
Harvest can accommodate teams of more than just one person, but can also be a great solution for freelancers who bill hourly. Its weekly timesheets let you enter details for specific tasks each day, and you can use the timer to track how long you spend on each. Other perks include reports on billable and non-billable hours and the ability to set up custom reminders not only for your clients but also for yourself.
Pros
- Offers a free plan (limited to two projects).
- Advanced time tracking features, including integrations with Google Calendar, Slack, Asana, Trello and other project management tools.
- Display billable hours by task, person or project on invoices.
- Snap and upload photos of billable expense receipts with the mobile app.
- Integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero for accounting.
Cons
- Invoice customization options are limited. Free users can’t add company logos to invoices, and Harvest offers only two templates (one PDF and one GDoc).
- Payment integrations are limited to Stripe and PayPal.
Our pick for
Separating business and personal expenses
QuickBooks Solopreneur
Starting at
$20/month
Promotion
50% off
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Think of QuickBooks Solopreneur as QuickBooks Online’s less complex cousin for freelancers and other self-employed business owners. While you can use it to send invoices, one of its primary purposes is to help you separate business and personal expenses so that you can make a clear delineation between the two come tax season. Ideally, you already use separate cards and bank accounts for business and personal expenses, but if you’re just starting out, you might not have gotten that far yet. Regardless, being able to track business income and expenses allows you to run financial reports and better understand your business’s profitability.
Pros
- All-in-one solution for invoicing, profitability tracking and separating business and personal expenses.
- No billable client or invoice limits.
- Live tax assistance add-on available.
- Ability to set business goals and track progress.
Cons
- Not scalable; only one plan tier available.
- Doesn’t include time-tracking tools.
FreshBooks
Best overall invoicing software for freelancers
- $19 per month for the Lite plan.
- $33 per month for the Plus plan.
- $60 per month for the Premium plan.
- Custom pricing for the Select plan.
Why we like it: Invoicing is just one feature integrated into the robust FreshBooks product suite, which also includes accounting, expense management, time tracking, project management, payments and reports. Some of the more unique abilities of FreshBooks’ invoicing feature include an invoice generator to create customized invoices in a matter of seconds, the option to request a deposit on your invoice and the ability to add tracked time and expenses on your invoices. FreshBooks also offers a host of features specific to retainer invoicing and project management, like generating retainer summaries, managing scope creep and monitoring your time spent on retainer projects. It has a mobile app, too. Read our full FreshBooks review.
Wave Invoicing
Best free invoicing software for freelancers
- $0 for the Starter plan.
- $16 per month for the Pro plan.
Why we like it: Best known for its free accounting software for small businesses, Wave also boasts a free invoicing product useful for freelancers who want to streamline and automate basic invoicing needs. Wave is a great choice for freelancers who want to aggregate accounting and invoicing under one, extremely user-friendly platform — without paying for it.
With Wave Invoicing, you can create personalized invoices, accept bank and credit card payments, set automatic payment reminders for your clients and more. Wave Invoicing will also automatically calculate sales tax. You can also access these features via the Wave Invoicing app for Android and iOS, which allows you to create, send and process invoices right from your phone. It’s cloud-based, so everything between your app and dashboard syncs and saves to the cloud automatically. Read our full Wave Accounting review.
» MORE: Best free invoicing software
Square Invoices
Best for sending contracts
- $0 per month for the Free plan.
- $20 per month for the Plus plan.
Why we like it: Perhaps the simplest and most straightforward option on this list, Square Invoices is a great choice if you want a no-fuss, reliable invoicing software and not much else — unless, of course, you also want to take advantage of Square’s merchant services and payment processing solutions.
Square makes the process of creating and sending invoices intuitive. Once your client receives the invoice, they can pay online, in person or from their mobile phone. Clients can pay with a debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH transfer or Cash App Pay. Square Invoices has additional features, including invoice and payment tracking, automatic payment reminders, the option to set up recurring invoices and send clients estimates — all the essentials. Additionally, Square Invoices enables you to send customized digital contracts along with your estimates. Square even offers contract templates to help get you started. It also has a powerful mobile app for iPhones and Androids.
Because Square POS enables in-person payment processing, Square Invoices is also a good option if you run a brick-and-mortar business or want the ability to accept payments physically, in addition to digitally. Read our full Square Invoices review.
Bonsai
Best for end-to-end project management
- $24 per month for the Starter plan.
- $39 per month for the Professional plan.
- $79 per month for the Business plan.
Why we like it: If you’re looking for a deeply integrated, all-in-one project management platform designed specifically for freelancers, Bonsai is it. This unique software aggregates and automates virtually every essential administrative process that freelancers have to manage — proposals, contracts, project management, time tracking, task management, taxes, miscellaneous forms and, of course, invoicing and payments — under one roof.
HoneyBook
Best for streamlined client experience
- $19 per month for the Starter plan.
- $39 per month for the Essentials plan.
- $79 per month for the Premium plan.
Why we like it: Like Bonsai, HoneyBook is an all-in-one, deeply integrated client and project management software for very small businesses and freelancers. Pricing is very similar across both solutions as well. But HoneyBook stands out for its especially streamlined client flow, which starts with an optional interactive proposal that flows into an invoice followed by a contract for e-signature and then on to the payments flow.
Harvest
Best for time tracking
- $0 per month, 1 user, for the Free plan.
- $12 per user per month for the Pro plan (or $10.80 per user per month billed annually).
Why we like it: Harvest is a solid invoicing software pick for freelancers and project-based businesses alike. You can use it to track time, compare billable vs. non-billable hours, set up budgets for projects that involve billable expenses and sync with your calendar for more efficient planning. The product also integrates with other business software tools, like Asana and Trello.
QuickBooks Solopreneur
Best for separating business and personal expenses
- $20 per month or $120 for your first year.
Why we like it: QuickBooks Solopreneur (formerly QuickBooks Self-Employed) is a good middle ground between simple invoicing-only software and proper accounting software. In addition to fulfilling basic invoicing capabilities, it automatically separates your personal and business expenses, tracks sales tax and lets you set up custom business goals. In response to those goals, QuickBooks Solopreneur recommends actionable steps forward, like staying on top of social media posts. And if you need tax assistance from an expert, you can opt to pay extra for QuickBooks Live Tax. Read our full QuickBooks Solopreneur review.
In general, the invoicing process involves the following steps, whether you’re a freelancer, self-employed or own a business with multiple employees:
1. Create the invoice. If you’re using software, it will likely offer one or more invoice templates you can start from. Here is important information you’ll want to be sure to include:
- Invoice number: This will be helpful for tracking, reference and recordkeeping purposes.
- Contact information: You’ll want to include your business name, physical address, email address and phone number as well as your client’s contact information.
- Pricing details: In addition to listing the price for your services, you’ll want to add an explanation of the specific work that’s been done. If you bill on an hourly versus a project basis, then include your hourly rate along with the number of hours worked.
- Payment information: Invoicing software will often take your client directly to a payment page that will enable a card payment or electronic fund transfer. You may also be able to accept payment via check or through a money transfer app, like Venmo or PayPal.
- Due date: Similar to the total amount owed, you’ll want to be sure the payment due date is highly visible to help ensure you get paid on time.
2. Send the invoice. Invoicing software for freelancers, like the solutions that make our list, will do this through the platform or mobile app with the click of a button. You can usually send the invoice via email or text.
3. Follow up with your client. Often, you can use freelancer invoicing software to set up automatic payment reminders for your client. However, if a due date passes without you receiving payment, then you’ll want to follow up right away.
While the process is similar regardless of what type of business you run, invoicing software for freelancers does typically differ from invoicing software for larger small businesses. In general, solutions for freelancers tend to be simpler. That’s because freelancers usually have fewer overhead costs or billable expenses to track.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
If you freelance on the side and only work with a handful of clients, you might not need the extra bells and whistles that come with paid invoicing software. In that case, you could consider using free online invoice generators or start with a more bare bones, free invoicing software plan.As opposed to brick-and-mortar businesses, freelancers often work alone and either from home or on-the-go. So when it comes to sizing up invoicing software products, efficiency and mobility are paramount.
Here are some other key invoicing features that might apply to you:
- Time tracking: Freelancers usually bill by the hour or by project. Regardless, it’s helpful to track how much time you spend on each job, so that you bill your client correctly or can determine whether a particular project was worth it.
- Payment processing flexibility: Invoicing software for freelancers — and for any small-business owner — should be able to process card payments online. To save money, though, you might also consider ACH transfers.
- Reporting: At the very least, you should have access to reports on outstanding invoices and total amounts owed to you. Looking back to track how much you made by month can also help you identify your busiest times of year.
- Automated payment reminders: It’s still your job to stay on top of clients’ payments, but invoicing software should make it much easier by automatically sending them reminders.
- Client portal: Some more robust invoicing software products, like FreshBooks, let clients create their own accounts so that they can save payment information and comment on invoices. These portals can also make it easier to communicate with clients.
- Mobile app: One of the perks of being a freelancer, depending on your industry, is location flexibility. If you’re able to get the job done on your computer, you can work from anywhere with an internet connection. That’s why it’s so important for your invoicing software to have a mobile app that lets you check in on payments and send invoices on-the-go.
» MORE: Best time-tracking apps
To choose the right freelancer invoicing software, consider the following factors:
Your business’s size and complexity
Whether you freelance occasionally on the side or as a full-time job will have pull when it comes to what product and plan level you choose. A paid solution might not be worth the cost tradeoff if you’re not using it at least a couple of times per week. If you’re unsure, it’s best to start with a product, like Square Invoices or Wave, that offers a free plan and is also scalable.
Overall cost
This applies to the cost of monthly software subscriptions, which usually range anywhere from $0 to $20, and payment processing fees if you allow clients to pay with a credit card. ACH transfers and checks can be less costly than online credit card processing but potentially less convenient for clients. Wave, for example, charges 2.9% + 60 cents for Visa and Mastercard transactions in the Starter plan (AmEx is more expensive) but only 1% per ACH transfer.
Number of clients supported
Some freelancer invoicing software products, like FreshBooks’ Lite and Plus plans, limit how many clients you can invoice each month. If this limit is too restrictive, you may have to upgrade plans, which will tack on an extra monthly cost. Other products, like Square Invoices, don’t put limits on clients or invoices.
Must-have features
If you bill hourly, you probably want a freelancer invoicing software solution, like Harvest, that helps you track time. And if you bill per mile driven, you may want mileage tracking, a feature included in QuickBooks Solopreneur. Freelancers who like to have consistent communication with clients or collaborate with them on projects might prefer a product with a client portal. Try making a list of your must-have features to narrow down your top invoicing software picks.
Didn’t find what you’re looking for?
If these products don’t seem like a good fit and you also need a way to better organize your transactions — invoices, utility bills, operating expenses, etc. — our roundup of the best accounting software for freelancers offers some options. Plus, accounting software usually includes invoicing features.
Last updated on August 13, 2024
Methodology
To determine the best invoicing and billing software, NerdWallet considered the following features:
Invoicing capabilities. The best invoicing and billing software should offer invoice customization options, the ability to send automatic payment reminders and accept online payments, a dashboard to easily track invoice and billing status plus some reporting capabilities. Standout products also make it easy to convert estimates to invoices and offer most or all features within a mobile app as well.
Affordability. Most of the plans for the software included on our list start below $20 per month (and many offer free plans).
Integrations. Ideally, standalone invoicing and billing software directly integrates with popular accounting software, like QuickBooks Online and Xero. Some of the higher-rated products on our list also offer direct integrations with e-commerce, CRM, inventory and other software applications.
Additional consideration was given to customer support availability, pricing transparency and whether a free trial is offered for paid products.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
