Whether you oversee a team or run a one-person show, getting paid on time is integral to any business's success. Good invoicing software makes it easy to create estimates, track projects, send reminders and process payments.
CNBC Select has named the best billing software for small businesses in a variety of categories. To learn more about how we made our choices, read our methodology.
Best invoicing software for small businesses
Best free plan: Zoho Invoice
Who's this for? With Zoho Invoice's no-cost plan, you can organize billable expenses, track project timelines and create payment terms and quotes. While there are restrictions on the number of clients and users, there's no limit on the number of invoices you can generate.
Standout benefits: Free users can create up to 1,000 invoices per year, with customizable templates and automatic reminders. Access is available for one user and one accountant, with a client portal for secure communication and payment.
Zoho Invoice
Cost
Free
Standout features
Tax-compliant invoices, multiple payment options, integrations with other business management tools, Users can add up to two organizations under the same account
Pros
- Free for small businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs
- Includes self-service customer portal
- Syncs to other business management tools and apps
Cons
- Maximum of 1,000 invoices and 3 projects per year
- Transaction fees every time you get paid via invoice
Best for international sales: Stripe
Who's this for? If your business reaches across the globe, Stripe Invoicing can generate invoices in more than 25 languages and 135 currencies. In addition to ACH, credit cards, digital wallets (Google Pay, Apple Pay) and Buy Now Pay Later, it processes regional payment methods like SEPA (Europe), Payto (Australia) and Pix (Latin America).
Standout benefits: Robust tools for one-off and recurring billing, including for managing trial periods and plan upgrades.
Stripe Invoice
Cost
0.4% per paid invoice (Starter plan); 0.5% per paid invoice (Plus plan)
Standout features
Offers convenient customer portal, includes advanced analytics for revenue tracking and forecasting, supports international currencies and payment types
Pros
- Accept credit and debit cards, ACH transfer and digital wallets
- Accept payment in over 135 currencies
- Seamlessly integrates with Stripe Payments and other third-party tools
Cons
- Charges a percentage of invoice proceeds instead of fixed monthly fee
- Some advanced features require technical expertise
- Limited accounting features and subscription analytics
Best free trial: FreshBooks
Who's this for? If you just want to test the waters, FreshBooks' 30-day free trial doesn't require any credit card details. When the month is up, you can get a 60% discount for the first three months on any paid plan.
Standout benefits: FreshBooks lets you request an upfront deposit, either as a percentage or a fixed amount of the invoice.
FreshBooks Invoice
Cost
$21/month for Lite plan, $38/month for Plus plan, $65/month for Premium plan. Contact FreshBooks for Select plan pricing. First three months are 60% off, with a 30-day free trial.
Standout features
Platform is scalable and customizable, interface is intuitive with easy-to-understand language
Pros
- 30-day free trial and introductory 6-month discount
- All plans allow you to add billable hours to invoices
- Can scale up with payroll and other services
Cons
- No free tier
- Number of clients limited with cheaper tiers
- $11 per month for each additional team member
Best for unlimited invoicing: Square Invoices
Who's this for? While many invoicing platforms limit the number of projects or clients (or both). Square offers unlimited invoices to as many customers as you want.
Standout benefits: Square Invoices offers a 30-day free trial on all paid plans. Custom pricing is available for companies that process over $250,000 in annual sales.
Square Invoices
Cost
Square Invoices Free is $0 per month; Square Invoices Plus is $49 per month; Square Invoices Premium is $149 per month.
Standout features
Create custom templates, auto-convert estimates to invoices and send invoices through email, SMS or shareable link
Pros
- Free plan available
- Paid tiers allow for unlimited invoices and customers
- Integrates with QuickBooks and other accounting software
- Funds available instantly with Square Checking
Cons
- Platform lacks rovust customization and project-tracking capabilities
- "Free forever" plan has high processing fees
- Limited integration outside Square
Best for freelancers: Harvest
Who's this for? Harvest allows users to send invoices generated for individual projects, with billable hours listed by person, project or task. It's also a great option for integrating: Harvest works with accounting programs from QuickBooks and Xero, as well as project management platforms like Asana and Basecamp.
Standout benefits: Paid plan members can invoice unlimited projects and users (seats). Upload billable receipts as photos in the Harvest app.
Harvest
Cost
The free plan is $0 and the Teams plan starts at $9 per seat per month. (Contact Harvest for Enterprise plan pricing) There is a 30-day free trial on paid plans.
Standout features
Time- and expense-tracking, integrations with business management tools, forecast integration, team reporting, importing of people and projects
Pros
- Free plan includes expense-tracking, project estimates
- 30-day free trial on paid tiers
- Clean interface that is easy to navigate
- Integrates with 50+ accounting and business management tools
Cons
- Free plan allows only one seat and two projects
- No automatic time-tracking or offline mode
- Payment integration is limited to Stripe and PayPal
Compare small business checking
How to choose invoicing software for your small business
Your billing platform should be suited for your business size, budget, invoice volume and integration needs, while still leaving room for growth. Ask these questions when comparing options:
Does it have the features you want? Choose a program that tracks expenses and hours worked, generates the volume and frequency of invoices you need and allows for customization and automatic billing. A platform that integrates with your accounting, e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) software will require much less manual entry.
Is it easy to use? Choose software that's intuitive, with helpful videos and explainers, and customer support that is available when you need it.
Is the price right? In addition to monthly or annual subscription costs, check for setup and transaction fees, as well as any other one-time or ongoing expenses. While free tiers can be attractive, most have strict limits on the number of clients and invoices, as well as limited reporting capabilities. A platform with multiple tiers might suit your growing needs.
Will it scale with your business? While you don't want to get sucked in by bells and whistles you'll never use, you should choose software that evolves with you. Your platform should be able to allow more users and a higher volume of invoices, accept more payment methods and currencies and integrate with new tools.
Is there a free trial or money-back guarantee? Being able to test the workflow and create and send real invoices without a long-term commitment is the best way to see if a program is right for you.
FAQs
What is invoicing software?
Invoicing software enables you to manage your billing process, ensuring estimates are on target, invoices are thorough and accurate and clients make prompt payment.
What are the advantages of using billing software?
Billing software reduces the likelihood of human error and late/missing invoices. A good program will also improve organization and tracking, enabling you to make adjustments as your business evolves.
Is there free billing software?
Most of the companies on our best list have a free tier, although the number of invoices and clients is usually limited. Zoho Invoice's free version allows for unlimited invoicing, but there are caps on the number of clients and users.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to help them make informed financial decisions. Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, with extensive knowledge of small-business products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Our methodology
To determine the best invoicing software for small businesses, CNBC Select analyzed several invoicing service providers. We considered features like:
- Cost
- Payment options
- Number of projects allowed
- Number of clients allowed
- Number of estimates allowed
- Integrations with other business management tools
- Reporting and analytics tools
- Time/project tracking capabilities where appropriate
After reviewing these features, we organized our recommendations by best free plan, best for international sales, best for freelancers, best for unlimited invoices and best free trial offer.
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