Published on: June 29, 2022Last Updated: October 2, 2023by Jeel Patel The best invoicing software offers a range of essential functions, from creating professional invoices to managing payments and cash flow. It can also handle upfront deposits and approve quotations instantly. These tools simplify processes, reduce errors, and minimize payment delays. But how do you choose the right one for your business? To help you decide, we’ve compiled a list of the best invoicing software for small business owners and contractors, complete with features, benefits, drawbacks, and user reviews. 10 Best Invoicing Software of 2023 InvoiceOwl QuickBooks Zoho Square Invoices SimplyBill Invoice2Go Scoro FreshBooks Harvest Hiveage 1. InvoiceOwl (4.5) Best Free Invoicing Software for Contractors Try for FREE Starting price $9.99/month Free trial 3 days Key features Professional estimates & invoices, e-signature support, Requesting and tracking payments, Multi-company management, Quickbooks Online Sync Why We Picked InvoiceOwl InvoiceOwl is an efficient contractor invoicing software that simplifies the workload of users by generating accurate estimates and invoices in no time. It assists users in going completely paperless and creating 100% error-free documents. From creating bids to receiving payments, InvoiceOwl covers the entire spectrum of invoicing needs. During the 3-day free trial period, users can gain a comprehensive overview of how InvoiceOwl effortlessly streamlines invoicing workflows. Additionally, two different pricing plans are available, offering a range of features and an enticing discount offer. To explore InvoiceOwl more closely, let’s have a look at the bundle of features offered by it: Explore a range of estimate templates and send professional-looking quotes to clients within minutes. Send digitally created estimates directly to the clients’ email addresses using InvoiceOwl’s in-app emailing feature. Accept upfront deposits quickly through credit card and online payment gateway, ensuring you never miss a chance of losing even a single job. Digitally sign the estimates and invoices for more convenience. Get immediate customer feedback by requesting reviews immediately after delivering services. For recurring billing, seamlessly store and manage your client details to eliminate the hassle of entering them repeatedly. Simplify order supply using InvoiceOwl’s instant purchase order generator. Managing and accessing estimates and invoices of several firms and organizations simultaneously is now possible with the multi-company feature. Get real-time notifications for your invoices and payments. This can free you up from the tedious tasks of continuous follow-ups to chase payment. Generate online sales reports on the go and derive useful business insights from them. Maintain professional consistency and generate uniform customized invoices across multiple devices (desktop, mobile devices, laptop, tablet). For all your unpaid invoices, request payments straight from InvoicOwl. Online payments can be accepted through Stripe and credit cards. Track the payment status of all your outstanding invoices so that you can get to know when to expect payment in your bank account. Simplify your bookkeeping processes by syncing your InvoiceOwl account with QuickBooks Online. Use document filtering, and sort paid and unpaid invoices to get an overview of the cash flow. You can directly convert the approved estimates into invoices. You can create and send invoices in your preferred currency. Easily customize the available estimates or invoicing templates as per your business demands. You can add and save regular business products/services, so you don’t have to add them repetitively every time you create estimates or invoices A handy mobile invoicing app for contractors to bill clients from anywhere and anytime. What People Say About InvoiceOwl Has everything you need to provide proof of payments, make invoices, purchase agreements. They even keep your customers’ info handy. Shows you who has paid who owes and allows you to take payments on the go. G Gustavo Ballesteros, The Clean Team 2. QuickBooks (4.0) Online Invoicing and Billing Software Starting price $30/month Free trial 30 days Key features Income & expense tracking, Send custom invoices & quotes, Track GST and VAT, Capture and organize receipts, Integration with your bank Why We Picked QuickBooks QuickBooks is the simplest way to manage accounts online. It has features like expense tracking, invoicing, and seamless integration with banks for running reports and gaining deep business insights. It is one of the renowned names in the realm of accounting and finance software. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to simplify financial management for businesses of all sizes. You can seamlessly manage all your tasks, maintain client details in real time, and perform all your accounting practices, all within a single account. Not just this, you can even supercharge your current workflows by the integration of third-party optional apps in QuickBooks. Pros It offers an extensive help library, how-to videos, and exceptional customer support. It can be accessed from anywhere and from any device making it convenient for the user. Well-suitable for managing multi-accounting scenarios, providing simplicity in managing entries for multiple users simultaneously. Track expenses through receipt scanning and auto-linking with bank transactions, streamlining the record-keeping process. John E. Can track everything I have, from my revenue, costs, as well as monthly expenses all in one place. I can easily find the areas to maximize profits Cons The initial use of the app is sometimes frustrating and challenging to navigate. Small businesses or startups with tight budgets, can find the pricing structure as a setback. Also, some of the essential features locked behind higher-tier plans. The invoices and check arrangements within QuickBooks might appear slightly disorganized to some users. Verified G2 User Poor customer support and unilateral price increases make it a way less affordable option. Do look at alternatives if the subscription cost is key for you. 3. Zoho (4.5) Best Free Invoice Creating Software Starting price N/A Free trial 30 Days Key features Create multilingual or multicurrency invoices, Set recurring invoices, Get real-time invoice reports Why We Picked Zoho Invoice Zoho Invoice is a free cloud-based invoicing software. It helps you to create and send professional invoices, automate payment reminders, and accept payments online. It is basically an invoice maker software, that not only allows you to create invoices but also makes monitoring and managing invoices easy. Using Zoho’s pre-designed templates you have the ability to personalize and brand your invoices the way you want. Besides invoicing, time tracking to bill clients on an hourly basis, expense tracking as well as automated reminders, branded client portal, and report generation are also provided by Zoho. Pros Entirely a free invoicing software. You only need to pay for the specific features or add-ons that you choose to incorporate into your business. Extensive customization features are available to personalize your invoicing operations. Simple and intuitive user interface making it easy for the users to navigate smoothly. Automatically converts estimates into invoices. Michael M. It was easy to set up a company account, clients, projects, and invoice fields. Cons It imposes a limit of 1,000 invoices per year on its free plan. While this may be sufficient for many small businesses, those with higher transaction volumes may need to consider upgrading to a paid plan to avoid exceeding this cap. Advanced feature range and capabilities are available in the paid version. Reporting tool is quite difficult to use. 4. Square Invoices (4.1) Free Billing Software for Freelancers & Small Scale Enterprises Starting price Free Free trial 30 Days Key features Batch invoicing, Multi-package invoicing, Online payment processing, Real-time tracking, Contracts with e-signatures Why We Picked Square Invoices Square Invoices is a free billing and invoicing software, designed specifically for businesses that value simplicity, efficiency and prompt payments. The software works entirely in favor of users to win more work. For instance, it smoothly manages finances, get better customization, and can maintain a healthy client relationship. Custom layouts, batch invoicing, multi-package estimates, project workspace, and dashboard, all in combination work to elevate user’s business operations to new heights. However, to determine the value of your investment, let’s explore the software’s pros and cons. Pros Professional-looking invoices can be made without the need for extensive customization. Invoices are aesthetically generated and they needs no excessive adjustments. User can work on invoices from any device either web or mobile that is connected to the Square invoice account. Two-factor authentication ensures utmost security, enabling hassle-free access to your work from various locations. Can easily embed various work-related details, images, and signed documents to enhance communication and efficient record-keeping. Jill. M The dashboard is clean, easy to use & allows for lots of customizations. Invoices allow for reminders, text & email messages. Cons Core features like contract generation and additional invoice fields are absent. Payment collection is restricted to users’ home country only. This might cause inconvenience to the users wishing to collect payments in foreign currencies. Occasionally, invoices sent via emails may end up in recipients’ junk folders. Donielle R. I dislike the length of time it takes for the invoice to capture ACH payments. 5. SimplyBill (4.0) Cloud-based Contract Billing Software Starting price $5 Free trial 14 days Key features Online estimates and invoices, Customized templates, E-mail alerts, SSL data encryption Why We Picked SimplyBill SimplyBill is an intuitive cloud-based invoicing software. It provides a simple solution to create customized estimates and invoices online with the flexibility to save them in PDF file format and send them directly to clients via email. You are even offered instant payment reminders and the flexibility to send automated thank you messages once payment is done. However, many core features streamlining users’s invoicing processes are lacking here when compared to other existing competitors in the market. For instance, multi-company management, online syncing with Quickbooks, receipt-making tools, multi-currency options, report generation, etc. Pros A cloud-based software and hence no need to install anything on your device. Can let users see the monthly totals of the previous year. Can easily track payments and sales tax of the invoices. Verified User Can easily let you check the status of whether invoices paid or outstanding. Cons Lacks comprehensive support for accepting various payment gateways, potentially affecting the ease of conducting transactions. The mobile edition could be more responsive and speedy enhancing overall user experience and smooth usability. Verified User Not meant for businesses that require features other than simply invoicing. 6. Invoice2go (4.3) Invoicing System for Contractors Starting price $5.99/month Free trial 30 days Key features Professional estimates & invoices, Centralized project workspace, Invoice tracking, Instant customer feedback, Easy integrations Why We Picked Invoice2go Invoice2go is an ideal feature-rich invoicing software for construction. With multiple features listed above, free accounting tools are also available that ease out the invoicing workflows of the users. However, the pricing tiers against the bundle of feature options provided, are something that makes you think twice before investing For instance, with the starter plan, you simply get to create only two invoices per month, followed by five under a professional plan. On the contrary, contractor billing software like InvoiceOwl offers the flexibility to create and send unlimited invoices at lower rates than what is charged by the premium plan of Invoice2go. Pros Seamless experience with a user-friendly interface and comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline business management. A range of customization over templates are available so that you can opt for the one that most resonates with your company’s identity. Beyond credit card payments, payments through PayPal and ApplyPay are also available offering your customers more convenient choices. The software’s intuitive reporting system allows users to download reports of any time, ensuring that users can keep track of their financial performances seamlessly. Verified G2 user It’s easy to use, intuitive user interface & works great on mobile devices. It clearly shows all my invoices, paid and outstanding. Cons Cannot export yearly sales report. This might restrict the users from getting insights into the annual revenue. Occasional difficulties at the time of onboarding can lead to frustration. Addressing these login hiccups would contribute to a smoother user experience. Previous year’s mass data cannot be deleted at once, and hurdles in updating product changes in bulk might hinder streamlined data management. Unlike some competitors, Invoice2go, lacks the feature to track user activity. The ability to track whether clients have viewed their invoices or not could provide valuable insights for businesses. Giada P. It does not reach out to a client when is past due, so you have to manually send out the notification to your client. 7. Scoro (3.9) All-in-one Business Management Solution Starting price $26/month Free trial 14 days Key features 360-degree customer overview, Detailed sales, and financial reports, Automate billing, and late payment reminders Why We Picked Scoro Scoro works to simplify users’ invoicing processes and effortlessly get an overview of the complete business finances. It is an all-in-one comprehensive invoicing solution that performs multiple tasks to ensure that a quote generated turns into an invoice and that invoice into a paid one. It tries to lessen human tasks by automatically sending the scheduled recurring invoices without manual intervention. Not only this, it also helps with automatic payment reminders so that none of your invoices remains outstanding. Scoro is more than just an invoicing tool; From project inception to final invoicing, Scoro’s all-encompassing platform simplifies the complexities of project management, time tracking, and financial operations. Pros Unified platform catering to all my accounting and management related requirements under one roof. Easy to navigate during the trial phase, quick to learn and promptly adapted by the employees in their operational routine. Uku Soot Great invoicing and reminders system. Cons Cannot recommend further due to the higher pricing tiers. Also, the applicability of hidden costs is something we were not aware of during the initial phase. QuickBooks was not smoothly integrated. Matthew Barlow Not worth paying for a subscription. The platform keeps deleting/removing my routes. Only allowed a certain number of stops despite paying for full membership. It keeps signing me out, and an annoying pop-up every time I add a stop lets me know how many stops left I can have after each stop is added. I canceled my membership. 8. FreshBooks (4.1) Invoicing Software for Sole Proprietors & Freelancers Starting Price $13.60/month Free trial 13 days Key features Automated invoicing & billing, Inventory tracking, Time tracking, Track and interpret project’s profitability Why We Picked FreshBooks FreshBooks is a cloud-based and easy-to-use accounting and invoicing option. This construction invoice software has a user-friendly interface and multiple time-saving automation features. Three different pricing tiers are made available by the software offering multiple features but restricted by the no of clients that can be added. For instance, under the Lite plan, you can add only 5 clients followed by 50 under the Plus plan. This might not be sufficient for a company having a large client base as they have to compulsorily upgrade to the higher pricing plans. Pros Visually appealing and intuitive interface, easy navigation, and no requirement of extensive training due to its well-designed buttons and features. The software provides a free seamless tax calculation feature, simplifying the invoicing process and ensuring accurate taxation. Software intends to provide real human support for a seamless experience. No need to search through articles; real assistance is available, ensuring a positive user journey. The ability to automate and schedule recurring invoices saves valuable time. FreshBooks easily takes care of the invoicing tasks, allowing users to concentrate on other critical matters. Michelle B. It helps me to stay organized while I am working, I can time track all of my different clients in one convenient space and send them invoices from the same area. Cons Mandatory switch to FreshBook’s new version, left a few users disappointed, as the new one is less effective than the the old Classic one. Automatic saving functionality is lacking which may potentially lead to data loss in case the user forgets to save the data. Users from the non-accounting field might feel complexity while setting up and configuring FreshBooks. The limited subscription levels also posed challenges for businesses with varying transaction volumes. Tom. A The software has lots of bugs and the accounting execution is poor. 9. Harvest (4.3) Cloud-Based Project Management Software Starting price $30/month Free trial 12 days Key features Track billable hours, Reports & analysis, Invoicing, Payments, QuickBooks or Xero Integration Why We Picked Harvest Harvest is one of the most efficient time-tracking and billing software for all your projects. However, with all the technological advancements, it is not more than just time-tracking software. It helps their customer to get seamless estimating and invoicing operations with instant report generation and multiple third-party integrations. It is basically tailored for the service-based businesses that rely majorly billing clients based on hours worked. This time tracking and invoicing software excels in simplifying the intricacies of tracking billable hours, managing expenses, and tracking the cost incurred, generating accurate invoices, and getting paid online via PayPal and Stripe. Pros Software has an intuitive and straightforward user interface with effortless tracking of time and easy invoice creation, without a steep learning curve. Once the billable hours are timely tracked, charge those hours in automated professional invoice creation. Can easily record the expenses and attach relevant receipts, ensuring transparent billing and enabling you to maintain a clear record of project-related costs. Like other competitors in the market, Harvest also supports multiple currencies. This ability empowers users to bill clients in their preferred currency, enhancing your global reach. Anna A. Simple and easy to use. I love that you can set a time limit on specific projects and visually see how much you’ve gone over. Also, having the costs and percentages visible is helpful as well. Cons Unlike other competitors, it offers limited phone support. Scheduled appointments for assistance are available, which might not always align with urgent needs. More customization options for expenses should have been made available. For instance, the ability to add fees beyond taxes could provide greater flexibility in invoicing. Holly W. I wish the recurring and retainer invoices could be shared with QuickBooks for better cash flow planning. 10. Hiveage (4.5) Invoicing Solution for Beginners Starting price $14/month Free trial 16 days Key features Invoice making, Recurring billing, Time tracking, Financial reports Why We Picked Hiveage Hiveage is an easy online invoicing solution for all self-employed people, small business owners as well as entrepreneurs. It basically helps you to get away from cumbersome accounting operations and provides an easy way to bill clients digitally and keep track of current and future revenues. Along with all the features that an ideal invoicing software provides, it has fast and dedicated customer support, time-to-time security and backups of the client data, and easy accessibility of the client’s Hiveage account from either web-based or mobile-based devices. For instance, it can be PC, Mac, iOS Android devices, etc. Pros Like other industrial competitors, Hiveage also has the ability to monitor who has viewed your invoices. This can easily identify outstanding invoices and adds a layer of transparency to your invoicing process. It has a quick and hassle-free setup process making it an ideal recommendation for clients seeking a low-friction invoicing solution. Mobile quoting and invoicing is now possible for businesses seeking flexibility. Verified G2 user This software makes sending estimates and invoices so easy. Customer service is quick and awesome too. Cons The users face occasional email deliverability challenges, with emails landing in spam folders. Occasional instances of delayed customer service responses and platform glitches have been reported, impacting users’ overall experience negatively. Setting up Hiveage might be challenging for those less tech-savvy, although the platform’s overall usability remains high. Jen G. Accounting features are limited, so I recently switched over to something a bit more robust. Frequently asked questions Is InvoiceOwl, the best invoice app for contractors? Yes, considering the range of invoicing options it provides along with a user-friendly interface and multiple payment options, InvoiceOwl is the best free invoice app for contractors. What is the cost of subscribing to a Square Invoices account? To get enrolled with Square Invoices, signing up under their first free plan you do not have to pay any setup or monthly fees. Instead, you have to make the payment every time you bill your customer. Moving ahead, Square Invoices offers a pricing plan that starts from $29 per month with additional processing fees starting from 2.9%. Processing fees will be applicable regardless of the plan you have. Free or paid. What is an alternative to an old accounting system? One of the best alternatives to an old accounting system is online business software. With an integration of invoice software, all the traditional challenges can be overcome. For instance: The billing process gets streamlined Transactions can be easily recorded and tracked The software can be accessed from anytime anywhere Real-time updates can be availed List the names of the best online invoicing software. The best online invoicing software that streamlines your billing and invoicing processes are: InvoiceOwl Zoho Invoice Invoice Ninja FreshBooks Invoice2go QuickBooks Bill.com Xero Is it possible to create customized invoices without spending more time on them? Yes, with InvoiceOwl’s free invoice templates, invoice customization is possible. You can even experiment with the range of color options provided and choose the one that matches your brand. Moreover, the invoicing templates are also available in different file formats. For instance, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Microsoft Word, PDF, etc. What are the features provided by InvoiceOwl? InvoiceOwl offers multiple invoicing features, including unlimited invoicing, e-signatures, multi-company management, real-time updates, online invoice generation, reports and analytics, a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices, and more. How do invoice generators function? Invoice generators are simply web-based invoicing tools to create custom invoices online and send them directly to clients. Invoices can be downloaded usually in PDF file format. Multiple templates with a range of color options are available. Is it possible to send recurring invoices online? Yes, Invoice2go, one of the best invoice software for contractors has overall three pricing plans. Among them, the third premium plan is the most expensive one. It gives you access to unlimited invoices. This plan also lets you send recurring invoices and automatically charge repeat customers. Is it possible to create recurring invoices with Square Invoices? Yes, Square Invoices has the ability to set up recurring billing and create recurring invoices. It’s easy to set up, and you can use it on all your devices. Does InvoiceOwl provide mobile invoicing? Yes, InvoiceOwl offers a mobile invoicing solution to complement its web-based platform. In today’s digital age, it’s common for software services to provide mobile apps that allow users to access their tools and functionalities on the go. Conclusion After going through the 10 best invoicing software with detailed descriptions and reviews of each of them, it is obvious that you might be at a pivotal juncture in your decision-making process. All these different invoicing solutions listed above work in their best possible manner to meet individual business needs and preferences. However, selecting the one that best suits you and your requirements is a tough choice. Also, just reading about the software might not be enough. Practically trying and testing them will help you make a wise decision. So without any further ado, let’s start with InvoiceOwl’s 3 days FREE trial period offer. Author Bio Jeel Patel Founder Jeel Patel is the founder of InvoiceOwl, a top-rated estimating and invoicing software that simplifies the invoicing and estimating processes for contractor businesses. Jeel holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Toronto, which has provided him with a strong foundation in business principles and practices. With understanding of the challenges faced by contractors, he conducted extensive research and developed a tool to streamline the invoicing and estimating processes for contractors. Read More Sign Up Now! Get weekly updates from InvoiceOwl. Subscribe Now Share this post: Twitter Facebook Pinterest Linkedin Email
