10 Best Invoicing Software for Freelancers of 2026

Wave ranks first for this angle because the free Starter plan already does the job most freelancers need: unlimited estimates and invoices, online card payments and a basic set of books, with no client limit. The trade-off on Starter is the card fee of 2.9% plus $0.60 per transaction (3.4% plus $0.60 for Amex). Pro, at $19 a month or $190 a year, removes the $0.60 fixed part, imports and categorizes bank transactions, captures unlimited receipts and sends late payment reminders automatically. Wave also sells Wave Advisors, a bookkeeping service with a dedicated bookkeeper, for people who want their books done for them. The weak points are that reminders and bank feeds sit behind Pro, and that Wave has fewer project and time tracking tools than FreshBooks or Invoice Ninja. For a freelancer who sends a handful of invoices a month and wants to get paid by card, it is the lowest cost way to start.

Zoho Invoice is the most complete free invoicing tool in this list. It handles quotes, one-click tax invoices, recurring invoices, automated payment reminders, branded templates, expense recording, time logging and a self-service customer portal, and it has apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac. Zoho states the product is free for small businesses and freelancers, with no paid tier above it; growing companies are pointed to Zoho Billing instead. The limits are clear: two users, three projects, 500 invoices a year and up to two organizations per account, and invoices show Powered by Zoho Invoice branding. Online payments run through connected payment gateways, so card fees depend on the gateway you choose. Support by email and voice is included 24 hours a day, five days a week. It ranks just behind Wave because it has no bookkeeping, but for invoicing alone it gives freelancers more structure than any other free option here.

FreshBooks has the most polished invoicing in this list and the widest choice of payment methods: clients can pay by credit or debit card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Buy Now, Pay Later. Lite costs $23 a month after a promotion of $4.60 a month for four months and covers invoices, estimates, real-time expense tracking and tax-time reports, but only for 5 clients. Plus, at $43 a month, raises that to 50 clients and adds proposals, client retainers, receipt scanning, accounting reports and accountant access. Premium at $70 removes the client cap. Extra team members cost $11 per user per month and Advanced Payments is a $20 monthly add-on. There is a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. FreshBooks ranks fourth because it has no free plan and the client caps push growing freelancers onto Plus quickly, while Wave, Zoho Invoice and Square cover basic invoicing at no monthly cost.

Square Invoices suits freelancers who want to be paid online and in person from one account without a subscription. Every Square plan includes unlimited invoices and recurring invoices, deposits with a separate due date for the balance, automatic reminders, estimates, contracts with e-signature and a project workspace that keeps invoices, estimates and notes together. Clients can pay by card, ACH bank transfer, Afterpay or Cash App Pay, and you can take card payments on a phone with Tap to Pay. On Square Free, card payments made through an invoice cost 3.3% plus 30¢ and ACH costs 1% with a $1 minimum. Square Plus, at $49 a month per location with a 30-day trial, lowers invoice card fees to 2.9% plus 30¢, caps ACH fees at $10 and adds custom templates, batch invoices and milestone payment schedules. It has no bookkeeping, so pair it with an accounting tool at tax time.

Invoice Ninja packs the most invoicing tools into a low price. The free plan covers 5 clients with unlimited invoices, 11 templates with your logo, online payments, auto-billing and recurring invoices, deposits and partial payments, projects with billable time, expense tracking, a client payment portal and automatic currency conversion. Ninja Pro at $14 a month, or $140 a year, removes the client limit and the Created by Invoice Ninja line, sends automatic late payment reminders, lets you fully customize invoice designs, email through Gmail or your own SMTP server, link 10 companies under one login and calculate US state sales tax. Enterprise starts at $18 a month for 1 to 2 users and adds bank sync and e-invoicing. All paid plans have a 30-day money back promise. The interface has more settings than the simplest tools here, which costs it on ease of use, but few apps give this much control for this price.

QuickBooks Solopreneur is the pick for freelancers who see invoicing as one part of getting ready for taxes. Customers can pay invoices through PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, credit, debit or ACH, and estimates accept mobile signatures before converting into invoices. The free plan allows two invoices a month, or unlimited invoices if you qualify for and enable QuickBooks Payments, plus 2 receipt uploads and 5 mileage trips. Lite, at $20 a month after a promotion of $10 for three months, gives unlimited invoices, receipts and mileage, instant deposit for eligible payments, automated bill pay, the mobile app and access to Expert Assisted Tax powered by TurboTax, where you pay only when you file. Simple Start at $38 a month adds accountant access, recurring payments and unlimited contractors. It ranks below the invoicing specialists because recurring payments wait until Simple Start and the free plan's limits are tight unless you use QuickBooks Payments.

Indy is a freelancer workspace rather than an accounting tool, and its invoicing is built to follow a proposal and contract. Invoices accept major credit and debit cards through integrated online payments, and Indy says it charges no additional fees of its own; you can also record checks, wire transfers and direct deposits. Automated reminders and status updates flag when an invoice is paid. The free plan includes projects, a calendar, forms, tasks, a time tracker and 10GB of storage, but limits you to 3 clients and 3 proposals, contracts and invoices a month. Pro removes those limits and adds recurring invoice series, line item templates, a branded client portal, white labeling, Zapier and Gmail integrations and an AI assistant for writing contracts and proposals. The $12.50 a month price applies to the 2 year bundle billed at $300, and the pricing page also offers monthly and 1 year terms. There is a 7-day free Pro trial.

Harvest is the right pick when hours are what you sell. Time you track on the web, desktop or phone becomes an invoice in a few clicks, together with any expenses logged against the project, and clients pay online through Harvest's Stripe and PayPal integrations. Invoices and payments can be copied to QuickBooks Online or Xero, so your books stay current without re-entry. The free plan is built for individual freelancers and includes 1 seat, 2 projects, time tracking, invoicing, expense tracking and Mac and iOS apps. Teams costs $9 per seat per month billed annually or $11 monthly, with a 30-day free trial, and adds unlimited seats and team reporting, but Harvest notes that additional invoices, projects, clients and tasks above the base rate are billed by usage. It ranks lower here because estimates, contracts and deposits are not part of the offer, so it fits hourly work better than fixed-fee projects.

HoneyBook is built for freelancers whose work starts with a booking. Invoices sit next to proposals, contracts, a calendar and a client portal, and clients can pay by card, bank transfer or autopay from any device. You can take deposits, bill one-time services or split a project into installments, and HoneyBook says funds can arrive as direct deposits in minutes. Starter costs $29 a month billed annually or $36 monthly and includes unlimited clients and projects, invoices and payments, proposals and contracts, all templates, basic reports, up to 2 lead forms and HoneyBook AI. Essentials at $49 a month billed annually adds the scheduler, automations, QuickBooks Online integration, SMS reminders and up to 2 team members. Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial without a credit card. It ranks lower on this list because freelancers who only need simple invoices pay for a lot of client management they may not use.

Bonsai is a client and project workspace where invoicing is one module among many. Invoices and payments arrive on the Essentials plan, at $19 per user per month billed annually or $25 monthly, together with proposals and contracts, all templates, forms and questionnaires, scheduling, a client portal and expense and income tracking. Every plan, including the $9 Basic tier, includes time tracking, task management, unlimited projects and clients, a CRM, a service library and iOS and Android apps, but Basic cannot send invoices, so freelancers who need to bill should budget for Essentials. Premium at $29 per user per month adds project insights, workload management, profit reports, integrations with QuickBooks, Xero and Zapier and removes Bonsai branding. A 7-day trial unlocks everything. Bonsai ranks last here on value: freelancers who want only invoices and online payments get more for less from Wave, Zoho Invoice or Invoice Ninja, while Bonsai pays off when you also run projects in it.