Struggling with outdated spreadsheets and late payments? Consider switching to free invoicing software!
These user-friendly platforms streamline the process of creating and sending professional invoices, track expenses, and accept online payments. Whether you’re a freelancer, a small business owner, or just starting out, there’s a free invoicing software solution to simplify your finances and get you paid faster.
In this article, we’ll cover what the fundamentals of invoicing are, why it is important, and we’ll discover the top free invoicing software, best suited for small businesses.
Invoicing Explained
Ever wondered how businesses keep track of who owes them money? That’s where invoices come in! Think of them as official itemized receipts.
Invoices break down the transaction clearly, listing things like the products purchased, their quantities, and their agreed-upon prices. They might also include any applicable taxes, shipping fees, and most importantly, the payment terms – when the money is due. This ensures everyone’s on the same page financially.
But invoices are more than just simple bills. They act as legal records of the transaction.
They help businesses;
- track sales,
- manage cash flow,
- and even comply with tax regulations.
In short, they’re a crucial cog in the wheel of any business operation.
So next time you receive an invoice, you’ll know it’s not just a bill – it’s a formal document that keeps the business world running smoothly.
Why Do You Need Invoicing Software?
In the past, managing invoices often involved manual processes and physical paperwork. This could be time-consuming, prone to errors, and inefficient. Today, invoicing software offers a powerful solution for businesses of all sizes.
Here’s a closer look at the key reasons why businesses need invoicing software:
- Faster Invoices: Automate repetitive tasks for quicker invoice generation.
- Fewer Errors: Reduce data entry mistakes with automation and integrations.
- Better Organization: Centralize invoices and customer data for easy access.
- Faster Payments: Integrate with online gateways for quicker customer payments.
- Clearer Communication: Send automated reminders and improve client interactions.
- Deeper Insights: Gain valuable data on sales, payments, and customer behavior.
- Simpler Compliance: Ensure tax compliance with automated calculations.
Invoicing software streamlines the entire process, saving time, improving cash flow, and empowering smarter decisions.
Read more about – How to write invoice payment terms
Benefits Of Using A Free Invoicing Software
Benefits of Free Invoicing Software
While paid invoicing software offers a robust suite of features, free options can still provide significant benefits for businesses, especially those just starting out or with a limited budget.
Here’s how:
- Cost-Effective Solution: Free invoicing software eliminates the upfront cost of paid plans, allowing you to manage invoices professionally without financial strain. This is ideal for freelancers, sole proprietors, or small businesses with a low invoice volume.
- Improved Efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks like data entry and formatting, freeing up valuable time you can dedicate to core business activities. Generate professional invoices in minutes, even with limited technical expertise.
- Streamlined Organization: Centralize your client information and invoice history in one secure platform. No more scattered spreadsheets or misplaced invoices. This makes it easier to track outstanding payments and manage your finances effectively.
- Faster Payments: Many free invoicing platforms offer online payment options. This allows clients to settle invoices electronically, accelerating your cash flow and reducing the risk of late payments.
- Professional Image: Present a professional image to your clients with clean, well-formatted invoices. Free invoicing software often provides customizable templates to ensure your invoices reflect your brand identity.
- Test Drive Paid Features: Some free plans offer limited access to features found in paid versions. This allows you to experiment with functionalities like project management or time tracking before committing to a paid plan.
Overall, free invoicing software offers a practical and cost-effective way to manage invoices, improve efficiency, and get paid faster. It’s a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes, particularly those starting out or with limited budgets.
Who Should Use A Free Invoicing Software?
- If you’re a freelancer, small business owner or an enterprise owner and you want to keep up with the competitive business environment.
- If you want to attract and retain clients to grow your business and stay in the market for long.
- If you want to find out ways to save money and time. If increasing productivity and convenience holds utmost importance for you, online invoicing software will help you to streamline the entire invoicing process.
Scaling your entire business might sound a far-fetched dream initially, but there is a step you can start with. It is improving your invoicing process. An improved invoicing process will lead to an increase in the cash flow and business productivity.
Sadly, creating invoices on paper and excel sheets aren’t the most efficient way of improving invoicing process.
A cloud based billing software is a way to go for small businesses.
We have carefully created a list of the top free invoicing software:
Let’s have a look.
Top FREE Invoicing Software for Small Businesses
1. Profitbooks
ProfitBooks Accounting Software Mac – Main
ProfitBooks is a powerful billing system that helps you create professional and beautiful invoices and get paid faster while taking care of financial accounting in the background.
The best part?
ProfitBooks is a 100% free invoicing software for small businesses, while being effective, feature-packed, and easy-to-use.
ProfitBooks adds power to the simple invoicing with time-saving features like:
- Unlimited invoices
- Managing Unlimited contacts
- Tracking your payables & receivables
- Collecting online payments
- Sending invoices in multiple currencies
- Tracking business expenses
- Managing taxes
- Inviting staff and accountants
- Exporting data to accounting softwares
- Getting in-depth financial reports
Moreover, with Profitbooks, you can customize your invoice as per your branding.
As we believe that your invoice should be as unique as your business!
ProfitBooks – Invoicing Home Page UI
- Design it the way you like (customization available): Upload your company logo, show/hide items or change columns names.
- Choose from pre-designed templates: We have carefully added various invoice templates according to the industry type.
- Add custom fields: You can capture additional details like vehicle number, sales person name, etc using custom fields.
- Manage Business Expenses: Record your day-to-day business expenses and manage payables with ProfitBooks.
- Save Time With Automatic Tax Calculations: Taxes are calculated automatically to give you peace of mind and keep your accountant happy.
- Take Better Decisions With Detailed Sales Reports: Sales reports give you actionable insights so that you can improve the performance of your team and make more profit.
Watch how Profitbooks’ free invoicing software works:
What’s more, you can test drive our software for 100% FREE!
Join thousands of businesses who trust ProfitBooks for managing their finances.
Get a FREE Trial today!
And if you’re looking to get advanced features, here’s the simple pricing plan of ProfitBooks’ free invoicing software.
Pricing:
- Free Forever:
– Create up to 25 invoices per month
– Manage up to 100 customers
– Track up to 25 products or services
– Create professional invoices in multi-currency
– Track receivables
– Manage business expenses
– Get tax reports
– Supports Single User - $20/month OR Rs.749/month (SMB):
– Everything in Plan 1
– Unlimited users with individual access levels
– Create unlimited invoices
– Manage unlimited customers
– Track unlimited products or services
– Priority support
2. Odoo
Odoo Home Page (Inventory Management Software)
Pros: With Odoo free invoicing software you can easily create and send invoices to your clients. It’s time and money saving tool, it also reduces the paperwork.
It can create professional and highly customized invoices, track expenses of your business, recurring invoices to my regular clients, auto-payment reminders to late payers at zero cost. It integrates with great other software Dropbox, Stripe, PayPal and all Major credit cards.
Cons: The User Interface is good but there aren’t enough charts.
Key Features:
- Integrated with Full Business Suite: Odoo’s invoicing seamlessly integrates with its entire suite of business applications, including CRM, inventory management, and accounting.
- Automated Invoice Generation from Various Sources: Odoo automatically generates draft invoices based on sales orders, subscriptions, timesheets, and delivery orders.
- Open-Source and Customizable: Odoo is open-source software, allowing for deep customization to fit your specific business needs. Developers can modify the code or create custom modules to extend functionality beyond the base offering.
Pricing Plans: https://www.odoo.com/pricing-plan
- Odoo Free Plan: Free Forever
Create and send professional invoices with your branding
Manage customer data and track payments
Automate recurring invoices
Create and manage credit notes
Generate basic sales reports
Note: This free plan requires self-hosting, which involves managing your own server and software installation. - Odoo Subscription Plans (Online & On-Premise): Starting from €18/month (approx. Rs.1,530/month)
Everything in the Free Plan
Access to additional Odoo apps (pricing varies depending on the app)
Cloud-based hosting with automatic updates and backups (Online plan)
Dedicated server option for on-premise deployments (On-Premise plan)
3. Invoicera
invoicera – free invoicing software
Pros: Invoicera’s free forever plan allows three clients plus unlimited invoices. The upgrades Invoicera offers would work very well for small businesses, and each premium plan allows a 30-day trial period, so this software could be optimal for a growing business.
Cons: User interface is a bit complicated in this free invoicing software for small businesses. Getting everything filled out can be confusing and navigation is a bit tricky. If youre not used to these kinds of apps, take it slow or you will mess your invoice up.
Key Features:
- Project Management Integration with Automatic Invoicing: Invoicera allows you to manage projects and track time directly within the platform. When a project is completed, invoices are automatically generated based on the tracked hours and agreed-upon rates.
- Multi-Approval Workflow for Invoices: Set up a multi-level approval workflow for invoices in Invoicera. This allows different team members (e.g., project manager, accountant) to review and approve invoices before they are sent to clients.
- Vendor Management with Automated Payments: Manage your vendors and automate payment processes within Invoicera. Create purchase orders, track expenses, and schedule automated payments to vendors.
Pricing Plans: https://www.invoicera.com/pricing
- Invoicera Starter Plan – $15/month (billed monthly) or $19/month (billed annually):
Includes unlimited invoicing
Client and vendor portal
TLS security & firewall protection
Comprehensive reporting
Profit and loss reports
API access
Data backups
Multi-currency and language support
Automatic invoice scheduling
Customizable invoice templates
14+ international payment gateways
Award-winning customer support
Allows for one staff member
Allows for 100 clients
No invoice workflow automation
No PDF batch export - Invoicera Business Plan – $39/month (billed monthly) or $49/month (billed annually):
Includes everything in Starter Plan
Allows for up to 10 staff members
Allows for 1000 clients
Invoice workflow automation
PDF batch export (limit of 50 invoices) - Invoicera Enterprise Plan – $79/month (billed monthly) or $99/month (billed annually):
Includes everything in Business Plan
Allows for up to 20 staff members
Allows for 2000 clients
Invoice workflow automation
Unlimited PDF batch export - Invoicera Infinite Plan – $119/month (billed monthly) or $149/month (billed annually):
Includes everything in Enterprise Plan
Allows for unlimited staff members
Allows for unlimited clients
Invoice workflow automation
Unlimited PDF batch export
4. Field Promax
Field Promax is more than just invoicing software. It’s a full-featured solution built specifically for service businesses like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and cleaning. Whether you’re at the job site or at your desk, you can create and send professional invoices right from your phone, tablet, or desktop.
The best part?
Field Promax includes powerful invoicing tools as part of its affordable, all-in-one service management platform. You can try it with a free trial when you book a personalized demo.
Here’s what makes Field Promax a smart choice for small service teams:
- Convert jobs to invoices with one click
- Customize invoice templates with your logo and branding
- Send invoices directly from the mobile app
- Get on-site approvals and digital signatures
- Manage recurring invoices for service contracts
- Sync billing with QuickBooks and Xero
- Track all unpaid, paid, and overdue invoices in real time
- Share invoices via text, email, or print
- Auto-calculate taxes and service charges
- Use smart filters to find invoices by date, job type, or technician
- Set reminders for overdue payments
Create invoices your way. Add your logo, adjust layout options, and personalize each invoice to fit your brand.
With Field Promax, your technicians can send invoices right after completing a job. This helps reduce delays, improve cash flow, and cut down on missed payments.
Want to see it in action?
Book a demo and get access to a 14-day free trial.
Thousands of service businesses already trust Field Promax to handle invoicing, scheduling, and customer management in one place.
Pricing:
Check out detailed pricing here.
Free Trial (14 Days)
– Book a demo to activate your trial
– Unlimited invoices and job scheduling
– Access to the mobile app and full dashboard
Starter Plan – $99/month
– 2 Users included
– Unlimited invoicing
– Customer and job management
– QuickBooks and Xero integration
– Real-time tracking and reporting
If you’re tired of juggling paperwork and chasing payments, Field Promax gives your team the tools to bill faster and smarter.
5. Invoicely
Pros: Invoicely is free, simple and secure invoicing for small businesses. Invoicely is a strong contender in the billing space and it has strong reporting and currency support functionality. There are wealth of features even at the lowest paid tier. It also supports multiple countries and currencies.
Cons: There’s no custom branding for free version. Invoice customization could be better. Time and mileage tracking are minimal.
Key Features:
- Client Collaboration on Invoices: Invoicely free invoicing software offers a unique feature where clients can directly collaborate on invoices.
- Customizable Invoice Line Items with Options: Invoicely allows you to create highly customizable invoice line items. You can define various options for each item, such as quantity, hourly rate, or different service tiers.
- Inventory Management Integration (Add-on): Invoicely offers an optional add-on for inventory management integration.
Pricing Plans: https://invoicely.com/pricing/
- Free Plan – $0.00 per month:
Create up to 5 invoices per month
Send invoices to unlimited clients
Accept payments via PayPal
Real-time reports - Basic Plan – $9.99 per month:
Up to 2 Team Members
Create unlimited invoices
Send invoices to unlimited clients
Estimates (Quotes)
Recurring Invoices
Credit Card Payments
Time, Expenses & Mileage Tracking
Full Business Branding - Professional Plan – $19.99 per month (Most Popular):
Up to 10 Team Members
Everything in Basic Plan
Unlimited Clients - Enterprise Plan – $29.99 per month:
Up to 25 Team Members
Everything in Professional Plan
6. Invoice Ninja
Ninja Invoice – Free Invoicing Software
Pros: Ninja Invoice offers a user-friendly interface, a free plan for basic invoicing needs, and the unique benefit of self-hosting for businesses seeking data control. This is a user-friendly free invoicing software.
Cons: Advanced features like project management and multi-currency support are limited in the free plan, and navigation can be confusing due to a lack of back buttons.
Key Features:
- Free Plan with Basic Invoicing: Ninja Invoice offers a forever-free plan that allows you to create and send invoices, track basic expenses, and accept payments. This is ideal for freelancers or small businesses with limited invoicing needs.
- Self-Hosted Option for Data Control: Unlike many cloud-based invoicing platforms, Ninja Invoice offers a self-hosted option.
- Simple Project Management with Task Tracking: Manage basic projects and track billable hours within Ninja Invoice.
Pricing Plans: https://invoiceninja.com/pricing/
- Free Plan – $0.00 per month:
Create and send invoices
Track expenses and vendors
Project management with Kanban boards
Time tracking
Online payment acceptance
Auto-billing and recurring invoices
Limited to 20 clients
Limited to 4 professional invoice templates - Ninja Pro – $12 per month (billed annually):
Everything in the Free Plan
Unlimited clients and invoices
Remove Invoice Ninja branding
Send invoices via Gmail and MSN
Custom invoice designs
API integration with third-party apps
Password protection for client-side portal
Display client e-signatures on invoices - Enterprise Plan – Starting at $16 per month (billed annually):
Everything in Ninja Pro
Up to 50 user accounts with individual permissions
Attach files to emails and client portal
Fully branded client portal with custom domain name
7. Due
Why is Due advantageous?
Due is a completely free time tracking and invoicing tool. It also includes a calendar and reporting tools to keep users organized and on task. Users can upload their companys logo to use on their invoices and then embed the invoices into the users site; thus, allowing clients to make online payments. There is no setup fee and Due.com is available in more than 100 countries. It also supports the majority of their tax systems.
Where does Due fall behind?
There are some limitations to billing flexibility on this platform – it is not possible to set up hourly billing, for example.
Key Features:
- Partial Payments and Deposits Accepted: Due allows clients to make partial payments on invoices or submit deposits upfront for upcoming services. This feature improves cash flow management for businesses and provides clients with payment flexibility.
- White-Labeled Invoices for Enhanced Branding: Due lets you create white-labeled invoices that completely remove their branding and display only your company’s logo and information.
- Mobile App for On-the-Go Invoicing: Manage your invoices and payments from anywhere with Due’s mobile app. This allows you to create and send invoices, track expenses, and accept payments while you’re on the go.
Pricing Plans: https://due.com/pricing/
- Basic (Free): 1% interest rate
- Premium ($10/month): 3% interest rate, 30-minute welcome consultation, 24/7 support, priority support with a 1 business day response, retirement analytics, monthly account statements, advanced tax planning access, an education center, and month/bi-monthly payout options.
8. Zoho
Pros: Zoho’s invoicing naturally integrates with their own suite of products, but it also integrates with many other applications, including Dropbox, Google Drive, PayPal, Stripe and OneDrive. This free invoicing software is great for desktop and mobile, Zoho is an excellent place to start.
Cons: Zoho has a forever free plan but only for those who have fewer than 5 customers to invoice.
Key Features:
- Multi-currency Invoicing with Real-time Exchange Rates: Zohobooks automatically updates invoices with current exchange rates, simplifying international transactions for both you and your clients.
- Customizable Invoice Templates with Your Branding: Design professional invoices that reflect your brand identity with Zohobooks’ drag-and-drop template builder.
- Automated Payment Reminders: Set up automated email or SMS reminders to nudge clients about outstanding invoices, ensuring faster payments and improved cash flow.
Pricing Plans: https://www.zoho.com/in/books/pricing/
- Standard Plan – Rs.749/month billed annually:
Efficiently organize your transactions, accounts, reports, and books
Manage e-invoices and payments
Track expenses and bills
Automate payment reminders
Enable self-service customer portal
Track inventory
Track sales and purchase orders
Enable transaction period locking
Banking & Reconciliation
Generate divisional reports with reporting tags - Professional Plan – Rs.1,499/month billed annually:
Everything in Standard Plan
Collaborate with your team efficiently and confidently take on projects
Bill timesheets
Manage payroll
Analyze project profitability
Prepare and review budgets
Manege retainers
Cashflow forecasting
Create price lists
Enable self-service vendor portal
Setup sales and purchase approvals
Set up custom domain
Collaborate with users (chat, voice, video and screen sharing) - Premium Plan – Rs.2,999/month billed annually:
Everything in Professional Plan
Enhanced customization and automation to streamline business processes
Record multi-currency transactions
Create business-specific custom modules
Add custom button
Create custom field validation rules
Embed contextual web peges/apps
9. Wave
Pros: Wave Accounting offers a completely free invoicing software. This tool is ideal for managing both personal and small business finances. Wave offers free tools for invoicing, accounting and payroll as well as receipt scanning.
Cons: No dedicated project-or time-tracking features. Also, there’s no comprehensive mobile app.
Key Features:
- Automatic Receipt Capture with Mobile App: Snap a picture of your receipts with Wave’s mobile app, and the software automatically extracts relevant invoice data, saving you time and reducing manual entry errors.
- Recurring Invoices with Flexible Scheduling: Set up recurring invoices with custom schedules in Wave, ensuring you get paid on time for ongoing services or subscriptions.
- Client Portal for Secure Document Sharing: Provide your clients with a secure online portal through Wave to access invoices, receipts, and other important documents, fostering transparency and improving communication.
Pricing Plans: https://www.waveapps.com/pricing/
- Wave Starter Plan – Free:
Create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records
Suitable for those just starting a business or looking for the basics - Wave Pro Plan – $16/month or $170/year:
Everything in Starter Plan
Option to accept online payments at a discounted rate
Auto-import bank transactions
Auto-merge and categorize bank transactions
Digitally capture unlimited receipts and track expenses
Automate late payment reminders
Wave also offers additional features for an extra fee:
- Online payment processing: Starting at 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction
- Payroll: Starting at $20 per month
- Bookkeeping: Starting at $199 per month
10. Freshbooks
Pros: Freshbooks’ free invoicing software offers a delightful user experience that enable freelancers and small businesses to quickly invoice customers and get paid faster. Team collaboration tools, time tracking, and estimate functionality are great add ons.
Cons: Poor reporting functionality, limited features in the estimates tool. Late Fees feature could use more options.
Key Features:
-
Automated Late Fees with Customizable Settings: Freshbooks free invoicing software allows you to set up automatic late fees on invoices. What makes this unique is the ability to customize the settings, such as the grace period before late fees apply, the percentage or flat fee charged, and even late fee reminders.
-
Built-in Client Proposals with E-Signatures: Streamline your client onboarding process with Freshbooks’ proposal feature. Create professional proposals outlining your services and pricing, and then collect electronic signatures directly within the platform.
-
Automatic Reminders for Recurring Deposits: Ensure you get paid upfront for ongoing services with Freshbooks. Set up recurring invoices with automatic deposit reminders.
Pricing Plans: https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing/
- Lite Plan – Starting at $17/month (billed monthly):
Ideal for freelancers and new businesses
Create and send unlimited invoices
Track unlimited expenses
Send unlimited estimates
Get paid with credit cards and bank transfers
Track sales tax and generate reports
Access mobile app for iOS and Android
Mileage tracking
Automated late payment reminders
Client self-service portal - Plus Plan – Starting at $30/month (billed monthly):
Everything in Lite Plan
Suitable for growing businesses
Send unlimited invoices to up to 50 clients
Automatically track expenses
Recurring billing and client retainers
Double-entry accounting reports
Invite your accountant
Mobile app for iOS and Android
- Premium Plan – Starting at $55/month (billed monthly):
Everything in Plus Plan
Best for established businesses
Send unlimited invoices to unlimited clients
Track projects and profitability
Customize email templates with dynamic fields
Bill payments and manage vendors
Advanced inventory features (add-on)
Advanced payment features (add-on)
Payroll integration (add-on)
Conclusion
Efficient and free invoicing software can be a game-changer regardless of your business size or industry.
Imagine sending professional invoices in minutes, easily tracking expenses, and even getting paid faster.
Sound interesting? We think so too!
ProfitBooks‘ free invoicing software offers features designed to streamline your finances and free up your time to focus on what matters most – growing your business.
Get your 100% FREE account, and why not see if it’s a good fit for you?
Also Read:
Top 10 FREE Project Management Software
Best FREE Lead Generation Software For SMBs
