Best Invoicing Software for Freelancers

Choosing invoicing software is about more than creating a professional-looking bill.

The right tool can help you get paid faster, track expenses, manage clients, monitor billable time, and reduce the amount of admin work that comes with running a freelance business.

But freelancers have very different needs. Some want a completely free invoicing tool. Others need contracts, proposals, time tracking, accounting, or a way to manage the entire client lifecycle from one place.

We researched the leading invoicing platforms for freelancers and compared their pricing, invoicing features, payment options, accounting capabilities, and broader business tools.

Our top picks

• Best overall: Bonsai
• Best free option: Zoho Invoice
• Best free invoicing and bookkeeping: Wave
• Best for polished client invoicing: FreshBooks
• Best for accounting and tax workflows: QuickBooks Solopreneur

Pricing and feature availability can vary by billing cycle, country, payment method, and plan. Always check the provider's current pricing before subscribing.

1. Bonsai

Best for freelancers who want an all-in-one business platform

Bonsai goes well beyond basic invoicing. It combines invoices and payments with proposals, contracts, time tracking, project management, CRM features, scheduling, expenses, and a client portal.

That makes it one of the strongest choices for freelancers who want to manage their client workflow without stitching together several separate applications.

The Essentials plan currently costs $19 per user per month when billed annually, or $25 month to month. It adds invoices and payments, proposals and contracts, scheduling, client portal, expenses, and income tracking.

Why freelancers may like it

Bonsai is particularly useful when invoicing is only one part of your workflow. You can track time, manage projects, prepare proposals and contracts, and then turn that work into invoices from the same platform.

Main strengths

• Strong all-in-one workflow
• Contracts and proposals
• Time tracking
• Project management
• Client portal

Main weaknesses

• No permanent free plan
• More than you need if you only want simple invoices
• Not a replacement for full accounting software

Best for: Freelancers, consultants and small agencies that want one platform for their client workflow.

2. Zoho Invoice

Best free professional invoicing option

Zoho Invoice is one of the strongest choices for freelancers who want professional invoicing without a monthly subscription.

The product is currently free in the US and includes customizable invoices, recurring invoices, payment reminders, quotes, expense tracking, time tracking, project management, customer portals, and multiple payment options. Zoho says the free plan supports up to two users, three projects, and 500 invoices per year.

That makes Zoho Invoice more capable than many basic free invoice generators.

Why freelancers may like it

You get considerably more than invoice creation. Time tracking, expenses, recurring invoices, customer portals and multi-currency support make the product useful for ongoing freelance work.

Main strengths

• Completely free
• Professional invoice customization
• Time tracking
• Expense tracking
• Client portal
• Multi-currency support

Main weaknesses

• 500 invoices per year on the free plan
• Can feel more complex if you only need very basic invoicing
• Works especially well if you are already using other Zoho products

Best for: Freelancers who want a professional invoicing system without a recurring subscription.

3. Wave

Best for free invoicing and bookkeeping

Wave is one of the simplest ways for a solo freelancer to combine invoicing and basic bookkeeping.

Its Starter plan costs $0 and includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records. Wave also provides a mobile app and an option to accept online payments.

The Pro plan costs $19 per month or $190 annually and adds features such as automatic bank transaction imports, transaction categorization, receipt capture and automated late-payment reminders.

Why freelancers may like it

Wave is particularly attractive to freelancers who want to keep costs close to zero while still having basic accounting functionality alongside invoicing.

The trade-off is that some of the more useful automation features sit behind the Pro plan.

Main strengths

• Free core invoicing
• Basic bookkeeping included
• Unlimited invoices
• Simple interface

Main weaknesses

• Limited advanced features
• Less suitable for complex international workflows
• Fewer integrations than some paid competitors

Best for: Solo freelancers and small businesses that want free invoicing with basic bookkeeping.

4. FreshBooks

Best for polished invoicing and client payments

FreshBooks focuses on making invoicing and financial administration approachable for small service businesses and freelancers.

Current US pricing starts at $23 per month for Lite, $43 for Plus, and $70 for Premium. There is no permanent free plan, although FreshBooks offers a free trial.

Its invoicing capabilities include recurring invoices, estimates, payment reminders, expense tracking, time tracking, client portals, online payments and multi-currency invoicing.

Why freelancers may like it

FreshBooks sits between simple invoicing tools and full accounting platforms. It offers a polished client-facing experience without requiring freelancers to learn a complicated accounting system.

Main strengths

• Professional invoices
• Client portal
• Time tracking
• Expense tracking
• Payment collection

Main weaknesses

• No permanent free plan
• Higher entry price than free alternatives
• Client limits on lower plans

Best for: Freelancers and consultants who value a polished invoicing experience and light accounting functionality.

5. QuickBooks Solopreneur

Best for accounting and tax workflows

QuickBooks Solopreneur is designed specifically for businesses with one owner. It combines invoicing with expense tracking, mileage tracking and financial organization.

The current official product page lists Solopreneur at $20 per month, with a promotional price of $10 per month for the first three months at the time checked.

The key advantage is that invoicing is part of a broader accounting ecosystem.

Why freelancers may like it

If tax preparation and financial organization matter as much as invoicing, QuickBooks can make more sense than a standalone invoice tool.

Main strengths

• Accounting ecosystem
• Expense tracking
• Mileage tracking
• Tax-oriented workflows
• Room to grow into broader QuickBooks products

Main weaknesses

• More complex than basic invoicing software
• More expensive than free alternatives
• Primarily attractive to freelancers who actually need accounting functionality

Best for: US freelancers and independent contractors who want invoicing connected to their accounting workflow.

6. HoneyBook

Best for creative freelancers and client management

HoneyBook is designed around the entire client journey rather than invoicing alone.

Its current Starter plan is $29 per month when billed annually, with Essentials at $49 and Premium at $109. All plans include unlimited clients and projects.

HoneyBook combines invoices and payments with proposals, contracts, client management, scheduling, templates and automations.

Why freelancers may like it

The platform is particularly well suited to service providers who need polished client-facing workflows, especially creative professionals.

Main strengths

• Proposals and contracts
• Client management
• Scheduling
• Automations
• Client portal
• Professional client experience

Main weaknesses

• More expensive than basic invoicing tools
• May be unnecessary for freelancers who only send invoices
• Some functionality is tied to higher tiers

Best for: Photographers, designers, consultants, coaches, planners and other service businesses managing a structured client journey.

7. Stripe Invoicing

Best for Stripe users and international payments

Stripe Invoicing takes a different approach. Instead of charging a conventional monthly subscription for invoicing, Stripe currently charges 0.4% per paid invoice on its Starter tier and 0.5% on Plus. These fees apply to one-time invoices and are separate from Stripe payment-processing fees.

That can make Stripe attractive to freelancers who already use Stripe to accept payments.

Why freelancers may like it

Stripe supports multiple currencies and payment methods around the world, making it particularly useful for digital businesses and international clients.

The downside is that Stripe is primarily a payments and invoicing platform. It does not try to replace contracts, project management or freelance business management software.

Main strengths

• No monthly invoicing subscription
• Strong payment infrastructure
• Multi-currency support
• International payment methods
• Excellent fit for existing Stripe users

Main weaknesses

• Payment processing fees apply
• Not a full freelance business platform
• May be unnecessarily technical for simple local invoicing

Best for: Freelancers already using Stripe or working with international clients.

Which invoicing software is best for freelancers?

There is no single winner for every freelancer.

Choose Bonsai if you want invoicing, contracts, proposals, time tracking and project management in one place.

Choose Zoho Invoice if you want a strong free invoicing platform with professional features.

Choose Wave if your priority is free invoicing combined with basic bookkeeping.

Choose FreshBooks if you want polished client invoicing and light accounting.

Choose QuickBooks Solopreneur if accounting and tax workflows are central to your business.

Choose HoneyBook if your freelance business depends heavily on client management, proposals and contracts.

Choose Stripe Invoicing if you already use Stripe or need flexible international payment options.

What should freelancers look for in invoicing software?

The cheapest tool is not always the best option.

Before choosing software, consider whether you need recurring invoices, online payments, time tracking, expense management, proposals, contracts, client portals or accounting.

Payment fees also matter. A platform with no monthly subscription can still become expensive if you process a large volume of payments.

International freelancers should pay particularly close attention to currency support and payment availability in their country.

Finally, think about what your business might need in a year. A simple invoicing tool may be perfect when you have five clients. Once you start managing recurring projects, expenses, contracts and a larger client base, an all-in-one platform may make more sense.

If you are building or managing a freelance software stack, Explore Freelance Stack deals is a useful starting point for discovering bundled tools and current offers.

Best free invoicing software for freelancers

Our top free picks are Zoho Invoice and Wave, but they suit different users.

Zoho Invoice is the stronger choice if you want professional invoicing with time tracking, projects, expenses and client portal functionality.

Wave is especially attractive if you want free invoicing alongside basic bookkeeping.

Final verdict

For freelancers who want the broadest business workflow in one place, Bonsai is our top overall choice.

For freelancers who simply want professional invoicing without a subscription, Zoho Invoice stands out.

And for solo operators who want free invoicing plus basic bookkeeping, Wave remains one of the strongest options.

The best choice ultimately depends on how much of your freelance business you want your invoicing software to manage.

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