20 Best Billing and Invoicing Software for Small Businesses in 2025

Billing and invoicing should be natural business processes; however, they can take time and effort to accomplish without the right systems.

That’s where online billing software comes in to simplify the payment collection process. Also, such software adds professionalism to your business and streamlines the process of accounting.

Today, mailing paper invoices and receiving payment in checks through the mail is outdated and inconvenient. Plus, it is challenging to manage your receivables and do follow-ups in this way.

Instead, online billing software provides a faster way of receiving payment while giving customers a convenient way to pay.

The best billing and invoicing software include features such as automated follow-ups, tax information, expense management, and much more.

However, with so many billing and invoicing software available, choosing the right software can be daunting. This post will take you through the 20 best billing and invoicing software in 2023 to make it easier for you.

What is the Best Billing and Invoicing Software?

1. FreshBooks
2. QuickBooks
3. Square Invoices
4. Wave
5. Hiveage
6. Debitoor
7. Xero
8. FreeAgent
9. Scoro
10. BQE Core
11. Elorus
12. Invoicely
13. Bill.com
14. Invoice2Go
15. Zoho Invoices
16. Sage
17. Chargebee
18. Invoice Ninja
19. Tipalti
20. SpeedInvoice

1. FreshBooks

The best invoicing software for agencies, SMBs, and entrepreneurs.

FreshBooks is an all-in-one accounting software with built-in billing and invoicing capabilities. Established in 2003, FreshBooks is one of the most intuitive and powerful accounting software. The online billing software focuses on agencies, entrepreneurs, and small business owners.

It makes it simple for you to quickly and efficiently create professional-looking invoices. FreshBooks makes it easier to address recurring subscriptions and invoices. You can seamlessly collect payment online through PayPal, Google Checkout, and credit cards.

FreshBooks is a comprehensive accounting software that eliminates the need for additional software. With FreshBooks, you get absolute control over your financial operations in just one dashboard.

Some of the features you get from FreshBooks are billing automation and collecting payments as a percentage or flat rate of an invoice. You can also customize payment terms, automate tax calculation, and add due dates. Other features include time tracking, reporting, projects, expenses.

This online billing software comes with add-ons for iOS and Android devices. The add-ons allow you access to billing information anytime, anywhere.

Pricing

FreshBooks offers pricing plans that cater to different needs.

• The Lite Plan starts from $15/month and lets you add up to 5 billable clients.
• The Plus Plan bills at $25/month and supports up to 50 billable clients.
• The Premium Plan costs $50/month and targets growing businesses with up to 500 billable clients.
• The Select Plan provides custom prices and supports businesses with complex needs and over 500 billable clients.

Pros

• Integrates many third-party apps
• Provides intuitive dashboards
• Robust automatic billing and invoicing
• Provides iOS and Android applications

Cons

• Lacks customer invoice tags
• It doesn’t provide free plans for small teams or single users

Currently, FreshBooks is giving new customers 70% off the first 3 months.

2. QuickBooks

The best online accounting software for small businesses because of its flexibility.

QuickBooks is the most popular accounting software. Its minimalist, user-friendly interface hosts seamless billing and accounting features that make QuickBooks popular with enterprises globally.

With QuickBooks, you can quickly do your billing, invoicing, and bookkeeping since the software gives you all the things you need in one place.

Since the launch of QuickBooks in 2002 and QuickBooks online two years later, it led to significant software changes. QuickBooks online billing software provides you with customizable invoices, multiple currencies, and more than 650 integrations.

It includes accounts payable and accounts receivable features with capabilities to track inventory and projects. So, you can use QuickBooks for almost any type of business. QuickBooks also has automatic bank feeds that collect all your credit cards and bank transactions.

Its smart reconciliation tools can identify and automatically match all your bank transactions with recorded entries.

With QuickBooks, you can automate recurring invoices, bill payment, and payment reminders. You can create and send invoices from the QuickBooks mobile app or browser.

Pricing

QuickBooks offers three flexible subscription plans that help you make the most of your investment. Each plan has a different bundle of toolsets.

So, you will be paying for what you need and not bloatware. For your convenience, all the plans come with a free 30-day trial.

• The Simple Start plan costs $15/month and supports tracking income and expenses, sending custom invoices and quotes, tracking VAT, connecting your bank, and one user plus an accountant.
• The Essentials plan starts at $23/month and supports all Simple Start features, insights & reports, employee management, multi-currency, and three users plus an accountant.
• The Plus plan costs $31/month and includes all Essentials features, recurring transactions, inventory tracking, tracking projects and locations, managing budgets, and five users and an accountant.

Pros

• Android and iOS apps that enhance access
• Provides multiple user control
• Cloud-hosted billing enhances data security
• Offers free unlimited support

Cons

• Lacks free plan for accountants only
• Complex for new users

QuickBooks is currently offering new users 50% off for the first three months across its plans.

3. Square Invoices

The best software for sending invoices and receiving payments from a credit card processor and POS system

Square is a popular payment processing platform that also supports invoicing. In 2014, Square added Square Invoices into its portfolio. Square Invoices online billing software is different from other invoicing and billing software in that it is not a separate program.

Instead, it is a built-in feature in the Square ecosystem. Creating a Square Invoices account gives you access to the entire Square dashboard with invoicing, contact management, and sales tracking, among other capabilities.

Since Square is great in payment processing, this software is ideal for businesses that require quick billing, detailed sales analytics, online payment processing, advanced inventory, and a free POS app. With Square Invoices, you can send and track invoices on Square Invoices POS app.

Square Invoices is a cloud-based software that works with almost any device provided you have access to the internet. Also, you get a Squire Invoices app for Apple products running on iOS 10.0+ and devices running on Android 5.0+. This way, you can send estimates and invoices on the go.

Pricing

Signing up for a Square Invoices account gives you access to the Square dashboard with its invoicing feature.

Square Invoices is a free software with no mandatory monthly subscription. It only requires you to pay a processing fee per invoice (2.9% + $0.30) or charge a card on file (3.5% + $0.15).

Also, you can purchase Square Invoices add-on at an extra cost. The extra costs can vary from monthly subscriptions to processing fees or both.

Pros

• Easy to use
• No monthly subscription fees
• Provides iOS and Android apps
• Invoicing and payment solution
• Impressive features

Cons

• Not suitable for service businesses
• Lacks multi-currency support

4. Wave

The best free invoicing software for small businesses with nine people or less.

Wave is a financial and accounting software designed for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The online billing software does more besides billing and invoicing. You can use it to track expenses, receipts, income and accept payment from one platform.

With Wave, you can create and send unlimited invoices to many clients for free. The software is easy to use with fully customizable templates. You also can manage invoices from anywhere through Wave’s Android and iOS apps.

Wave also provides unlimited receipt scanning and accounting tools free of charge. Some of the free features you get with this software include:

• Invoice notifications
• Recurring billing
• Managing through Wave smartphone apps
• Unlimited expense and income tracking
• Tracking sales tax
• Unlimited credit card and bank connections
• Accounting reports

Pricing

The software is 100% free. With Wave, there are no setup fees, monthly fees, or other hidden costs. You will only pay on a per-use basis when using Wave’s integrated payment solution during payment acceptance. Wave supports credit card processing for Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Amex, and bank payment through ACH transfer.

Processing credit cards costs 2.9% + $0.30 per Visa, Mastercard, and Discover transaction. It costs 3.4% + $0.30 per transaction to process payment through American Express.

Pros

• Free
• User-friendly interface
• Attractive invoice templates
• Cloud-based
• Numerous features

Cons

• Lacks card swipe option
• Not suitable for big businesses
• Poor customer support

5. Hiveage

The best stand-alone invoicing software with multiple payment gateways.

With over 65,000 business users across the world, Hiveage is among the most popular online billing software. The software provides you an easy way to manage customers, money, and receive payments fast with its professional invoices.

Hiveage lets you manage recurring invoices, subscription billing, mileage expenses, detailed financial reports, quotes, estimates, and time tracking, among others. The software stands out from other billing and invoicing software because of the integration of numerous payment gateways.

Hiveage supports over a dozen payment gateways.

• PayPal
• Stripe
• WePay
• Braintree
• 2Checkout
• Razorpay
• Coinbase
• Paymentwall
• Pin Payments
• Authorize.net

Pricing

• The Free plan is 100% free for entrepreneurs with a maximum of 5 clients.
• The Basic plan is for freelancers with more than five clients up to 50 clients. Hiveage will charge you $16/month billed annually or $19/month billed monthly.
• The Pro plan small businesses with up to 250 clients. It will charge you $25/month billed annually or $29/month billed monthly.
• The Plus plan is for thriving businesses with up to 1000 clients. The monthly subscription for this plan is $42 billed annually or $49 billed monthly.

Pros

• Provides many payment gateways
• Includes a free plan
• Offline payments

Cons

• Limited accounting
• Limited bookkeeping

6. Debitoor

The fastest invoicing and accounting software for small businesses and freelancers.

With Debitoor, you get fast online billing software designed to help small businesses and freelancers. The software lets you create, send, and manage quotes and invoices. Also, you get to track your cash flow.

The software helps create professional-looking invoices with color schemes and logos in seconds. Also, the software includes unique features that make invoicing a seamless experience. Debitoor is very easy to navigate thanks to its simple user interface.

Some of its features include robust invoicing, VAT support, multiple currencies, and automatic exchange rates. With the expense tracking, bank matching, and VAT reporting functions, you can efficiently manage your accounting.

Also, Debitoor provides secure cloud storage for uploading, organizing, and storing documents and expense receipts.

Pricing

Debitoor provides users with four different plans, all with a limited 7-day trial period.

• The XS plan starts from £4/month paid annually or £5/month paid monthly. This plan supports one user and100 invoices & expenses annually.
• The S plan starts at £7/month billed annually or £8/month billed monthly. You get 400 invoices & expenses annually, one user, invoice design, and delivery notes & quotes in this plan.
• The M plan monthly plan starts from £10/month paid annually or £12/month paid monthly. In this plan, you get 800 invoices and expenses per year, one user, invoice design, bank integration, unlimited VAT/ P&L & balance sheet reports.
• The L plan starts at £20/month billed annually or £24/month billed monthly. The plan supports three users, unlimited invoices and expenses annually, and everything in the M plan.

Pros

• Easy to use interface
• Good customer service
• Easy invoice templates
• Simple bookkeeping tools

Cons

• Lacks project management and time tracking features

7. Xero

Xero is the best billing and accounting software for growing businesses.

Xero is a comprehensive accounting software for small businesses. The cloud-based software makes it easy to manage your financials and invoices online. With Xero, creating a professional invoice is easy since the software lets you use already available templates.

You just need to add branding and logo to be ready to start sending professional invoices to your clients. Xero online billing software allows you to email invoices from the software. Also, Xero integrates Paypal, Square, and Stripe, among other payment processors, to make it easy to receive payments online.

With Xero Accounting & Invoices mobile app, you can quickly meet all your accounting needs on the go. Some of the remarkable features Xero offers include:

• Tracking bills, even recurring bills
• Connects to bank and credit card to import data daily

Pricing

Xero gives users a good value for money. The software even provides a 30-day free trial.

• The Starter plan costs $20/month. You can send 20 invoices, enter five bills, capture bills and receipts, and reconcile bank transactions.
• The Standard plan starts at $30/month. This plan lets you send unlimited invoices and quotes, enter unlimited bills, capture bills and receipts, and reconcile bank transactions.
• The Premium plan costs $40/month and supports all the Standard plan features plus multiple currencies.

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Unlimited users
• Advanced features
• Many integrations

Cons

• Poor customer support
• Steep learning curve

8. FreeAgent

The best feature-rich billing and invoicing software for freelancers and small businesses.

Established in 2007, FreeAgent is a cloud-based accounting solution that allows more than 100,000 small business owners to manage invoices, tax returns, expenses, and much more.

Also, you get dedicated mobile apps for devices running on iOS and Android. FreeAgent allows you to set up automatic recurring invoices to clients as payment reminders.

The software design focuses on small business needs, but it is a good fit for contractors and freelancers.

With FreeAgent, you get reliable online billing software with tools that efficiently manage critical financial tasks. It integrates with 30 third-party apps, including Zapier, that connects the software to over 1000 add-ons.

With FreeAgent, you can easily create and send invoices and convert estimates into invoices in seconds. You can also use the available invoice templates to make creating invoices a breeze.

The Overview or dashboard in FreeAgent gives you access to key financial metrics on one screen.

Pricing

FreeAgent provides only one Universal pricing plan and a 30-day free trial. New customers get 50% off for the first six months. The first six months costs $10/month, and after that, $20/month.

Some of the features you get in this plan include:

• Invoices & estimates
• Multicurrency support
• Sales tax
• Unlimited users
• Contact management

Pros

• Easy to use
• Unlimited users
• Affordable
• Well-designed interface
• International invoicing

Cons

• Limited reports
• No payroll

9. Scoro

The best online billing software that combines CRM, project management, and reporting in one solution

Scoro provides a platform that lets you manage many multiple businesses process in one dashboard without switching between apps.

The single platform allows you to automate, streamline, and control all your workflow effectively, giving you more time for creative work. You can use it to manage every business detail, such as time spent and billed, invoices, expenses, planned tasks, and meetings.

With Scoro, you get a comprehensive project management software that lets you track sales and manage customers through the built-in quoting and CRM features.

It gives you a complete overview of your customers with details such as contact details, orders, invoices, quotes, and communication history.

On the Scoro dashboard, you can monitor details such as KPIs, conversions, and action items. Also, you can view detailed financial reports using available templates or custom templates. Scoro has native apps for Android and iOS devices.

Scoro also supports dozens of integrations with popular services and apps in the marketplace like QuickBooks, Gmail, and Xero.

Pricing

Scoro offers several plans that are billable annually or monthly.

• The Essential plan starts from $26/month billed annually or $28 billed monthly.
• The Work Hub plan costs $37/month paid annually or $42 paid monthly.
• The Sales Hub plan starts at $37/month billed annually or $42 billed monthly.
• The Ultimate plan is for companies that have custom requirements.

Pros

• Can track actual and billable hours and transfer them to an invoice
• Automate invoice
• Email invoices to clients
• End-to-end business management software

Cons

• Setting up Scoro takes time
• Lacks on-premise or offline mode

10. BQE Core

The best all-round accounting and invoicing solution

With BQE Core, you get more than just billing and invoicing software. The software allows you to manage all your business operations in just one place. Its features include accounting, reporting, project management, human resources, and time and expense tracking.

BQE Core also provides industry-specific solutions. For instance, it includes billing and invoicing tools catering to the needs of businesses like accountants, consultants, engineers, government contractors, legal professionals, and architects.

The software includes invoicing tools that make it unique in the online billing software sector. These include:

• Billing schedules
• Recurring invoices
• Split billing
• Automated billing
• Multiple contract types
• Custom invoice templates
• ePayments
• Workflow approvals

Pricing

BQE Core plans start at $7.95/month per user. This package includes expense and time tracking, time-off requests and approvals, iOS and Android applications, and comprehensive expense reporting.

For $19.95/month per user, BQE gives you access to the billing module. To access the accounting module, BQE Core charges $22.95/month per user.

Pros

• Excellent customization
• Vast reporting
• Automates repetitive billing tasks
• Provides templates for professional firms

Cons

• It becomes expensive with each added module
• Laks IP restrictions

11. Elorus

Elorus is a remarkable online billing, invoicing, expense management, and time tracking software.

At its core, Elorus is the perfect professional billing and invoicing solution for every creative agency, freelancer, and small business.

With Elorus, you are just a few clicks away from drafting and sending an invoice to your clients. Also, you can use Elorus to access the progress of team projects, billable hours, and tasks.

With Elorus online billing software, you become an expense expert capable of managing budgets like a pro.

You can also pay teams through trustworthy payment processors, share progress with your clientele through a dedicated portal, and access detailed reports necessary for making informed decisions.

Elorus has user-friendly and powerful features that cater to the needs of everyone. The software allows you to create custom invoices. With Elorus, you can schedule invoices, perform online billing, and use multiple currencies.

Pricing

Elorus provides four pricing plans depending on the number of clients you invoice per month.

• The Free plan is $0/month, supports one user, and invoicing up to 5 clients
• The Starter plan starts from $7/month billed annually or $9/month billed monthly. It supports two users and invoicing a maximum of 10 clients.
• The Standard plan starts at $15/month paid annually or $19/month paid monthly. This plan supports three users and invoicing up to 50 clients.
• The Premium plan starts from $30/month billed annually or $39/month billed monthly. It supports unlimited users and invoice clients.

Pros

• Online payments
• Invoice management
• Client portal
• Invoice status monitoring
• Multiple user accounts

Cons

• Poor customer support
• Provides only cloud version

12. Invoicely

The most straightforward online billing and invoicing software

Invoicely is a simple yet powerful billing and invoicing software. More than 250,000 small businesses trust Invoicely for their accounting needs. The software allows you to create professional invoices in a minute.

Although the software isn’t feature-rich like some other solutions in this category, Invoicely has everything needed to manage basic invoicing.

With Invoicely, you benefit from features such as recurring statements, billing in multiple currencies, accepting payments online, and sending estimates.

You also get tools for monitoring miles expenses and miles for invoicing. Recently, Invoicely launched Android and iOS mobile apps.

For small business owners and freelancers looking for affordable, simple invoicing software, Invoicely is an excellent option.

Pricing

Invoicely provides a free plan and three paid plans.

• The Free Plan includes three clients, five invoices, multicurrency support, one user, Invoicely branding, and PayPal integration.
• The Basic Plan starts from $7.99/month billed annually or $9.99/month billed monthly. It includes support for 100 invoices, expense tracking, 25 clients, estimates, time tracking, multicurrency, mileage deductions, custom branding, multiple payment gateways, and two users.
• The Professional Plan starts at $15.99/month paid annually or $19.99/month paid monthly. This plan includes everything in the Basic Plan plus support for 250 invoices, ten users, and 100 clients.
• The Enterprise Plan costs $23.99/month billed yearly or $29.99/month billed monthly. This plan includes all the Professional Plan features plus support for 25 users, unlimited clients, and unlimited invoices.

Pros

• Free plan
• Modern user interface
• Easy to use
• Integrates popular payment platforms

Cons

• Limited integrations
• Limited invoice customization

13. Bill.com

Bill.com is an exemplary standalone website for automating accounts receivable and payable.

With Bill.com, you get cloud-based accounting software with billing and invoicing capabilities. You can use the software to receive payments, pay contractors and vendors, and take financial reporting. Through its accounts payable module, you can receive electronic invoices or manually key-in bills.

Bill.com supports different payment methods, such as paper checks and ACH payments. You can also send customers automated invoices and reminders electronically through the accounts receivables module.

As an online billing software, Bill.com allows you to choose how you wish to receive payments such as PayPal, credit card, ACH, or ePayment. Also, Bill.com supports integration with other accounting software.

Pricing

Bill.com provides four fair pricing plans.

• The Essentials plan starts from $39/user per month. It supports the management of payable or receivables, unlimited storage of documents, accepts payments online, and robust user permissions.
• The Team plan attracts $49/user per month. You get everything in the Essentials plan plus sync with QuickBooks or Xero and custom user permissions.
• The Corporate plan costs $69/user per month. This plan includes everything in the Team plan plus manage receivables and payables, custom approval limits, invoice & payment automation, and discounted approval-only user.
• The Enterprise plan provides custom pricing. Contact Bill.com for details. The plan includes everything the Corporate plan plus sync with QuickBooks Enterprise or NetSuite, API, multi-entity, and multi-location accounting files.

Pros

• Excellent Android and iOS apps
• Impressive features
• Suitable for medium and large businesses
• Many accounting integrations
• Ample reports

Cons

• Limited invoicing feature
• Expensive monthly cost

14. Invoice2go

Invoice2go is a basic but competent online billing software

Launched in 2002 as a locally installed windows app, Invoice2go eventually switched to a cloud-based model. The software today has more than 250,000 users globally. It is effortless to use and offers customizable invoice templates and excellent customer service.

Invoice2go is for small businesses and independent contractors. So, if you are rarely in the office and you need a convenient way to manage invoices remotely, Invoice2go is an excellent choice. The software is popular with skilled laborers, electricians, carpenters, and painters.

With Invoice2go, you get features such as invoices tracking, tracking billable hours, send estimates, expense tracking, payment reminders, accept debit & credit cards, and charts & reports. The reports provide valuable insights into the performance of your business.

Invoice2go smartphone apps provide a way to create and send invoices online instantly. The software syncs all your information across devices, making it easy to access what you need.

Pricing

Invoice2go accommodates businesses of different sizes in its pricing plan.

• The Lite plan accommodates one user, a maximum of 5 clients, and 50 invoices
• The Standard plan supports one user, up to 25 clients, 200 estimates, and 200 invoices
• The Advanced plan allows two users, maximum of 100 clients, 400 estimates, and 400 invoices
• The Unlimited plan supports five users and unlimited clients, estimates & invoices.

All the plans accept payment from debit & credit cards and PayPal.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Advanced invoice customization
• Remarkable mobile apps
• Good customer support

Cons

• Limited integrations
• Lacks live bank feeds

15. Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice is an innovative online billing software designed to streamline billing and payment collection in small businesses.

With Zoho Invoice, you get a cloud-based billing and invoicing software that lets you create professional invoices and quickly receive online payments.

Unlike other billing and invoicing software, Zoho Invoice is not a comprehensive accounting software. However, it provides everything to let you manage and automatically send invoices online.

The software provides invoice templates catering to various categories, such as estimates and retainers. Zoho Invoice makes it easy to come up with detailed invoices while remaining professional. Recurring billing is another useful feature you get with Zoho Invoice.

You will even know when a client views your invoice to avoid any doubts. Apart from basic billing features, Zoho Invoice provides you with tools for time tracking, managing payments, and expenses. You only need to integrate your payment gateway to receive payments online.

Pricing

Here is a glimpse of Zoho Invoice plans and pricing.

• The Free plan allows one user, five automated workflows, and invoicing a maximum of 5 customers.
• The Basic plan costs $9/month billed monthly or $90/year. It supports invoicing up to 50 clients, one user, and five automated workflows.
• The Standard plan starts at $19/month or $190/year. This plan allows three users, ten automated workflows, and invoicing up to 500 clients.
• The Professional plan starts from $29/month or $290/year. You get to include ten users, unlimited invoices, a custom domain, and ten automated workflows.

Pros

• Integrates multiple payment gateways
• Provides detailed insights
• Customizable invoice templates
• Eliminates manual billing
• Supports bulk payment

Cons

• Not suitable for big companies
• Limited custom reporting options

Choosing the annual plan gets you two months off.

16. Sage

Sage provides thorough reports, easy estimate features, and a user-friendly dashboard.

With Sage Business Cloud Accounting, you get access to important billing and invoicing features.

For decades, Sage has been offering enterprise accounting software to businesses across the world. This new online accounting software provides the reliability and flexibility of a cloud-based solution.

Sage is continuously changing and offers unique products for small businesses in payroll, HR, and accounting. Also, the Sage caters to medium-sized firms. Sage Business Cloud Accounting allows you to deal with accounting while simplifying sales tracking and reporting.

It lets you accept and receive payments, tackle bookkeeping chores, and create and send invoices in one space.

Sage provides small businesses with an accounting package that enables you to deal with invoicing, payments, tax, and cash flow. The package also includes a payroll option that lets you pay a maximum of 50 employees.

Sage has versions for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and a web-based edition accessible through a web browser.

Pricing

Sage provides a 30-day free trial for the two plans it offers.

The Accounting Start plan costs €10/month. It allows you to track who owes you, create & send invoices, automate bank reconciliation, support one user, and calculate VAT.

The Accounting Standard plan costs €25/month. It supports all the features in the Accounting start. Besides, you get unlimited users, send estimates & quotes, advanced reports, manage inventory, multicurrency support, manage purchase invoices, and forecast cash flow.

Pros

• Impressive apps
• Cloud-based software
• Provides free trial

Cons

• No time tracking

Currently, Sage is offering 70% off across its plans for 6 months.

17. Chargebee

The best online billing software for subscription-based businesses both small and big

You can think of Chargebee as off-the-shelf, plug-and-play billing software. With Chargebee, it is possible to combine one-time, usage-based, and recurring pricing models. The software allows you to set recurring billing frequencies and receive payment automatically from your customers.

Thanks to the elegant, user-friendly API, you can create tighter integration as you scale up. The software provides a robust and flexible billing system that allows you to organize special promotions. You also get the right tools for accurate billing and responding to billing concerns.

Chargebee makes it easy to receive online payment through a payment gateway you prefer. The subscription billing solution offers a comprehensive service to emerging and small businesses to automate billing for their services.

Pricing

Chargebee provides three pricing plans:

• The Rise plan costs $249/month billed annually or $299/month billed monthly. It supports ten users, multiple tax regions, SaaS Metrics, unlimited payment gateways, and QuickBooks & Xero.
• The Scale plan starts from $549/month paid annually or $599/month paid monthly. It includes everything in the Rise plan plus support for 25 users, priority phone support, advance invoices, and NetSuite & Intact.
• For the Enterprise plan, contact sales for custom pricing and features.

Pros

• Plug and play billing software
• Eliminates manual errors
• Customizable features
• Robust billing system

Cons

• Lacks an optimized mobile interface
• Dashboard not customizable

18. Invoice Ninja

The best open-source billing and invoicing platform for freelancers and small-medium businesses.

With Invoice Ninja, you get online billing software that integrates over 50 payment gateways, including PayPal, WePay, Stripe, and Braintree, among others.

With these integrations, it is easier for clients to honor their obligations through their preferred channels. It makes it easy to receive payment in the fastest way possible.

Invoice Ninja provides various tools that make billing and invoicing processes a breeze for your business. It allows you to send real-time quotations and invoices to your clients, who can, in turn, view and pay the invoices online in the system.

The software allows you to include project and client details when creating invoices or quotations. Invoice Ninja allows you to add branding elements such as logos on professional invoice templates giving your invoice a personalized feel.

You can track time-based projects & send invoices, auto-bill your customers, and set recurring invoices.

Pricing

Invoice Ninja provides three pricing packages for small-medium businesses and enterprises.

• The Forever Free plan is free. It includes 100 clients & unlimited quotes & invoices, branding your invoices, auto-billing, integrates over 40 payment gateways, time tracker, much more.
• The Ninja Pro plan comes with a 14-day free trial and costs $10/month. It supports unlimited clients, custom URL, API integration with third-party platforms & apps, and multiple invoice design.
• The Enterprise plan starts from $14/month for 1 – 2 users to $44/month for 11-20 users.

Pros

• Integrates numerous payment gateways
• Easy to use
• Attractive invoice templates
• Free plan
• Good customer support

Cons

• Lacks inventory
• Limited reports

19. Tipalti

The best accounts payable (AP) software for automating company invoicing and payment procedures

Tipalti uses a multi-entity architecture useful for supporting companies with various brands, locations, AP workflows, and business units.

It provides flexible features like multiple payment methods, multiple currencies, automatic data consolidation, and unlimited support for entities.

You won’t need more resources as your business expands AP operations since the Tipalti can scale across the enterprise.

The software streamlines the way you pay customers, vendors, affiliates, and partners across 190 countries. It ensures meets regulatory requirements with minimal human intervention.

Tipalti is ideal for companies with high volume and complex pay operations like ISPs, online marketplaces, digital services & goods, affiliate networks, app & software monetization organizations, and advertising networks.

The software automates over 50% of manual, international, and mass payouts. Tipalti is a leader in AP, financial reporting, and payment reconciliation. Some of the famous clients using Tipalti include Twitter, Uber, Godaddy, Roku, Canva, Houzz, and Vimeo.

It has pre-built integrations to ERP and accounting systems like QuickBooks Online and NetSuite. Also, you get a full-featured API for handling complex data sources.

Pricing

• Get in touch with Tiplati directly to get a custom plan for your business.

Pros

• Flexible features
• Early payment functionality
• Support for multinational companies
• Self-service onboarding portal for vendors and suppliers

Cons

• Limited integrations

20. SpeedInvoice

A fair featured billing and invoicing solution for generating invoices online

SpeedInvoice offers end-to-end software capable of handling invoices, quotes, and estimates. It is a cloud-based online billing software that enables you to do your billing and invoicing operation on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The software lets you customize your invoice with your logo and project details.

SpeedInvoice allows you to share professional invoices with various recipients through email, SMS, WhatsApp, and Facebook.

With SpeedInvoice, you get mobile apps for Android and iOS devices, giving you remote access and notifications of outstanding payments. Also, this billing software lets you convert estimates into invoices.

With this software, you can generate quotes, record item costs, add images, project plans, drawings, or contractual terms in invoices.

Pricing

• SpeedInvoice provides a monthly subscription fee to use it. It costs $9.20 per month. If you purchase the annual plan, you will get 50% off.

Pros

• Allows writing of invoices and quotes on the go
• Easy to set up and use
• Provides decent templates

Cons

• Creating an invoice takes time

What is Billing and Invoicing Software?

Billing and invoicing software refers to a tool for automating billing and invoicing in businesses. The software includes features that simplify business activities.

However, billing and online software come with different capabilities ranging from simple to advanced features.

If you run a business experiencing difficulties managing customers and accepting payments, you should try online billing software.

The software will decrease real-time invoicing issues while monitoring other business operations like payroll, inventory management, and expense. Adding billing and invoicing software to your business can increase productivity and efficiency.

Having reliable billing and invoicing software eliminates manual entries by automating the intricate process and increasing operational efficiency.

The software even allows business owners to generate invoices using available, customizable templates. The templates have a professional design that saves you both time and effort.

Billing and invoicing software reduces deadlines, streamlines business workflow, and saves postage & printing costs through a unified invoicing process.

Businesses are switching to e-invoicing because of its convenience compared to manual paper-based billing. Instead, companies are choosing to focus on other fruitful business operations.

Hence, cost-saving and efficiency gains are the main advantages of using the billing and invoicing software.

The ideal billing and invoicing software can enhance working capital and relationships with suppliers and customers. You can manage all your billing and invoicing needs for a small business without a dedicated finance team.

Some of the basic accounting operations you can accomplish with billing and invoicing software include:

• Creating and sending invoices online: With modern billing and invoicing software, you can access the financial data of your business at any time, anywhere. Thanks to cloud-based billing and invoicing software, it is easier to include your branding on invoices. Also, some advanced billing software lets you automate recurring invoices and convert approved quotations into invoices.
• Simplify billing and payment: With billing and invoicing software, facilitating the billing and payment procedure doesn’t require additional setup. The online billing software allows clients to pay you instantly after receiving your invoice, thanks to integrating third-party apps or credit card payments that simplify payment. Billing systems also support multiple currencies allowing you to accept payments in foreign currencies.
• Report generation: Billing and invoicing software creates instant reports that allow business owners to track their finances and outstanding invoices. Easy reporting simplifies data analysis and offers relevant details about invoicing operations.

Billing and invoicing software helps you handle regular invoicing and repetitive tasks while keeping the software error-free. The design of the software allows businesses to receive payments faster by properly tracking records and transactions.

What Features to Look For in Billing and Invoicing Software?

Billing and invoicing software come with different features. However, look out for these features when looking for the ideal billing and invoicing software for your business:

1. Invoice creation & information recording

An invoice records the sale of products or services and includes necessary information about the sale. Invoice creation is the most basic feature in a billing and invoicing software. The software you choose should allow you to create professional invoices.

It should also record information from the invoices and integrate it with customer records and projects to allow data collation. Good online billing software should have database software to help create and maintain centralized data repositories.

The software should make customer information readily available the minute you process an invoice or a bill.

It should have the ability to quickly send the transaction details to their email as assurance that the transaction was successful. This feature only works if you store the information in a database.

2. Create quotes and submit estimates

Another basic feature you'll need in any billing and invoicing software is the capacity to generate quotes for potential clients.

The software should give you a way to estimate how much it will cost a customer who wants to hire you. If you are anything like most people with small businesses, then you will need to provide the estimates to clients for free and often.

In this respect, billing and invoicing software are not equal and come in different bundles.

So, if you want to get things done quickly, then choose a software that gives you access to a fast estimate maker.

As a new user, wizards are excellent as you familiarize yourself with the software’s user interface; however, filling a quick form is faster for an advanced user.

A small business owner often sends dozens of estimates in a week, so look out for software that streamlines the process without restrictions.

Some advanced online billing and invoicing software bundles enable configuring templates to make the process even faster. The feature is useful if the software you choose allows you to create invoices from estimates.

3. Convert quotes to invoices

Once a client accepts your quote and hires you for the job, you will have to prepare an invoice. Instead of re-entering all the information in the quote, the right billing software will convert the quote into an invoice.

The software interface should be simple and provide a feature that immediately turns a quote into an invoice. The feature may require additional information, but it should make the conversion process instantaneous.

You may keep the quoted price, but the software should give you the option to alter any details and add or remove items to make sure the invoice precisely reflects the job.

Often, as you approach a potential client regarding a purchase, they may require an estimate.

The client will have a ballpark figure and other details like the services you offer, timeline, scope, and exclusions by providing the estimate. So, the best invoicing software allows you to send estimates with a payment link.

If the client accepts your estimate, they will pay you using the link. The software should automatically convert the estimate into an invoice. This seamless transition will result in smooth accounting.

The billing software should only require a single click or tap to create your invoice in a straightforward job.

4. Bulk invoicing

Although invoicing is a necessity, the process may take up a lot of effort and time. So, the software you choose should make things faster by supporting bulk invoicing.

Look out for software that can automatically take data from Excel or APIs as input and create invoices for the listed customers.

This will free you and your staff from creating invoices one by one, leaving you to concentrate on essential business operations. It should also let you email invoices to many customers at once.

5. Track customers and your financial goals

At the heart of every business are its customers. Without good customer relations, it is difficult for any business to thrive. Choose an invoice software that can collect information about your customers, particularly their purchase history.

Armed with their purchase history, you can target appropriate customers when launching a new product. This also helps you create a marketing strategy if you decide to expand the business by targeting new customers.

As well, you can use the information you collect to come up with goals for the business. A look at the customer information speaks volumes about the revenue and profit margin for your business. Understanding the expected profit allows you to make plans for using those funds to enhance and expand your business.

A good invoicing and billing software lets you set sales goals and sends you notifications when you fall short. This way, you can increase your marketing and sales to meet the shortfall.

6. Easy online and offline payment collection

Customers have varying preferences when it comes to payment ranging from online to offline.

A reliable billing and invoicing software should support both methods. Your customers will be able to choose their favorite mode of payment.

However, tracking payments made through different methods with accuracy can be a challenge. Therefore, the best invoice software makes it easy to monitor both online and offline payments through a central dashboard.

7. Includes customizable invoice templates

Although it is important to choose an invoicing software that lets users create invoices, it is equally important to have one that gives you access to several predefined, customizable templates.

The software should let businesses customize their invoices in a short period without spending time creating one from scratch.

Creating invoices from scratch is a time-consuming process that allows businesses to decide on every invoice area. Hence, having readily available and customizable templates is the perfect balance between having an outstanding invoice and saving time.

8. Automate payment reminders and late fee

In an ideal scenario, customers pay businesses on time without reminders. However, we don’t live in an ideal world hence the need to be ready for late payments. A billing and invoicing software should let you automate payment reminders.

Although working simultaneously on many tasks may be a sign of success for small businesses, it can make it challenging to keep track of payment deadlines.

However, the proper billing and invoicing software allows you to set the payment deadline or multiple deadlines if you need a percentage of the payment before the balance is due. The software will notify you when the deadline approaches and passes.

The software you choose should let you receive notifications in the form of emails, text messages, or a mobile device tone.

Your billing software may also offer some form of visual identification in your calendar or spreadsheet if you decide to work with conventional software.

If you’ve experience as a freelancer who monitors his/her contracts, you know you still have to deal with overdue statements.

Having such a feature in the software you choose can make sure you never lose track of overdue payments. Most billing and invoicing software work both ways to make sure you're always in the loop.

Although it won't eradicate the risk of delay or nonpayment, having this feature on the billing software helps cut down on the risk.

Also, should you decide to charge late fees for delayed payments to recover your losses and reduce the chances of late payments, the software you choose should accommodate it.

The invoice software should be able to monitor all payments, calculate late fees, and submit reminders about the same. All these tasks should occur without prompting the software.

9. Predefined expenses

When you engage with different clients doing the same job, you automatically pick the values you need to include in labor and expenses.

However, the software may not pick these values, so you may have to enter the same values continuously. Fortunately, having a software that gives you access to a predefined expenses widget helps overcome this problem.

It usually resembles a menu or drop-down list that allows you to choose from different predefined expenses saved for future use.

You can add more since the list is customizable. Also, the billing and invoicing software should let you edit the figures in the future in case expenses go up.

If you don’t need to use predefined data, the software should let you enter specific data for a complicated job. It allows you to enter the numbers you want without losing your definitions.

10. Mobile Compatibility

Having billing and invoicing software that supports mobile devices is a plus. The software should at least allow you to enter time and date details using your mobile device and expenses for each order.

However, some mobile billing apps only allow editing of existing invoices, while others let you create new invoices.

Ensure you use billing software that allows you to accomplish everything from within one app. This lets you schedule work regardless of your whereabouts. If a client calls or texts you, then the billing app should let you create an invoice fast.

Billing and invoicing software compatible with mobile phones ensures you never scramble to find a pen or worry about missing an opportunity when you are in front of your PC.

Most online billing software support all the major mobile platforms available, so getting something compatible with the hardware in your hands should be easy.

The best billing and invoicing software are cloud-based since they allow you view all activities on every device you sync with your billing software account.

11. Tax report

If you still require an external system to carry out tax reporting after subscribing to an invoicing system, then the billing & invoicing software is not convenient.

So, a reliable billing and invoicing software should perform tax reporting in the same system, which will save you hours you would otherwise spend summarizing information.

12. Support multiple currencies

If you run a global business, then looking for billing and invoicing software supporting various currencies is crucial.

This allows you to accept payments, issue receipts easily, and manage taxes as you deal with a global clientele. It provides seamless financial activities in your business.

13. Processing credit cards

You should look for a billing and invoicing software that allows for the prompt processing of credit cards to make billing a lot easier.

Today, some billing software comes with an auto-billing feature to ensure clients never miss a due payment.

Best Practices for Using Billing and Invoicing Software

What differentiates a winner from a loser in customer service is the attention you pay to every aspect of the communication from marketing to sales and ending with the invoice you submit to the client.

To close a project on a positive note, it is essential that you pay extra attention to your invoices. Below are some of the best practices you can use to ramp up your billing and invoicing process.

The practices indicate how you can embrace invoice automation by ensuring information flows automatically between your projects and invoices.

It is sad when you send out invoices only for them to spend days or weeks before the client pays.

However, understanding the best billing and invoicing best practices can help you make the process simple.

1. Keep the invoice simple

Ensure the invoice is simple enough for your client to see all the details in a glimpse. At some point, you may have faced a challenge paying an invoice. So, don’t go that route, do everything possible to help your customer navigate and make the payment quickly.

Essentially, do not complicate the invoice through jargon or extending the layout to many pages. To under the invoice immediately, your client needs a short and straightforward invoice. A simple invoice helps speed up processing and payment.

2. Include branding

Invoices are more than a piece of paper. So, they should be thought through as part of your business communication strategy. For this, keep them in line with the overall branding activities.

Let it look like a normal part of your communication with the client.

3. Include date and reference number in your invoice

Both reference number and the date are crucial. They make it simpler for you and your customer to check all the invoices.

These details also allow for easy organization of your invoices and act as an easily communicated reference internally and externally as you communicate with your customer.

4. Address both company and person

Instead of just including the company name on the invoice, including the name of person is great for keeping the tone friendly and approachable for smaller clients.

For bigger clients, it is a way for the financial department to establish the correct person internally if concerns arise or important information is necessary regarding the billing.

5. Add an “appreciation” note

The aim is to keep the invoice friendly. You don’t have to write a novel; a simple short paragraph will go a long way. It is up to you to personalize all the notes or keep them standardized, like “Thank you for your business”.

6. Clearly describe each item in the invoice

All the invoice information is crucial since it helps the client understand what they are paying for.

So, it is an opportunity to explain to the client the value you provided and an excellent way of building your trust by being transparent in your invoicing.

Also, it makes it easier for you to answer future questions from your customer about the billing.

Always keep it simple. The thing about transparency is that it is all about keeping things simple. Transparency doesn’t include sending a big list of time registrations to your client.

In any case, your customers don’t care about every individual item; rather, sum up your items in just one or just a few words such as completed milestones.

7. Add the terms of payment, total, and due date

You should include three important pieces of information in your invoice: the due date, the total amount due, and the payment terms. These put everybody on the same page and make sure both parties understand everything.

If you don’t have an agreement in place with your client, the client may pay you in 30 days of receiving the invoice for products or services rendered.

In case you wish to negotiate a payment in advance or an early settlement to safeguard yourself from payment delays, you have the option of providing your client a discount and trading it for seven days.

Keep in mind that payment rules vary across countries.

8. Provide payment options

Give your client an easy time as they pay you. Each payment option you include in the invoice should be easy to find and understand in the invoice. This makes it as easy for you and the customer to process the payment.

Possibly add an online or mobile service that will make the payment possible in seconds using either a credit card or bank account. For example, you could use a simple URL or a QR code to connect to a payment service online.

9. Submit invoice by email and request a “read receipt”

Since email is among the most stable and fast communication methods, use it to send invoices and save money in one go. Many invoicing and email services support “Read receipts.” It informs you that the client has received and read the email.

This will help you know when an email fails to reach your client's inbox, making it easier for you to take action towards making this happen.

You have the option of sending your invoices through a link to the online invoice and payment solution, submit it as a PDF, or combine both. The first method is the most efficient.

10. Send a friendly reminder

Chances are your invoice is one of many your customer is dealing with.

So, submit a friendly reminder before the due date. In your reminder, you can offer to help answer any questions your customer may be having.

11. Submit a “Thank You” note

After receiving the payment, sending a thank you note is a nice gesture to nurturing your relationship with the customer, finalizing this project, and suggesting or offering a means to future relationships. Help the customer and make them appreciate your business.

12. Store your invoices in one place

Keep your invoices and essential information in one central place, such as QuickBooks or other QuickBooks alternatives. It makes sure you always can access both past and current invoices, and in case something goes wrong, you can always see what you communicated to the client.

Also, having an organized system lets you look back and crosscheck if the processing of all the invoices and payments was correct and if everything corresponds to the approved amount and terms.

A cloud-based billing and invoicing system makes it easy to see information about projects, and updates are real-time as users provide data.

Hence, it is easier to prepare and export billing data based on actual, up-to-date input. It gives you all the facts you may need, especially if clients have concerns about your billing.

In the same breath, avoid the mistake companies often make submitting a revised invoice after the first invoice.

13. Automate any repeatable invoicing errands

The days of creating invoices manually and repeating the task all over again are gone. We’re in the days of technology, automation, and less repeatable tasks.

If you are in the business of professional services, manual administration errands such as invoicing can affect your billable hours and budget.

Billing and invoicing platforms such as QuickBooks make sure information flows automatically between your projects and invoices. They reduce manual tasks, save time, and significantly reduce any chances of human error.

Keep in mind invoice is often the last communication between you and the client. So, make sure it won’t be the last direct communication. Give your invoice a thought, use a friendly tone, and make it beautiful.

It should not be limited to a number’s game. Engaging with current or previous clients is way easier compared to engaging with new leads. Find a way to keep them happy.

Billing and Invoicing Software FAQ

Ready to Send Invoices and Collect Cash on Autopilot?

Hopefully, although the review is brief, it provided you with helpful insights into the best billing and invoicing software.

However, nothing compares to having a firsthand look at the software you are considering. Fortunately, most of the featured online billing software provide free trials.

Having the right billing and invoicing software makes it easier to bill clients what you are worth and monitor cash flow. To help you narrow things down, here is a recap of the solutions:

• For comprehensive, feature-rich software, try QuickBooks, Freshbooks, Scoro, BQE Core, Sage
• For small businesses and freelancers, you can FreeAgent, Zoho Invoice, Wave
• For the best free plans, you can try Square Invoices, Invoice Ninja
• For the most affordable software, try Debitoor, Elorus, Invoicely, SpeedInvoice
• For the best standalone software, try Hiveage, Bill.com, Tipalti
• For the best software for growing businesses, try Xero, Invoice2Go
• For the best software for subscription-based business, you can try Chargebee

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