Top Tools: 6 of the Best Invoicing Software to Make Your Business Thrive

Simple and free invoice software is all you need for your invoices. However, one that is more elaborate, can also support you in steering and managing your work.

What solutions are available and which should you choose? We have selected some free invoice software, but also paid but budget-friendly tools for you to find the one made for your business.

PayPal is a widely-used online payment platform offering robust solutions for businesses to efficiently manage transactions, tailored for freelancers, small businesses, and even remote workers.

PayPal's mobile invoicing feature enables businesses to create, send, and manage invoices, providing convenience for business owners and freelancers who are frequently on the move.

When it comes to features, PayPal offers:

• Mobile-friendly invoice creation and management.
• Customizable invoice templates.
• Accepts various payment methods (credit/debit cards, PayPal balance, bank transfers).
• Real-time notifications for invoice status.
• Automatic reminders for unpaid invoices.
• Integration with PayPal's broader payment ecosystem.
• Detailed transaction history and reporting.
• Multi-currency support for global transactions.
• Secure payment processing with fraud protection.
• Simple client management.

And the service is completely free!

Zervant is an online tool that stands out for its user-friendliness. Designed for small businesses, in particular very small businesses or entrepreneurs. You can create your cost estimates and invoices in just a few clicks! Email, PDF or a hard copy- it’s up to you!

In terms of its features, Zervant proposes: 

• Management of your client base.
• Sending documents.
• Monitoring your sales. 
• The option of personalized documents.
• Multi-lingual management of your cost estimates and spending, etc.
• You can see within a few minutes if your bills have been paid, are waiting to be paid or are overdue. Providing up-to-date knowledge or your cash-flow straight away. 

💰 Price: up to 10 customers, unlimited email invoicing, standard support in 5 languages, online payments. For a service with more options, monthly prices start at $4.

We showcased some of the best free software, yet it might not be enough for you, having some outs. 😮‍💨

• The support. If a problem arises, you need an invoicing template, or require clarification, access to support services is crucial. Whether by email, chat, or phone, a qualified individual can resolve the issue. However, free versions typically do not offer support.
• The online access. Some free versions are available for download and installation at your workstation. Unlike online invoicing software, these cannot be accessed from other devices or used to complete invoices online. You must handle updates for legal changes and conduct regular backups of your accounts independently.
• Free… to an extent. Some publishers are misleading, claiming their software is free when it's actually a free trial, like Faktum Facture. They hope you'll stick with it after setting up customer contacts and linking your bank account, which makes switching difficult.
• A matter of business models. Free versions often fall short. Completely free software usually means it's created voluntarily, leading to lower service and product quality in terms of ergonomics, reliability, and functions. Unless it's from a non-profit, publishers must profit somehow. If the software is free, consider how they make money—often by selling your data for commercial purposes.

Within the category of paid software, some are offered under a license with a maintenance agreement for updates and others are offered via subscription in SaaS mode.

Regarding the size of your organization, there are different solutions. Let's dig into it, shall we? 👇

Focus on other tasks whilst FreshBooks takes care of the billing: with its help, you can send invoices and receive payments sooner, to be used with automated payment reminders as well as tracking ability.

Brand your system and design invoices with your company's logo and colors… so that your clients might even enjoy receiving bills!

About the features, here's what you can expect:

• Cloud-based.
• Award-winning customer support.
• On average, FreshBooks customers save 16 hours a month.
• Chat and collaborate on work.
• Assign project due dates.
• Invite your staff, clients, or contractors to a project.
• Share images and files from within FreshBooks.
• Professional touches.
• Create an invoice in seconds.
• Ability to charge late fees.
• Get paid up to 11 days faster.

💰 Price: around $15/month.

Sage One is designed for small companies lacking accounting expertise. It provides a comprehensive control panel for real-time administrative oversight. This management and assistance tool allows you to access and update your work from anywhere using both mobile apps and desktop computers.

When it comes to features, here's what Sage One is about:

• Reference your articles and products and create your own personalized quote model.
• Automatically does calculations excluding taxes and including taxes, and automatically formats documents.
• Helps you to avoid wasting time by making sure you don’t make the same errors that were always a problem with Excel.
• Quotes and invoices can be sent via email in one click, getting them to clients sooner.
• Bank synchronization means you can track client payments in real time.
• Your accountant can be granted secured access, allowing them to find all the necessary information for bookkeeping purposes.
• A mobile app for managing client payment reminders.
• Very attractive price.
• No redundant functions for VSBs.
• The learning environment, quick uptake.

💰 Price: around $12/month.

Invoicing software provides a single platform to edit and manage:

• invoices,
• expenses,
• and quotes.

The goal is to have an accurate view of past, current, and future receipts and payments, including quotes for prospective customers, order forms, delivery forms, and sales revenues.

Invoices must comply with legal obligations dictated by the commercial code or industry standards. ☝️

Terms can change, such as the 2014 VAT increase in France's catering sector from 7% to 10%. Thus, a software solution for quotes and invoicing acts as a watchdog, ensuring your invoices are valid and up-to-date with current regulations.

Invoicing software surpasses Excel by importing your bank transactions and linking them to the corresponding invoices, transforming them into accounting entries. This semi-automatic process eliminates the need for manual entry, allowing your certified accountant, management center, or you as a businessperson to have entries automatically inserted into the statement.

🤔 To find software that is best suited to your work, you should ask yourself key questions:

• What are the number of users I expect?
• Can I pay for this service?
• Will I need to personalize the documents to match my brand?

Do you need mobility? If so, software with a mobile app is essential. ☝️

Don't underestimate the importance of the software's interface, as they make usage more enjoyable and setup easier. Interoperability is also crucial for ensuring compatibility and saving time in the future.

Some 'free' invoicing software are actually paid services with a free version. This tends to be downgraded and unsatisfactory.  😮‍💨

⚠️ You should figure out if the chosen software doesn't offer a receipt or disbursements tracking, even though this is a basic function.

Some software won't connect with your bank, requiring you to manually import bank transactions in CSV format. Others won't allow you to send invoices via email directly from the software to your customer folder, necessitating exporting the invoice and sending it as an email attachment.

Some software limits the number of invoices in their free version. 🙅

For example, one might allow only 10 invoices per month. This may suffice for self-employed individuals initially, but exceeding this number requires upgrading to the paid version, while other software limits the number of users.

Long story short, the best free invoicing software will be the one tailored to your needs and your organization.

Let's say, if you're a freelancer, even the top-notch software used by big firms won't suit you :

• they're too pricey,
• the features won't suit what you're looking for,
• the software might be too hard to manage on your own.

💡 Keep in mind that the best software is the one that matches your overall needs.

Securing a reliable invoicing solution is essential. ☝️ While some claim to be free, they often come with hidden drawbacks.

When choosing one, carefully consider your needs for functionality, ease of configuration, and long-term satisfaction. Opt for a solution that is upgradeable and customizable.

⚒️ Looking for more options? Check out our list of invoicing and billing software.