Best Invoice and Billing Software for Freelancers

Getting paid on time is the freelancer lifeline. The right invoicing tool automates the awkward parts: chasing payments, calculating taxes, and looking professional.

Top Picks

1. FreshBooks - Best Overall

$19/mo (Lite). Beautiful invoices, automatic late reminders, client portal, time tracking, expense management. The most complete freelancer toolkit.

2. Wave - Best Free Option

100% free invoicing and accounting. Ad-supported. Solid for freelancers under $50K revenue who want zero overhead.

3. HoneyBook - Best for Creative Professionals

$19/mo. Combines invoicing with contracts, proposals, scheduling, and client management. Popular with photographers, designers, event planners.

4. Bonsai - Best for Contract Workers

$21/mo. Invoice templates, contract templates, tax estimation, time tracking. Built specifically for freelancers and consultants.

5. Square Invoices - Best for Simplicity

Free to send invoices. 2.9% + $0.30 per card payment. No monthly fee. Lightning-fast setup.

6. Zoho Invoice - Best for International Freelancers

Free for 5 clients. Multi-currency support, automatic exchange rates, compliant with tax requirements in 30+ countries.

Key Features to Compare

Feature	FreshBooks	Wave	HoneyBook	Bonsai
Auto-reminders	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Time tracking	Yes	No	No	Yes
Contracts	No	No	Yes	Yes
Tax estimation	No	No	No	Yes
Multi-currency	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Free tier	No	Yes	No	No

Invoicing Best Practices

1. Send invoices immediately after delivering work
2. Set net-15 terms (net-30 is too generous for freelancers)
3. Accept multiple payment methods (card, ACH, PayPal)
4. Automate follow-ups at day 7, 14, and 21
5. Include late fees in your terms (1.5%/month is standard)

The average freelancer spends 10 hours/month on invoicing and collections. Good software cuts that to 2 hours.

---

Running a business that needs capital? Working capital, equipment financing, and lines of credit are easier to compare than most owners think. Our business funding guide matches your industry with vetted funding partners — about two minutes, free, no obligation and no upfront hard credit pull.