Best Invoicing App & Software for Freelancers (2026)
Invoicing software for freelancers compared: Wave, FreshBooks, Bonsai, QuickBooks and HoneyBook on price, client limits, fees and automation.
7 min read · Updated
Short answer
The best invoicing software for most freelancers is Wave if you want it free, FreshBooks if you bill by the hour and want time tracking and automatic reminders, or Bonsai if you want proposals, contracts and invoices in one tool. QuickBooks is for a business growing into payroll and subcontractors; HoneyBook is for client-facing creative work like photography and events.
Prices below were checked on each company's own website in October 2026. We have not hands-on tested these products.
Looking for a phone app, a free option or invoicing from your bank? See the best invoicing app for freelancers.
Only need one invoice? Use our free invoice generator. It builds a printable invoice in your browser with no account, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Invoicing software for freelancers compared
As of October 2026, monthly prices in US dollars:
| Software | Price | Client limit | Online card fee | Automatic reminders | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | $0 Starter; $19 Pro | Unlimited | 2.9% + $0.60 | Pro plan only | Free invoicing and bookkeeping |
| FreshBooks | $23 Lite, $43 Plus, $70 Premium | 5 / 50 / unlimited billable clients | 2.9% + $0.30 | Yes | Hourly billing and time tracking |
| Bonsai | $25, or $19 billed yearly | Not stated | Varies by method | Yes | Proposals + contracts + invoices |
| QuickBooks | From $38 list (Simple Start); discounts common | Not stated | Varies | Yes | Full accounting, payroll, 1099s |
| HoneyBook | $29 / $49 / $109, billed yearly | Not stated | Varies | Yes | Client workflow for creatives |
Where the figures come from:
- Wave: pricing page. Starter is $0 with unlimited invoices and estimates; Pro at $19 adds automatic late-payment reminders and bank-transaction import. Card payments are 2.9% + $0.60 (3.4% + $0.60 for Amex) on Starter.
- FreshBooks: pricing page. Lite is limited to 5 billable clients and Plus to 50. 30-day free trial. Cards 2.9% + $0.30, bank transfers 1%. Promotional discounts are often shown, so checkout may be lower.
- Bonsai: invoicing starts on its Essentials plan, $25 a month or $19 billed yearly, with a 7-day trial.
- QuickBooks: list prices are $38 (Simple Start), $85 (Essentials), $140 (Plus) and $340 (Advanced) a month. In October 2026 the page showed 50% off for new customers for a limited period.
- HoneyBook: Starter $29, Essentials $49, Premium $109 a month billed yearly, during a seasonal promotion; monthly billing costs more.
Wave: best free invoicing software
Price: $0 Starter; $19 a month Pro
Wave is the strongest free option because the free plan has no invoice or client limit, and it includes bookkeeping.
- Free plan: unlimited invoices and estimates, online payments at standard card rates, and basic bookkeeping
- Pro plan: adds automatic late-payment reminders and automatic bank-transaction import
- Watch out for: Wave only emails invoices for you when online payments are switched on; otherwise you share a link or PDF yourself. Its pricing page describes mobile invoicing inconsistently between plans, so check the one you need.
Best for: freelancers starting out, or anyone with a handful of clients who mainly wants clean invoices and simple books for tax time.
FreshBooks: best for hourly billing
Price: $23 Lite (5 billable clients), $43 Plus (50), $70 Premium (unlimited)
FreshBooks is built around service work: track time against a client or project, then turn those hours into an invoice.
- Time tracking to invoice: log hours and bill them without retyping
- Automatic reminders for late invoices, and recurring invoices for retainer clients
- Online payments by card (2.9% + $0.30) or bank transfer (1%)
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android that sync with the web version
Watch out for: the client limits. Lite allows only 5 billable clients, so many freelancers need Plus.
Best for: developers, designers, consultants and writers who bill by the hour.
Bonsai: best all-in-one for proposals, contracts and invoices
Price: $25 a month, or $19 billed yearly (7-day trial)
Bonsai is built for freelancers who send a proposal, turn it into a contract, then invoice against it, all in one place.
- Proposal → contract → invoice in one workflow, with contract templates
- Time tracking linked to projects and invoices
- Client portal and iOS and Android apps on every plan
Watch out for: its bookkeeping is lighter than Wave's or QuickBooks', so you may still want an accounting tool at tax time.
Best for: freelancers who want one tool from first proposal to final payment. For the contract side, see how to write a freelance contract.
QuickBooks: best when you need full accounting
Price: list from $38 a month (Simple Start); frequently discounted for new customers
QuickBooks is full small-business accounting, with invoicing as one part.
- Payroll and 1099 contractor tracking (on higher plans or as add-ons)
- Full reports: profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow
- Accountant access, and a large set of integrations
Watch out for: cost and complexity. The introductory discount ends; budget for the list price.
Best for: a freelance business turning into a studio or agency, with subcontractors, payroll or an accountant who wants QuickBooks.
HoneyBook: best for client-facing creative businesses
Price: $29 / $49 / $109 a month, billed yearly (monthly billing costs more)
HoneyBook covers the whole client journey: inquiry, proposal, contract, invoice and payment.
- Automated workflows that move a client from inquiry to booked
- Branded proposals, contracts and invoices, plus scheduling for discovery calls
- Online payments, including bank transfer
Watch out for: it is more client-management software than accounting software.
Best for: photographers, event planners and designers whose client experience is part of what they sell.
Automated invoicing: what to switch on
The features that save the most time are the automatic ones. Whatever tool you choose, check the plan includes:
- Automatic reminders before and after the due date. Most late payments are forgotten invoices, not refusals.
- Recurring invoices for retainers, sent on a schedule without you lifting a finger
- Online payment from the invoice by card or bank transfer
- Deposits and partial payments, so you can take 50% up front on larger projects
- Late fees applied automatically, if your contract allows them
Most tools also now offer AI help with expense categorisation and receipt scanning. Treat it as a convenience, not a reason to pick one tool over another.
How to choose
- Just starting, few clients: Wave (free)
- Bill by the hour: FreshBooks
- Want proposals and contracts too: Bonsai
- Hiring, payroll or subcontractors: QuickBooks
- Client experience is your brand: HoneyBook
- Mostly invoicing from your phone or bank app: see the best invoicing app for freelancers
Whichever you choose, start with its free trial or free plan, send one real invoice to yourself, pay it, and check how the money and the reminder emails look before moving your clients over. If clients still pay late, see how to deal with late-paying clients.
Related questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best billing and invoice software for freelancers?
- For most freelancers: Wave if you want free invoicing and bookkeeping, FreshBooks if you bill by the hour and want time tracking and automatic reminders, and Bonsai if you also want proposals and contracts in the same tool. QuickBooks suits a business that is growing into payroll and subcontractors; HoneyBook suits client-facing creative businesses.
- Is there free invoicing software for freelancers?
- Yes. Wave's Starter plan is $0 a month with unlimited invoices and estimates, and you only pay a processing fee when a client pays online (2.9% + $0.60 per card payment, as of October 2026). Automatic late-payment reminders need Wave's Pro plan at $19 a month.
- Which invoicing software sends automatic payment reminders?
- FreshBooks, Bonsai, QuickBooks and HoneyBook all offer automatic reminders on their paid plans. On Wave, automatic reminders are part of the Pro plan ($19 a month), not the free Starter plan. Check the plan you pick includes them; they are the feature that saves the most time.
- Should freelancers use QuickBooks for invoicing?
- Only if you need full accounting, payroll or 1099 contractor tracking. QuickBooks' list prices start at $38 a month for Simple Start (often discounted for the first months), so for a solo freelancer who mainly needs to send invoices, Wave or FreshBooks costs less and is simpler.
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