Best invoicing tools 2026
Top picks for invoicing tools 2026: FreshBooks (freelancers and service businesses wanting polished, client-facing invoices with built-in time tracking, no free plan (30-day trial); paid Lite plan from about $20.70 per month billed annually, or $23 per month billed monthly, for up to 5 billable clients), Wave (sole traders and very small businesses wanting free invoicing and bookkeeping in one place, free Starter plan (invoicing, accounting and receipt scanning); paid Wave Pro from about $15.83 per month billed annually ($190 a year), or $19 per month billed monthly), Zoho Invoice (small businesses wanting genuinely free invoicing with no upgrade prompt, especially existing Zoho users, free for up to 2 users, 3 active projects and 500 invoices a year; no paid tier). All 4 tools here are compared on pricing, free plans, features and platforms, verified against vendor sources.
Pricing and features verified against each vendor's published information on 2026-09-08. Sources linked below.
At a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Pricing from | Best for | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks | No | No free plan (30-day trial); paid Lite plan from about $20.70 per month billed annually, or $23 per month billed monthly, for up to 5 billable clients | freelancers and service businesses wanting polished, client-facing invoices with built-in time tracking | Web, iOS, Android |
| Wave | Yes | Free Starter plan (invoicing, accounting and receipt scanning); paid Wave Pro from about $15.83 per month billed annually ($190 a year), or $19 per month billed monthly | sole traders and very small businesses wanting free invoicing and bookkeeping in one place | Web, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Invoice | Yes | Free for up to 2 users, 3 active projects and 500 invoices a year; no paid tier | small businesses wanting genuinely free invoicing with no upgrade prompt, especially existing Zoho users | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows |
| Invoice Ninja | Yes | Free plan for up to 5 clients (unlimited invoices); paid Enterprise plans from about $15 per month billed annually ($180 a year) for 2 users, or $18 per month billed monthly | developers and businesses wanting an open-source, self-hostable invoicing tool they can run on their own server | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux |
The shortlist
1. FreshBooks
Paid onlyFounded 2003
No free plan (30-day trial); paid Lite plan from about $20.70 per month billed annually, or $23 per month billed monthly, for up to 5 billable clients. Best for freelancers and service businesses wanting polished, client-facing invoices with built-in time tracking.
- Client-facing invoice and estimate templates
- Built-in time tracking and project billing
- Automated late-payment reminders
- Double-entry accounting reports
2. Wave
Free planFounded 2009
Free Starter plan (invoicing, accounting and receipt scanning); paid Wave Pro from about $15.83 per month billed annually ($190 a year), or $19 per month billed monthly. Best for sole traders and very small businesses wanting free invoicing and bookkeeping in one place.
- Free unlimited invoicing and accounting core
- Bank and credit card connection
- Receipt scanning
- Online payment collection
3. Zoho Invoice
Free planFounded 1996
Free for up to 2 users, 3 active projects and 500 invoices a year; no paid tier. Best for small businesses wanting genuinely free invoicing with no upgrade prompt, especially existing Zoho users.
- Completely free core product, no paid plan
- Client portal for payments and approvals
- Recurring invoices and automated payment reminders
- Multi-currency support
4. Invoice Ninja
Free planFounded 2014
Free plan for up to 5 clients (unlimited invoices); paid Enterprise plans from about $15 per month billed annually ($180 a year) for 2 users, or $18 per month billed monthly. Best for developers and businesses wanting an open-source, self-hostable invoicing tool they can run on their own server.
- Open-source, self-hostable version
- Native desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux
- Recurring invoices and client portal
- Multi-currency and multi-language support
Head-to-head comparisons
- FreshBooks vs Wave
- FreshBooks vs Zoho Invoice
- FreshBooks vs Invoice Ninja
- Wave vs Zoho Invoice
- Wave vs Invoice Ninja
- Zoho Invoice vs Invoice Ninja
FAQ
- What are the best free invoicing tools?
- Tools with a free plan here include Wave, Zoho Invoice, Invoice Ninja. Compare limits before committing.
- How many invoicing tools did this list compare?
- This page compares 4 tools, each linked to its own site.