Best Invoicing Software in 2024

Finding the best invoicing software is crucial for business finance. Streamline your billing and get paid faster with the perfect invoicing software for your small business. Navigating the world of invoicing solutions can be overwhelming, but we’re here to simplify the process. Discover the top-rated software options that cater specifically to the needs of small businesses, saving you time and money while enhancing your professional image.

Invoicing software is much more than sending an invoice to a customer for goods or services. It can also include multi-currency support, online payment acceptance, recurring invoices, payment reminders, and so much more.

The most important thing to look at is to create professional-looking invoices. It will include adding your logo, colours, layout and additional information.

In this article, we will look at the following:

• Different Features
• Review each invoicing and billing software
• Comparison Table
• Alternatives to invoicing software
• Top tips on invoicing

As a bookkeeper with over 30 years of experience, I have used many accounting software packages and seen many invoice layouts. These reviews are based on my experience and reviewing the software personally.

How to Choose the Best Invoicing Software for Small Businesses

There are lots of things to look at when choosing invoicing software.

The most important is to look at the features to see if they fit the small business requirements.

Cost can also play an important part; some free products usually have restrictions on features or how many invoices you issue in a period. Some providers also provide a discount for the first few months or speak to your accountant; they may have reduced subscriptions with a software partner.

One of the easiest ways to find the solution for your small business is to take out a free trial to see the software in action. We have written a guide on QuickBooks vs. Xero to help make a decision.

When you take out a trial, check which level they have put you on. Some will do the trial on a top-range package, and you do not need all the features. Other packages might start you on the lowest version, and you will not see all the required features. If this happens, contact support and ask if they can change it.

All our solutions are cloud-based and can be accessed anywhere with internet access.

Best Invoicing Software for Small Business Comparison

Below is a comparison table of invoicing software options within the accounting software. As you can see, most offer the same features, but a few offer a few additional options.

Best Invoicing Software Features

Along with standard invoicing software, there might be other features that a small business needs to look at, including:

Estimates

A business may require invoicing and estimates. An estimate is helpful for quotes, proposals or bids to send to a customer to confirm a price and work to complete. The estimate can later turn into an invoice with one easy click.

Expense Tracking

If your business invoices for expenses and time or products, some products have built-in features. Any recorded expenses are available to allocate to a project and invoice it.

Expenses may include mileage, travel, overnight stays and other sundries.

Mobile App

If you are out on the road, a mobile app will allow you to complete a job and create and send invoices immediately. For some business owners, this is essential for all accounting features, including tracking time, tracking expenses, photographing receipts, checking bank balances and reporting.

The download for invoicing mobile apps is available for both Android and Apple.

Multi currencies

Do you need to invoice in more than one currency? There are a few options available, including Sage, QuickBooks and Xero.

Payment Processing

Most providers offer payment processing or payment gateways. An invoice will include a link allowing the customer to pay directly using payment gateways. It enables businesses to get paid faster but will have a processing charge.

Payment Reminders

Issuing automatic payment reminders can save a lot of time in credit control. It is essential to keep on top of credit control for cash flow.

Recurring Invoices

If the business is subscription-based, recurring invoices are essential. It is also helpful in invoicing regular services. Setting up recurring invoices is usually done within the invoice.

Invoice Templates

All offer standard templates which allow the uploading of logos and colours. The options may also enable you to create a template for the business and even more than one template. An example is a business with two divisions requiring different invoice layouts.

Time Tracking

If you charge by the hour, keeping track of time is essential. An option on some mobile apps is to track in real-time and allocate to a project.

Best Billing and Invoicing Software for Small Businesses 2024

We have split the reviews into three sections: invoicing software within a complete accounting package, stand-alone invoicing software, free invoicing software and Excel templates.

One thing to consider when selecting the best option for your business, if you complete a tax return in 2026, HMRC will introduce Making Tax Digital. It will mean that the self-assessment tax return will need filling using third-party software. All the accounting software packages listed are MTD compliant.

You will notice that Zoho appears in all three categories because they offer a stand-alone invoicing platform, a free plan, and paid accounting software.

Here is our top list of best billing and invoicing accounting software:

• FreshBooks – Includes project tracking and estimates
• QuickBooks – One of the complete all-round accounting software packages for small businesses
• Sage – Excellent invoicing software, including estimates
• Xero – Excellent user interface with easy invoicing
• Zoho Books – includes lots of features and offers a free version

Top list for stand-alone Invoicing software:

• InvoiceBerry
• Invoicely
• Zervant
• Zoho Invoice

Free Software

• FreeAgent – free with a current account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank NI
• Pandle – Unlimited use
• Zoho Books – Free version up to turnover of £35,000

FreshBooks: All round accounting solution

One of the best invoicing features for FreshBooks is its estimates, proposal and project tracking feature, making it ideal for contractors.

Pricing on the Lite platform starts from £15 but only allows five clients. Their plus level is £25 and allows 50 clients.

Their invoicing template is simple and easy to change, adding a logo and colours. They have three different templates, hopefully with one to suit the business. Unlike some other packages, you can’t upload or change the templates.

QuickBooks Online invoicing and Billing Software

QuickBooks is an excellent all-around accounting software solution for small businesses if you are self-employed, a freelancer or a limited company.

Pricing – From £10 per month for self-employed or £14 for small businesses.

QuickBooks Online Features include time tracking, a mobile app, automatic reminders, payment processing and customised templates.

QuickBooks Online is one of the most popular accounting solutions. Invoices are quick and straightforward to create from the dashboard.

Visit QuickBooks

Sage Business Cloud Accounting Software: Best invoice reports

Sage Cloud Accounting includes everything you need for invoicing and billing.

Pricing – The start package is £12 per month and includes all the features needed to raise and track sales invoices. The standard package at 24 per month includes quotes and estimates.

Many bookkeepers and Accountants use Sage. It includes excellent billing software, including quotes and estimates. They also offer excellent reporting, including top customer and product sales.

For larger businesses, Sage offers upgrades, making it easier to change as the business grows.

Xero – Best invoicing software for Business

Xero is an accounting package for unlimited users. It has an easy-to-use interface.

Pricing starts from £12 per month for their starter and £26 for their standard plan.

Xero allows you to have several branding themes in the invoicing. It will enable a business to invoice everything in one place for different company brands.

One advantage of Xero is that if you require approval of invoices before sending them to the client. There is an option to have them as draft, approval, awaiting payment, paid and recurring. Roles can be allocated to users only to see the required records.

Xero has a wide range of reports enabling you to see all the data required. You can also set auto-payment reminders saving time.

One significant advantage for some businesses is the project management feature. Within projects, you can track how much is spent on materials and the hours worked and create and send invoices accordingly.

Zoho Books

Zoho Books offers easy-to-use invoicing software for small businesses. Many great features are built into the software, making creating and sending invoices easy. They also have a stand-alone invoice version and a free plan with a turnover of up to £35,000.

The paid plans start at £10 per month for 3 users and 5,000 invoices, or the professional plan at £20 per month for 5 users and unlimited invoices.

Invoices are easy to set up, including payment gateways, and recurring invoices, making it ideal for businesses and freelancers.

It offers many features for small business owners, including project management, expense tracking, accepting credit card payments, multiple currencies and other additional features.

Stand-Alone Invoicing and Billing Software

In this section, we will look at stand-alone invoice software. These offer invoicing only and do not include any other accounting solution like a purchase ledger and full company reporting.

They are ideal for very small businesses and freelancers who do not buy goods.

InvoiceBerry

InvoiceBerry is excellent for freelancers wanting to send branded invoices to clients.

Pricing is £10 per month for unlimited invoices, 35 clients and 2 users. They are making it cheaper than some of the accounting solutions.

It offers 15 different templates as well as adding your logo. As part of the software, estimates are available. They have also created a mobile app, making it easy to invoice on the go.

Reading through reviews, users find it easy to set up and use.

Invoicely

Invoicely offers a free plan for five monthly invoices, making it an ideal solution for freelancers and self-employed starting out.

Pricing – Basics plan $9.99 per month for 100 monthly invoices.

Invoicely offers the following features in the basics plan, multi-currency, recurring invoices, accept payments online, track time, expenses and mileage.

Zervant

Zervant is designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs to invoice quickly.

There is a free version with unlimited invoices for up to 5 customers per month. The starter plan is £7 per month, but if you are unregistered for VAT, they will add 24% for Swedish VAT.

The starter plan is for 30 customers per month and includes turning estimates into invoices, payment reminders and sending attachments with the invoices.

Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice is an entirely free invoicing tool and everything you would expect from a paid version, including:

• Send unlimited invoices
• Branding
• Accept card payments online
• Estimates
• Multi-currency
• Payment reminder
• Recurring invoices
• Time tracking to invoicing a client
• Billing to add to a client invoice

Zoho Invoice is one of their earliest products and is also part of other platforms they provide, including accounting, expense reporting, subscription billing, inventory management and payroll. You can expand Zoho Invoice to include other accounting solutions as the business grows.

Zoho Invoice is one of the best available for free if you only want invoicing and billing software.

What is the Best Free Invoicing App?

In this section, we will look at the best free invoicing apps.

Freeagent

You are entitled to FreeAgent free of charge if you have a bank account with Natwest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank Ni, or Mettle. The price is usually £29 per month.

Freeagent includes all the features you expect from a complete accounting software solution.

Their invoicing solution is what you would expect from any of the top software companies and includes the following:

• Mobile app
• Lots of templates or customise with CSS
• HMRC compliant
• Set up recurring invoices
• Create product lists
• Professional invoices with a logo
• Automate late payment reminders
• Multi-currency
• cloud-based

If you are entitled to a free plan, it is one of the best free invoice software solutions.

Pandle

Pandle has an entirely free version of the accounting software. The paid version is only £5 per month and includes bank feeds, projects, cash flow forecasting and stock control.

The features of their free invoicing and billing are:

• Multi-currency
• Making Tax Digital ready
• Add logo
• Payment terms
• Use Pandle pay to get paid quicker; it automatically allocates to the invoice
• Automatic payment reminders
• Recurring sales invoices
• Quotations
• Reports

Zoho

Zoho Invoice and Zoho Books offer a free invoice version of their invoicing and billing software.

Zoho Books is the best option if you require an all-in-one accounting solution. Due to their additional integrated apps, the software will grow with the business.

Alternatives to Invoicing Software

Excel Templates

An Excel sales invoice template is a good alternative if you do not want to sign up for an app.

We have created two templates you can brand, one for VAT and one non VAT.

They are easy to use and free to download.

We also offer many other free bookkeeping templates, including cash book, petty cash, cash flow, budget and business expenses.

PayPal

If you have a PayPal business account, there is a feature to create professional-looking invoices. It also allows you to track payments to know which ones are outstanding.

Square

Create invoices, receive payments, send reminders and track payments.

Square is free to sign up and charges 2.5% for online payments.

Stripe

Stripe offers an invoicing solution, allowing you to create invoices in multi-currency, different languages and branding.

Stripe is free to sign up but charges 20p per transaction and 1.4% for European cards.

WordPress

If you run a WordPress website with WooCommerce, there are free invoicing apps to invoice directly from the software.

Top Tips for Invoicing

When creating invoices for a client, it is essential to include as much detail as possible. Here are our top tips on billing and invoicing:

1. Unique invoice number – each invoice must have a unique number; it is best not to start with 1.
2. Brand your invoice – Add a logo and brand colour where possible.
3. Business details – Add all your business details, including address, telephone, email and website.
4. Customer details – Ensure the customer details are correct, adding contact name if possible.
5. Purchase Order Number – If one is supplied, ensure it is added to the invoice.
6. Goods and Services – Include a full description, quantity and price.
7. Payment details – Make sure it is clear where payment is made. It might be a payment gateway, bank details or who to make a cheque payable to.
8. Payments terms – If the invoice is due immediately, 7, 14, 30 days or net monthly.
9. Payment due date – Make sure the due date is clear.

All of the above tips will make it easier to get the invoice correct and reduce the client’s risk of refusing to pay.

Conclusion for Best Invoicing Software 2024

As a business owner, when looking at the best invoicing software for the company, it is essential to look at the features required.

Always take out a free trial to ensure it is the best solution available. If you plan to expand the business in the future, look at how the software can grow with you.

It is also worth considering the overall business accounting and if the plan you are looking at is suitable for long-term use.

For more options on the best Invoicing software, read our software reviews.