Best Invoicing Software for Freelancers: How to Choose by Your Volume
There is no single best invoicing tool, because the right one depends on how many clients you bill and what else you need around the invoice. This guide gives you a way to decide, then points to the two products we have priced so far.
Scope and honesty. We have not tested any of these tools. We read public pricing and feature pages on 2026-10-06. Only FreshBooks and QuickBooks are covered with real figures here; other tools exist and we will add them as we verify their prices. Some links on this site are affiliate links; see our disclosure.
Step 1: Count your invoices and clients
| You send... | Your main need | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 invoices a month | Look professional, get paid | A free tier or the cheapest paid plan |
| Invoices to 3 to 5 regular clients | Reminders and card or bank payment | Clean invoicing, payment links, recurring invoices |
| 6 to 50 clients | Proposals, retainers, expense tracking | A plan priced by client count that fits your number |
| Many clients plus an accountant | Real bookkeeping | An accounting product with bank connections and accountant access |
Step 2: Check what is bundled
- Payments: can clients pay by card or bank transfer from the invoice? Check the fees, which vary by method.
- Expenses and tax reports: these save time at tax season, see our tax guide.
- Proposals, contracts, e-signatures: nice if you want one tool for the whole client flow.
- Accountant access: matters as soon as someone else touches your books.
Step 3: Compare the price after the promotion
Most vendors discount the first months. Budget the regular price. At the time of writing:
- FreshBooks Lite lists at $23 a month for up to 5 billable clients; Plus is $43 for up to 50; Premium is $70 for unlimited.
- QuickBooks Online has a free tier (1 user, 2 invoices a month); Simple Start lists at $38, Essentials at $85.
Details, with sources, are in FreshBooks vs QuickBooks for solo freelancers.
Step 4: Test with a real invoice
Before committing, create one real invoice, send it to yourself, and export your data. If you cannot export, think twice. Check that the tool handles your currency and tax needs.
A reasonable default
If you are early and only need to invoice, begin with a free or very cheap tier, and move up when you hit a limit such as client count or invoices per month. Revisit the choice once a year, after your first tax season, when you know what you actually needed.
You can look at FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online directly, and use our hourly rate calculator to check that your rates cover your software costs.