7 Best Invoicing Software for Small Business

What to compare
The seven tools

The right invoicing software for a small business depends on how you bill: one-off invoices, the same amount every month, or hours and expenses that change from month to month. Compare tools on how invoices are created, how clients can pay, whether recurring invoices and reminders run on their own, and what the tool tracks besides invoices. This page sets out what seven tools say about these points on their own pages.

Billed publishes this page and is listed first. The other tools are listed alphabetically and aren't ranked. Each description quotes the tool's own pages, opened on October 30, 2026, and the products weren't tested for this page. Plans and prices change and vary by country, so this page doesn't list them; check each tool's pricing page.

What to compare

Creating invoices: templates, your logo, and how much you retype for each client.
How clients pay: card, bank payment or PayPal, and whether payment is matched to the invoice.
Recurring invoices: for retainers and other fixed monthly amounts.
Reminders: whether overdue reminders can be sent for you.
Time and expenses: whether hours and costs can become invoice lines.
Accounting: whether the tool includes bookkeeping or connects to an accounting tool.

The seven tools

Billed

Billed's invoice software page says you can "Create branded invoices, send them by email, take card and PayPal payments on them, and see which invoices are paid, partly paid or past due, all from one Billed account."

Payments: "Connect your Stripe account and every invoice you send gets a pay button, so clients can pay by card. Connect PayPal to add a PayPal option as well."
Recurring invoices (from Billed's invoice software page): "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once. Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
Reminders: "you can see who owes you money and send them a payment reminder. Payment reminders can be customized."
Time: its time tracking page says you can "Log the time you and your team spend on tasks and projects, see it by day and by week, create timesheets, and invoice hourly projects from the time you tracked."
Expenses: its expense tracking page says you can "Record what your business spends, keep each receipt with its expense, and turn your spending into expense reports you can export for your accountant."
Clients: its client management page says: "All invoices, estimates, and payments associated with that client are automatically linked to their profile."
Templates: its invoice templates page says: "Choose a template variation and download in your preferred format."

Plans are on Billed's pricing page.

FreshBooks

FreshBooks' invoicing page says:

Payments: "Clients can pay instantly with credit card, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Buy Now Pay Later".
Automation: "Automate your entire billing workflow, from recurring invoices and card-on-file payments to sending reminders and charging late fees."
Time and expenses: "Use our tools to track your hours and client expenses, then turn them into professional invoices in seconds".

PayPal

PayPal's invoicing page (US) says:

Sending: "Send invoices by email, SMS, messaging apps, and social media."
Tracking: "Track when invoices are sent, opened, and paid."
Accounting: "Sync with QuickBooks or Xero to eliminate manual bookkeeping."

QuickBooks

QuickBooks' invoicing page (US) says:

Recurring invoices: "Set up recurring invoices to auto-send every day, week, month, or year."
Payments: "When customers pay through QuickBooks, we'll record and match it for you."
Quotes to invoices: "Go from quoting a job to invoicing for it without re-entering data."

Wave

Wave's invoicing page says:

Recurring billing: "Set up recurring invoices and automatic credit card payments for your repeat customers and stop chasing payments."
Reminders: "Automatically send overdue reminders with Pro".
Accounting: "Your invoicing and payment information are connected to Wave's accounting feature, helping you stay organized."

Xero

Xero's invoicing page (US) says:

Sending: "Send invoices by email, SMS, online link, or PDF".
Payments: "They choose credit or debit card, ACH debit, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, with Stripe and GoCardless handling the payment."
Reminders: "Let Xero send payment reminders to customers for you, with less time spent on follow-ups."

Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice's home page (US) says:

Payments: "Collect payments via credit or debit cards, ACH, or e-wallets with online payment gateways."
Recurring invoices: "With Zoho Invoice, automatically generate and send invoices on schedule with zero manual effort."
Time: "Track billable hours, invoice timesheets, and charge customers accurately."

Guides by type of business

Each of these pages compares tools for one kind of business, with quotes from each tool's own pages:

Freelancers and solo work: freelancers, consultants, designers, developers, writers, photographers, coaches, tutors and virtual assistants.
Firms and trades: agencies, accountants, lawyers, contractors, real estate and healthcare.
Business models: startups, ecommerce, SaaS and project-based work.
Billed against one tool at a time: Billed's comparison pages.
Payments and connections: invoicing apps with online payments, invoicing software with Stripe and invoicing software with QuickBooks.

Sample: one month of invoices

The business and figures here are a sample, invented for this example.

A sample design studio bills 3 retainer clients $1,200.00 a month each, and one client by the hour: 12.5 hours at $90.00.

Retainers: 3 × $1,200.00 = $3,600.00, the same every month, which suits recurring invoices.
Hourly work: 12.5 × $90.00 = $1,125.00, which changes each month, so it comes from tracked time.
Invoiced this month: $3,600.00 + $1,125.00 = $4,725.00.
Retainers over a year: 12 × $3,600.00 = $43,200.00 from 3 recurring profiles.

For this studio, recurring invoices and time tracking are the two features to compare first; a studio that only sends one-off invoices would weigh them differently.

When this guide isn't for you

If you need full accounting, payroll or inventory, compare accounting software and ask your accountant what your books need. If you bill in more than one country, check each tool's pages for your country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this page rank the tools?

No. Billed publishes this page, so Billed is listed first, and the others follow alphabetically. Each description quotes the tool's own pages, opened on October 30, 2026.

What should a small business compare in invoicing software?

How invoices are created, how clients can pay, whether recurring invoices and reminders run on their own, whether hours and expenses can become invoice lines, and whether the tool includes or connects to accounting.

How can clients pay a Billed invoice?

Billed's invoice software page says: "Connect your Stripe account and every invoice you send gets a pay button, so clients can pay by card. Connect PayPal to add a PayPal option as well."

Where can I find prices?

On each tool's own pricing page. Plans and prices change and vary by country, so this page doesn't list them.

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7 Best Invoicing Software for Small Business in 2026