In this blog post, you will learn about 12 best invoice software for small business in 2022. If you hate bookkeeping, or just wish to automate things, you’re at the right place.
With these invoicing system, you can automate payments, payment reminders, taxes, and even inventory management!
These are the best small business invoicing software on the planet. Don’t take my word for it. Most of these are completely free so you can always have a personal opinion.
Let’s get started then?
The 11 Best invoice software for small business in 2022
Here are all the invoicing software I’ll be discussing throughout this piece:
- Invoice Ninja
- Invoiceera
- Square Invoices
- Freshbooks
- Zoho Invoice
- Xero
- Wave
- Scoro
- Invoicely
- MyBrightBook
- Invoice2go
- Fiverr Workspace
1. Invoice Ninja
Website: https://www.invoiceninja.com/
Primary features:
- Forever free (unlimited invoices)
- 40+ payment gateways
- Custom domain and logos (free)
- Gmail-integration (very rare)
- Pre-made templates
- Time-based tasks and automated invoicing
- Kanban boards
- Subscriptions/auto billing
- Partial payments accepted
- “view” and “payment” notifications
- Client-side dashboard
- 50+ currencies
- Inventory-tracking
- Browser support + desktop & mobile apps.
Two simple reasons why Invoice Ninja is on this list. First, it’s forever free, with unlimited invoices. Second, it’s extremely feature-rich.
It lets you integrate over 40 different payment gateways on your invoice for direct one-click payments. Clients feel less reluctant to make payments as they can pay directly through the invoice.
Moreover, not just me, but even my clients get a “dashboard”. This lets them monitor their history, payments and other data with ease.
It even lets me send invoices using my Gmail ID. This is one of the rarest features that I certainly didn’t expect a free invoicing software for small business to offer.
Whitelabelling lets you use your own logo (even on the free plan) + custom domain (paid) for your invoices. Hello professionalism, eh?
I love pre-made templates. Even on the free plan, Invoice Ninja gives me 4 templates to work with. A paid plan increases this number to 10.
Then there’s inventory integration. In other words, I can set how many products I’ve got in my inventory. With each invoice for that product, it reduces the inventory. This is immensely helpful if you’re in the e-commerce business.
On top of an invoicing software, it’s also a project management tool. Create time-based tasks and invoices are automatically created based on the logged hours! It even offers Kanban boards for better project management.
It also has desktop and mobile apps that auto-sync changes!
Other impressive features include automated, recurring billing, automated delivery, file attachments, third-party app integration (via Zapier) and many others.
2. Invoicera
Website: https://www.invoicera.com/
Primary features:
- Forever free plan
- White-labelled invoices (free)
- Extensive project management features
- Time tracking
- Employee management/Invoice approvals
- Niche-specific templates
- Advanced automation features
- Partial payments/credit management
- 50+ payment gateways
- Android & iOS apps
Invoiceera claims to be the “world’s most powerful” invoice software. While it may be an exaggeration, the claim isn’t completely baseless, at least in terms of features.
For starters, it also doubles as a project management tool. You can manage clients, employees, tasks and entire projects. You can even assign tasks to employees and monitor/verify the hours they’ve put into each task. The clients can then be billed based on this tracked time.
Invoice approvals are possible. Automated features for scheduled and late invoices too are available. Pre-designed invoice templates (custom-tailored for different purposes) and a lot more is offered.
It even has features for estimate management, as well as predicting financial outcomes. Partial invoicing and even credit management features are provided.
You can integrate over 50+ global payment gateways. It even has this rare profit/loss feature which auto-calculates your overall account status.
It can also be attached to the best small buisiness CRMs for better management.
One of its most advanced features is the client-vendor integration. Your clients can choose to sign up at Invoiceera and you can then share invoices/estimates even more easily.
On top of its web version, Invoiceera also has native apps for Android and iOS.
The best part? It has a forever free plan, and it allows white-labelling invoices even on this plan!
3. Square Invoices
Website: https://squareup.com/
- Forever free, unlimited invoices.
- Most modern and user-friendly invoices
- Credit cards/bank transfers / Apple Pay/ gPay and Gift cards accepted
- Pre-designed templates
- White-labelled invoices
- Advanced estimates
- CMS integrations
- Custom invoice triggers.
Square Invoices is probably one of the best free invoice software for small business.
It allows accepting direct payments using Credit cards, bank transfers, or even the simpler Apple Pay and Google Pay. In fact, Square gift cards can be used for payments as well.
As far as templates go, Square Invoices provide some of the most modern and good-looking invoices I’ve ever seen. These pre-designed templates can obviously be customized and white-labelled as required.
It also supports estimates. If these are approved by your clients, they can be instantly converted to invoices. It has this multi-package estimate feature. You can offer different plans within a single estimate, making choices easier and faster for clients.
You can attach milestones to invoices. Invoices are created and sent automatically once set milestone is reached.
It can also be used to create and authorize legal contracts! The software can also be integrated with your inventory and other project management portals.
It has a forever free plan that offers unlimited invoices. Obviously, some features are limited only to the paid plans.
4. Freshbooks
Website: https://www.freshbooks.com/
Primary features:
- Double-Entry (profit-loss calculations)
- Scan & store physical receipts
- Tax-specific features
- Accepts cards, bank transfers, Apple Pay
- Automatically charge cards when needed
- Advanced scheduling, reminders and other automations
- Project tracker
- Proposal + estimate builder
- Credits feature
- Link payments
- 30-day free trial
There are multiple reasons why many claim Freshbooks to be the best invoicing system on the planet.
For starters, it can be linked with your bank and/or cards. Then, Freshbooks automatically monitors your expenses so your account remains updated, on automation.
It also has a “Double-Entry” feature. It basically is a feature which calculates your expenses and revenues. This helps avoid human-errors and get an accurate picture of profits/losses.
There’s even a scanner which lets you scan and digitize paper receipts instantly.
Because it’s made for small businesses, it’s very tax-focused. Meaning, it categorizes invoices and helps manage them in a way that filing for taxes becomes extremely easy.
There’s also a project tracker as well as an estimate builder. These estimates can be converted to invoices in seconds. A proposal builder too is available. With clear goals, deadlines and overview, you stand better chances of scoring clients.
You can assign “credits” for advances, future payments or maybe just discounts. Credit cards can be charged on automation if and when linked.
For payments, you can accept Credit cards, bank transfers and even Apple Pay. It even lets you create “checkout links”. These are almost one-click links your clients can use to make payments, without even you generating an invoice.
There’s a 30-day free trial (no credit card required).
5. Zoho Invoice
Website: https://www.zoho.com/invoice/
Primary features:
- 100% free
- Advanced automation
- White labelling
- Time tracker
- Cards/ Bank transfers / cash/cheque /ACH
- Client dashboards
- Expense tracker
Zoho’s official tagline reads –“Free invoicing software for small businesses”. If you’re looking for a free software to generate invoices, Zoho may just be the solution.
All the primary invoicing features are available. This includes pre-designed templates and white-labelling superpowers.
Obviously recurring invoices can be automated for future bills. Automated payment reminders too can be set so your clients know what they owe.
It lets you accept payments via cards, bank transfers, checks as well as cash. You can automatically charge recurring payments.
It also has a “unpaid expense” tracker. Lets you calculate what reimbursements to expect.
Even you clients get a dashboard. All their invoices, estimates, payment links can be accessed/stored there. No e-mails/calls required from either party to check /approve/pay invoices.
Finally, even the time tracking feature isn’t missing.
6. Xero
Website: https://www.xero.com/
Primary features:
- White-labelling
- Credit/Debit cards, Stripe/ ACH payments
- Automation features
- Expense monitor
- Receipt scanner
- File storage (cloud)
- Inventory integration
- Time tracking & location tracking
- 30-day free trial.
Xero offers everything that one of the best invoice software for small business should offer.
For starters, there’s white-labelling. Professionalism matters, doesn’t it?
It allows your clients to pay not just using credit cards, but also debits. Stripe payments as well as those from ACH are supported.
You can create Scheduled invoices. You can choose the interval between each invoice due reminder as well.
It also lets you generate quotes/estimates. Again, converting these quotes into invoices takes seconds.
You can also monitor expenses and claim or reimburse them.
It does have a project management module. It not only supports time-tracking but also location-tracking for real-world projects. That’s rare, isn’t it?
You can scan/upload physical receipts. Its OCR scanner recognizes the data and stores it in a digital form.
The tool also has a file storage feature should you need it.
Inventory integration too is possible. This keeps the inventory updated as well as the revenue/losses.
Unfortunately, there’s no free plan. However, the company does offer a 30-day trial of its paid plans.
7. Wave
Website: https://www.waveapps.com/invoicing
Primary features:
- 100% free forever.
- Pre-designed templates
- Automated reminders and scheduled invoices
- Credit card/bank transfers and Apple Pay payments
- Android & iOS apps available
- Real-time notifications for views, payments and dues.
Wave is an invoicing software that’s almost custom-tailored for “small businesses”. In other words, it’s extremely simple to use (and yet feature-rich).
Also, it’s 100% free. No credit cards required. No strings attached. The only time you’d need to pay is if you use its “payroll” services. Even without that, you can use its invoicing and most other features. Even the payroll feature offers a 30-day free trial!
Creating invoices takes seconds with its pre-designed templates. It also lets “automate” payments and invoices. If your clients use a credit card for payment, you can bill their cards automatically on the due-date, no manual requests (and excuses).
Alternatively, you can just schedule recurring invoices so your clients can pay those directly.
It also has live notifications for “invoice viewed”, is paid or crosses its payment date.
You can embed payment links directly on the invoice. Wave lets you accept payments via credit cards, bank transfers or Apple Pay.
It’s primarily web-based, however, Android and iOS apps are available as well.
8. Scoro
Website: https://www.scoro.com/invoicing-software/
- 14-day free trial
- Extremely advanced project management capabilities
- Automate nearly everything
- Partial invoicing
- Pre-designed templates
- Budgets and forecasts
- Billing based on “activity”
Scoro is primarily a project management software, and invoicing is just one of its many other superpowers.
It lets you integrate deals and sales funnel directly with each client and their invoices. You can create invoices not just from quotes but also from the time spent on each project.
It lets you automate most invoices and routine tasks so that you only do them once and they re-do themselves when required next.
Then, you can also configure it to auto-generate and send late payment invoices. This makes sure your debtors get reminded of the due payment on time.
Partial invoicing is something else that I love. Helps manage advances, full settlement and other payments better.
Pre-designed templates are obviously available.
One of Scoro’s biggest selling points for me is its UI. For each client, I get a custom dashboard. It shows me all the details including invoices, communication, quotes, projects and so on.
The overall dashboard shows very detailed revenue reports. It even created forecasts and then lets me compare those to actual scheduled/cleared invoices!
There’s a 14-day free trial (no credit card required). Go give it a try maybe?
9. Invoicely
Website: https://invoicely.com/
Primary features:
- 100% free (5 invoices/month)
- Advanced white-labelling
- Scheduled invoices
- PayPal/Cards/Striple/Mollie/WePay and other payments accepted
- Multiple businesses can be added
- Time, expenses and mileage trackers
If you’re looking for a simpler, less complex (but also less feature-rich) software to generate invoices, Invoicely wouldn’t disappoint you.
For starters, Invoicely is 100% free, forever. However, the plan only allows 5 invoices/month.
You can obviously generate estimates and quotes. There are trackers for time, expenses and mileage.
You can accept payments via cards, PayPal, Stripe, WePay, Mollie and many other gateways. Scheduled invoices are obviously possible.
White-labelling is impressive here. On top of the invoice, you can even customize the login screen and control panel.
Multiple businesses can be added with different client-bases.
10. MyBrightBook
Website: https://mybrightbook.com/
Primary features:
- 100% free
- PayPal payments accepted
- White-labelled invoices
- Creative due reminders
- Time–based billing
- Estimate generation
MBB may or may not be the best invoice software for small business. However, it’s without doubt the most “fun”. Did I mention it’s 100% free? Forever!
All invoices can be branded with your own logos. Quotes (estimates) can be created and sent for approval. Once approved, they can be instantly converted to “invoices”.
Time-based billing too is possible. Client-dashboards are impressive. Clients can check their payment history, due invoices can make payments directly.
It has this creative and unique “due invoice level” feature. You can send a “Gentle reminder” or a “final demand”. There are 3 other invoice levels in between these extremes! (Fun, isn’t it?)
Tax rates are auto applied depending on the signup country. Profit/loss reports are auto-generated in real-time. You can add multiple users and provide selective access to each member.
Unfortunately, it only accepts PayPal payments.
11. Invoice2go
Website: https://invoice.2go.com/
Primary features:
- White labelling
- PayPal/Bank/Card payments
- Estimate generator
- Receipt scanners
- Website builder
- File storage
- Time tracking
- Appointment scheduler
Invoice2go is extremely feature-rich. However, it has X invoice/year limit on most plans, hence, it’s listed lower on this list.
It does allow white-labelling invoices with your own logos and colours. Has multiple notification levels. You get notified when an invoice is viewed, paid, or becomes overdue.
Time tracking is available. Even has an appointment scheduler, and even the appointment time can be billed. Estimates can be created, approved and instantly converted to invoices.
You can accept payments via cards, banks and PayPal. Also has a basic storage solution that helps store photos, documents and other files.
Receipt scanners are available as well. You can integrate it with Zapier and other third-party tools. This unlocks inventory management and many other features.
Surprisingly, it even has a “website builder” that lets you build a basic website for free. Do note that not even the best invoice software for small business on this list so far offer this feature.
12. Fiverr Workspace (formerly And.co)
Website: https://workspace.fiverr.com/
Primary features:
- In-built contracts
- PayPal/Cards and Bank transfers
- Pre-designed templates
- White-labelling
- Notifications for invoice views/payments
- Automation available
- Milestone invoice triggers
Who here hasn’t heard of Fiverr, eh? Fiverr Workspace is a product from Fiverr for invoice and client management.
For starters, it not only lets you generate proposals/estimates, but, also “legal contracts”. Even with 0 legal knowledge, you can generate and attach contracts to your proposals using its pre-designed templates.
Advanced time-tracking capabilities let you bill for the time you invest on a project. You can get your payment via PayPal, Credit Cards or bank transfers.
You get notified when your client views or pays your invoice! White-labelling the invoices is possible. Pre-designed invoice templates too are available.
You can set and schedule payment reminders and configure recurring invoices. You can also set milestones. When these milestones are hit, it automatically generates an invoice.
Unfortunately, it’s not free. Free accounts allow only 1 invoice.
Final words- Which is the best invoice software for small business?
By now, you’d agree most of these best invoice software for small business offer similar if not identical features.
So, you can go with either of these depending on your personal preferences and requirements.
However, in my opinion, Invoice Ninja or Square Invoices are two of the best options to start with.
Most of these offer a 100% free trial, or are just free forever. Why don’t you give these a try? Remember, everyone’s best invoice software for small business differs on their own requirements and needs.
