Free Invoicing Software
Which invoicing and accounting tools a startup can send invoices with for free today, how many clients or invoices the free plan covers, what online payments cost, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each tool's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Invoicing tools change their free plans and payment fees from time to time: confirm the terms on the tool's page before you bill a client.
Invoicing tools you can send invoices with for free today include Invoice Ninja (Free plan: 5 clients, unlimited invoices), Wave (Unlimited invoices and estimates), StitchInvoice ($0 Starter: 10 document sends a month), Zoho Books (Free while revenue is 50K USD or less), and Zoho Invoice (Free: up to 500 invoices a year). Each of the 12 free plans and trials below links to the tool's page that states it, with its main limit, what online payments cost, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
An invoice is how a young company gets paid, and many invoicing and accounting tools let you send them for free: some with a free plan that never ends, some by charging only when a client pays online, some with a trial.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. A free plan can stop at a few clients or a few invoices a month, keep card payments or reminders for paid plans, or charge a fee on every paid invoice. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, what online payments cost, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the tool's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the tools'. Some of these tools pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
Invoicing tools with a free plan
Tools for creating, sending and tracking invoices, with a free plan or free invoicing to start.
- 1
Invoice Ninja
Unlimited invoices for up to 5 clients, no card
Invoice Ninja's Free plan allows up to 5 clients with unlimited invoicing, and no credit card is required. Pro is $14 a month and unlocks unlimited clients.
Start free at Invoice NinjaTerms read on invoiceninja.com on Invoice Ninja: the free allowance and how to start - 2
StitchInvoice
Freelancers sending a few documents a month
StitchInvoice's Starter plan is $0 with all five document types and 10 document sends a month, and it needs no card to start. The client portal and card payments are on the paid plans.
- Online payments
- Card payments need a paid plan (source: stitchinvoice.com)
Start free at StitchInvoiceReferral linkTerms read on stitchinvoice.com on StitchInvoice: the free allowance and how to start - 3
Zoho Invoice
Sole sellers sending up to 500 invoices a year
Zoho Invoice's free plan sends up to 500 invoices a year for two users and three projects.
Start free at Zoho InvoiceTerms read on zoho.com on Zoho Invoice: the free allowance and how to start - 4
Invoicely
A few invoices a month, paid through PayPal
Invoicely's Free Plan sends up to 5 monthly invoices and receives payment through PayPal, and no credit card is needed. The Basic Plan is $9.99 a month.
- Payment card
- No credit card needed (source: invoicely.com)
- First paid plan
- Basic: $9.99 a month (source: invoicely.com)
Start free at InvoicelyTerms read on invoicely.com on Invoicely: the free allowance and how to start - 5
Stripe Invoicing
Businesses already taking payments on Stripe
Stripe Invoicing has no fixed fees or setup costs. The Starter plan charges 0.4% per paid invoice, and quotes are on the Plus plan.
- Online payments
- Starter: 0.4% per paid invoice (source: stripe.com)
Start free at Stripe InvoicingTerms read on stripe.com on Stripe Invoicing: the free allowance and how to start - 6
PayPal Invoicing
Clients who already use PayPal or Venmo
Creating and sending invoices is included with a PayPal account. Card payments cost 2.99% + $0.49 per transaction, so the free part is sending invoices.
- Online payments
- 2.99% + $0.49 per card transaction (source: paypal.com)
- Payment card
- PayPal account only (source: paypal.com)
Start free at PayPalTerms read on paypal.com on PayPal Invoicing: the free allowance and how to start - 7
Square Invoices
Businesses already selling in person on Square
Square Free has no monthly subscription. Card payments made online or through an invoice cost 3.3% + 30¢, and Square Plus is $49 a month per location.
- Online payments
- 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment (source: squareup.com)
- First paid plan
- Square Plus: $49 a month per location (source: squareup.com)
Start free at SquareTerms read on squareup.com on Square Invoices: the free allowance and how to start
Accounting software with free invoicing
Accounting tools that include invoicing on a free plan, or start with a free trial.
- 1
Wave
Unlimited invoices and bookkeeping at no cost
Wave's Starter plan is free with unlimited estimates and invoices. Card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction, and Pro is $19 a month, billed monthly.
- Online payments
- 2.9% + $0.60 per card transaction (source: waveapps.com)
- First paid plan
- Pro: $19 a month, billed monthly (source: waveapps.com)
- 2
Zoho Books
Small books with up to 1,000 invoices a year
Zoho Books' Free plan stays free while revenue is 50K USD or less, with up to 1,000 invoices a year. Standard is $10 a month billed yearly.
- First paid plan
- Standard: from $10 a month (source: zoho.com)
- 3
QuickBooks
A solo business sending 2 invoices a month
QuickBooks Free is not a trial and needs no credit card. It allows 2 invoices a month, and the first paid plan, Simple Start, is $38 a month, or $19 for three months.
Start free at QuickBooksTerms read on quickbooks.intuit.com on QuickBooks: the free allowance and how to start - 4
FreshBooks
Trying full accounting software for 30 days
FreshBooks gives unlimited access through a 30-day free trial, with no credit card required. After the trial, Lite is $23 a month.
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: freshbooks.com)
- First paid plan
- Lite: $23 a month after the trial (source: freshbooks.com)
Start free at FreshBooksTerms read on freshbooks.com on FreshBooks: the free allowance and how to start - 5
Xero
Trying Xero for a month before paying
Xero offers one month free to try before you buy. Starter is $29 a month once its first 3 months are over.
- First paid plan
- Then $29 a month (source: xero.com)
Start free at XeroTerms read on xero.com on Xero: the free allowance and how to start Xero startup offer: what startups get
Accounting and invoicing startup programs
Programs from accounting and invoicing companies that give startups a discount on paid plans.
Also useful for bookkeeping, tax and finance
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers invoicing tools and accounting software with free invoicing a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on clients or invoices, branding on invoices or the fee when a client pays online can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the tool states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free invoicing software?
It depends on how many invoices you send. By the terms each tool states, Wave includes unlimited invoices and estimates, Zoho Invoice up to 500 invoices a year, Zoho Books up to 1,000 a year while revenue stays at 50K USD or less, Invoice Ninja unlimited invoices for up to 5 clients, and Invoicely 5 invoices a month.
Is Invoice Ninja free?
Yes. Its Free plan allows up to 5 clients with unlimited invoicing and needs no credit card. Ninja Pro costs $14 a month, billed monthly, and unlocks unlimited clients.
Is QuickBooks free?
QuickBooks lists a free plan that it says is not a trial: it needs no credit card and covers 2 invoices a month. Simple Start costs $38 a month, with 50% off for the first 3 months.
Is sending invoices with Stripe, PayPal or Square free?
Creating and sending invoices costs nothing with each of them, and they charge when a client pays: Stripe Invoicing Starter takes 0.4% per paid invoice plus card processing, PayPal 2.99% + $0.49 per card transaction, and Square Free 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment.
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