Whether you oversee a team or run a one-person show, getting paid on time is integral to any business’s success. Good invoicing software makes it easy to create estimates, track projects, send reminders and process payments. CNBC Select has named the best billing software for small businesses in a variety of categories. To learn more about how we made our choices, read our methodology. Who’s this for? WithZoho Invoice’s no-cost plan, you can organize billable expenses, track project timelines and create payment terms and quotes. While there are restrictions on the number of clients and users, there’s no limit on the number of invoices you can generate. Standout benefits: Free users can create up to 1,000 invoices per year, with customizable templates and automatic reminders. Access is available for one user and one accountant, with a client portal for secure communication and payment. Tax-compliant invoices, multiple payment options, integrations with other business management tools, Users can add up to two organizations under the same account Who’s this for? If your business reaches across the globe,Stripe Invoicing can generate invoices in more than 25 languages and 135 currencies. In addition to ACH, credit cards, digital wallets (Google Pay, Apple Pay) and Buy Now Pay Later, it processes regional payment methods like SEPA (Europe), Payto (Australia) and Pix (Latin America). Standout benefits: Robust tools for one-off and recurring billing, including for managing trial periods and plan upgrades. 0.4% per paid invoice (Starter plan); 0.5% per paid invoice (Plus plan) Offers convenient customer portal, includes advanced analytics for revenue tracking and forecasting, supports international currencies and payment types Who’s this for? If you just want to test the waters,FreshBooks’ 30-day free trial doesn’t require any credit card details. When the month is up, you can get a 60% discount for the first three months on any paid plan. Standout benefits: FreshBooks lets you request an upfront deposit, either as a percentage or a fixed amount of the invoice. $21/month for Lite plan, $38/month for Plus plan, $65/month for Premium plan. Contact FreshBooks for Select plan pricing. First three months are 60% off, with a 30-day free trial. Platform is scalable and customizable, interface is intuitive with easy-to-understand language Who’s this for? Whilemany invoicing platforms limit the number of projects or clients (or both). Square offers unlimited invoices to as many customers as you want. Standout benefits:Square Invoices offers a 30-day free trial on all paid plans. Custom pricing is available for companies that process over $250,000 in annual sales. Square Invoices Free is $0 per month; Square Invoices Plus is $49 per month; Square Invoices Premium is $149 per month. Create custom templates, auto-convert estimates to invoices and send invoices through email, SMS or shareable link Who’s this for? Harvest allows users to send invoices generated for individual projects, with billable hours listed by person, project or task. It’s also a great option for integrating: Harvest works with accounting programs from QuickBooks and Xero, as well as project management platforms like Asana and Basecamp. Standout benefits: Paid plan members can invoice unlimited projects and users (seats). Upload billable receipts as photos in the Harvest app. The free plan is $0 and the Teams plan starts at $9 per seat per month. (Contact Harvest for Enterprise plan pricing) There is a 30-day free trial on paid plans. Time- and expense-tracking, integrations with business management tools, forecast integration, team reporting, importing of people and projects Your billing platform should be suited for your business size, budget, invoice volume and integration needs, while still leaving room for growth. Ask these questions when comparing options: Does it have the features you want? Choose a program that tracks expenses and hours worked, generates the volume and frequency of invoices you need and allows for customization and automatic billing. A platform that integrates with your accounting, e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) software will require much less manual entry. Is it easy to use? Choose software that’s intuitive, with helpful videos and explainers, and customer support that is available when you need it. Is the price right? In addition to monthly or annual subscription costs, check for setup and transaction fees, as well as any other one-time or ongoing expenses. While free tiers can be attractive, most have strict limits on the number of clients and invoices, as well as limited reporting capabilities. A platform with multiple tiers might suit your growing needs. Will it scale with your business? While you don’t want to get sucked in by bells and whistles you’ll never use, you should choose software that evolves with you. Your platform should be able to allow more users and a higher volume of invoices, accept more payment methods and currencies and integrate with new tools. Is there a free trial or money-back guarantee? Being able to test the workflow and create and send real invoices without a long-term commitment is the best way to see if a program is right for you. Invoicing software enables you to manage your billing process, ensuring estimates are on target, invoices are thorough and accurate and clients make prompt payment. Billing software reduces the likelihood of human error and late/missing invoices. A good program will also improve organization and tracking, enabling you to make adjustments as your business evolves. Most of the companies on our best list have a free tier, although the number of invoices and clients is usually limited. Zoho Invoice’s free version allows for unlimited invoicing, but there are caps on the number of clients and users. Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here. At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice to help them make informed financial decisions. Every article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, with extensive knowledge of small-businessproducts. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. To determine the best invoicing software for small businesses, CNBC Select analyzed several invoicing service providers. We considered features like: After reviewing these features, we organized our recommendations by best free plan, best for international sales, best for freelancers, best for unlimited invoices and best free trial offer. Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
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