Liz Smith
2025-07-07 08:48:00
www.techrepublic.com
Here are the best invoicing software options that offer excellent tools to help you manage your billing.
- Best overall invoicing software: Zoho Invoice
- Best invoicing software with full accounting integration: QuickBooks Online
- Best for low-volume invoicing: Square Invoices
- Best scalable invoicing system with full-service accounting tools: Sage
- Best invoicing and compliance tool for midsize and large businesses: SAP
The best software for invoicing depends on your business size, type, budget, and required features. Choose one with customizable invoices, recurring billing, payment links, tracking, and a mobile app. I’ve prepared this overview to aid in your selection process.
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Quick comparison of the best invoicing software
Zoho Invoice | From $29 per month | Invoice scheduling and reminders | Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay | |
QuickBooks Online | From $35 per month | Recurring invoices | QuickBooks Payments, third-party options | |
Square Invoices | From free; fees assessed per transaction | Simple recurring invoice setup | Square Payments integration | |
Sage | Custom | Available in premium tiers | SagePay and external gateways | |
SAP | Custom | Advanced billing automation features | Global systems, enterprise-level processing |
Zoho Invoice: Best overall
With user-friendly feathers and excellent value, Zoho Invoice is ideal for SMBs. Its intuitive interface includes customizable templates, automated billing, and online payment integration. With strong automation and client tracking, it simplifies sending reminders, scheduling invoices, and monitoring payments. A free plan is available, and paid options cater to expanding businesses. It provides robust invoicing solutions without the complexity of full accounting software.
However, one limitation of the platform is that some of its reporting tools may require additional Zoho apps for broader business functions like full accounting or payroll. In contrast, QuickBooks Online offers fully integrated accounting which may provide a more comprehensive solution for scaling businesses.
Pricing
There is a free invoicing option perfectly suited for small and medium-sized businesses, and entrepreneurs. It includes all essential features and allows up to 1,000 invoices annually at no charge. If your company has larger invoicing needs exceeding that limit, you’ll have to upgrade to Zoho Billing.
- Free plan: Free; includes unlimited invoicing, customizable invoice templates, recurring invoices, automated payment reminders, expense tracking, time tracking, project management, multi-currency support, integration with payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal, and iOS and Android mobile apps
- Standard plan: $29 per month; features multi-user access (up to three users), advanced automation and customization, and detailed tax reports
- Premium plan: $69 per month; includes all Standard features, subscription billing management, hosted payment pages, and advanced analytics and reporting
- Custom plan: Pricing varies; features tailored solutions for enterprises with complex billing needs, a dedicated account manager, and personalized onboarding
Standout features
- Customizable, professional invoices: Create professional, branded invoices with your logo, custom fields, and personalized notes, providing a polished and tailored invoicing solution.
- Automated billing and reminders: Minimize follow-ups and speed up payments with automated recurring invoices, payment reminders, and thank-you notes.
- Client portal for better communication: Offer clients access to a secure portal where they can view their invoices, make payments, accept estimates, and communicate with you directly.
- Multi-currency and tax handling: Enjoy support for multiple currencies and localized tax settings, making it ideal for working with international clients.
- Time tracking and project billing: Track billable hours directly in the app, then convert them into invoices with just a few clicks.
Pros & cons
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QuickBooks Online: Best invoicing software with full accounting integration

I recommend QuickBooks Online if you need accounting integration along with an invoicing solution. QuickBooks Online offers professional invoice creation and automatic data syncing across financial systems. Features include payment links, recurring billing, mobile invoicing, bank feeds, customizable templates, and automated reminders.
Sage offers similar full-suite integration but requires the purchase of a complete accounting package to access its invoicing tools. It may also include accounting features that SMBs don’t need. QuickBooks Online also bundles some of its services, but it does so at a lower and more transparent price point.
Pricing
QuickBooks offers multiple products, each of which can produce invoices.
- Simple Start: $35 per month; provides core invoicing functionalities like customizable invoices, payment tracking, and mobile invoicing and a seat for one user
- Essentials: $65 per month; offers all Simple Start features plus support for recurring invoices, multi-currency billing, and access for up to three users
- Plus: $99 per month; includes all features provided in the Essentials package, adds project-based billing, inventory tracking, and location/class tagging, and offers five user seats
- Advanced: $235 per month; features batch invoicing, workflow automation, advanced analytics with Fathom, and access for up to 25 users
Through July 31, 2025, QuickBooks is offering a 90% off promotion on the prices above for a 3-month period. This limited time offer is exclusive to TechRepublic readers.
Standout features
- Real-time invoice tracking and status alerts: Get notified when a customer views your invoice; also monitor payment status and get alerts for overdue invoices.
- Payment links and instant pay options: Allow your customers to pay instantly via credit card, ACH, or digital wallets, as each invoice includes a secure payment link.
- Mobile invoicing on the go: Create, send, and track invoices from anywhere via the QuickBooks mobile app.
- Batch invoicing and custom workflows: Create and send multiple invoices at once and build automated workflows for approvals, reminders, or follow-ups in the Advanced tier.
Pros & cons
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Square Invoices: Best for low volume invoicing

Square Invoices is best if your business has limited transactions due to its free entry-level option, straightforward design, and easy integration with the Square ecosystem. It offers quick invoice creation, instant secure payments, and automated reminders. While it lacks advanced accounting features, its simplicity and pay-per-transaction model make it suitable for sporadic invoicing needs.
While Square Invoices is a user-friendly and cost-effective invoicing solution, it lacks deep accounting functionality. QuickBooks Online offers invoicing along with integrated accounting features, which may be a better option if you would like to consolidate the recordkeeping and invoicing responsibilities.
Pricing
While Square Invoices is primarily designed for ease and affordability, its pricing structure is straightforward and flexible, making it especially attractive for small or low-volume businesses. Most features are free to use, with transaction-based pricing applied only when payments are processed.
- Free plan: $0 per month
- Features: Unlimited invoices, estimates, recurring billing, payment reminders, and customer directory
- Mobile access: Full invoicing functionality via the Square mobile app
- Support: Access to Square’s Help Center, community forums, and limited live chat or phone support
- Card payments (online): 3.3% + 30 cents per transaction
- Card on file or ACH payments: 1% (ACH) or 3.5% + 15 cents (card on file)
- In-person payments via Square hardware: 2.6% + 10 cents per tap, dip, or swipe
Standout features
- User-friendly invoicing for occasional billing: Use a platform built with simplicity in mind, making it ideal if you only need to send invoices occasionally; there’s no need to deal with complex software or subscriptions.
- Free to use with no monthly fees: Enjoy unlimited invoicing at no cost; only pay a small transaction fee when your clients make a payment, which is ideal if you’re looking to avoid recurring software charges.
- Integrated online payments: Allow your clients to pay directly through the invoice using credit card, ACH, or stored payment methods; no additional payment processor is required, and transactions are automatically tracked.
- Mobile-friendly access: Use Square’s mobile app that offers full invoicing functionality, including invoice creation, reminders, payment tracking, and customer management — perfect if you’re an on-the-go business owner.
- Automatic reminders and tracking: Receive automatic reminders for unpaid invoices and real-time status updates; you’ll always know when a client has viewed or paid your invoice.
- Ties into Square ecosystem: Easily connect Square Invoices with Square’s broader suite of tools — including POS, appointments, inventory, and reporting — offering scalability as your business grows.
Pros & cons
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Sage: Best scalable invoicing system with full-service accounting tools

Sage’s invoicing software will work well if you have a growing business due to its scalability and integrated accounting features. It provides a full financial overview by connecting billing, bank reconciliation, and compliance tasks in one platform, which reduces errors. Its modular structure allows you to add functionalities like inventory and payroll as your business grows.
Like QuickBooks Online, Sage connects invoicing with billing, bank reconciliation, and compliance tasks to provide a more complete financial picture. However, QuickBooks Online offers broader third-party integrations and more intuitive user workflows, which may appeal to businesses looking for ease of use and seamless connectivity.
In addition, Sage does not offer invoicing as a standalone product. To access invoicing features, you need to purchase one of the Sage Accounting packages. Zoho Invoices may be a better option if you’re looking for standalone software.
Pricing
Pricing for basic plans are included below. Some scalable invoicing tools may require higher-tier subscriptions.
- Sage Accounting Start: Contact Sage for custom pricing; features basic invoicing, income and expense tracking, bank feeds
- Sage Accounting Standard: Contact Sage for custom pricing; includes full invoicing capabilities, quotes and estimates, cash flow forecasts, multi-user access, and more robust reporting
Standout features
- Integrated with full accounting: Enjoy a tool that has invoicing seamlessly linked with core accounting features like bank reconciliation, cash flow tracking, and financial reporting.
- Quote-to-invoice conversion: Generate quotes and estimates that can be converted directly into invoices with a single click.
- Real-time payment tracking: Monitor when invoices are sent, viewed, and paid, helping you stay on top of accounts receivable and follow up with overdue customers quickly.
- Multi-currency support: Bill clients in their local currency and let Sage automatically handle the exchange rate conversions.
- Client account history: Access full billing histories for each customer, including past invoices, payments, and outstanding balances, for better relationship and collections management.
- Mobile-friendly access: Create and manage invoices on the go using Sage’s mobile app.
Pros & cons
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SAP: Best invoicing and compliance tool for midsize and large businesses

I recommend SAP’s invoicing solutions if your business needs a precise and automated invoice platform. Their key strength is seamless integration with global ERP systems and compliance engines, supporting e-invoicing, VAT validations, and regulatory reporting. SAP provides secure, scalable, and configurable tools. However, none are available as a standalone package, as each is part of a SAP suite of products.
SAP’s invoicing software excels in large-scale enterprise environments, but may not be the best option for smaller businesses due to its high cost, complex setup, and lack of availability as a standalone tool. In contrast, Zoho Invoice offers powerful features like automated billing, recurring invoices, and client portals, even in its free plan.
Pricing
- SAP Ariba Invoice Management: Contact SAP for a quote, as pricing is based on the number of invoices processed per year; entry-level implementations are often estimated to start anywhere from $50,000 to over $100,000 per year, but exact pricing varies
- SAP Ariba Central Invoice Management: Contact SAP for a quote; sold in invoice blocks per year (e.g., pricing tiers based on batches of 10,000, 50,000, and 100,000+ invoices)
- SAP Invoice Management by OpenText: Contact SAP for a quote; implementation costs and license fees depend on document volume, user count, and system configuration (those fees are not always bundled and can reach over $100,000 annually)
Standout features
- Integrated with enterprise systems: Enjoy invoicing tools that are deeply embedded within SAP’s broader ERP platforms, which work well if you’re an existing SAP user.
- Advanced compliance automation: Get support for global tax rules, e-invoicing mandates, and digital signature requirements, making SAP ideal if you have a multinational organization navigating complex regulatory environments.
- High-volume invoice processing: Work with solutions that can handle hundreds of thousands of invoices annually with advanced automation, batch processing, and exception handling.
- Custom workflow configuration: Tailor invoice approval processes, routing rules, and user permissions to match internal controls and audit requirements.
- Centralized invoice visibility: Gain a unified dashboard to track invoice status across entities, regions, and departments.
- AI-enabled error detection: Enjoy SAP’s intelligent technologies for duplicate detection, data validation, and fraud prevention, improving accuracy and reducing the need for manual intervention.
Pros & cons
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My methodology
A structured analysis was conducted to evaluate the best invoice software options based on functionality, affordability, scalability, and ease of use.
Here are the key factors that were explored in my assessment:
- Core invoicing functionality: I reviewed platform capabilities, focusing on key invoicing features, i.e., recurring billing, invoice customization, payment reminders, and partial payments.
- Integration and ecosystem fit: I reviewed each software for integration with key accounting, CRM, and payment platforms like QuickBooks, Xero, PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify to improve efficiency and minimize manual data input.
- Cost structure and value: I centered on the feature sets available across different pricing tiers, with a particular focus on the free and entry-level options.
- User experience and platform design: I analyzed the intuitiveness of each platform’s interface, template quality, and navigation flow to determine how efficiently you can create and manage invoices.
- Scalability and flexibility: I assessed how each tool adapts to growing business needs, such as user permissions, multi-currency support, volume handling, or industry-specific features (e.g., job costing or time tracking).
- Compliance and security: I looked into built-in audit trails, data encryption, global tax compliance tools (e.g., VAT or e-invoicing regulations), and user-access controls to ensure sensitive financial data is protected.
- Support and help resources: I considered the availability of customer support, onboarding tools, help centers, and live chat options to help users troubleshoot quickly and confidently.
Key features to look for when choosing the best invoice software
While all of the invoicing software listed are strong contenders, the best choice depends on your specific needs and priorities.
- Core features: Look for essential tools like invoice customization, recurring billing, payment tracking, and online payment integration.
- Ease of use: Choose a program with an intuitive interface that simplifies creating, sending, and managing invoices without a learning curve.
- Scalability: Ensure the platform can grow with your business, supporting more users, higher invoice volumes, or added features as needed.
- Integrations: Select a solution that connects easily with your existing accounting, payment, CRM, or e-commerce systems.
- Pricing and value: Evaluate what’s included at each pricing tier, and ensure the platform provides good value based on your budget and usage.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Can invoicing software help prevent duplicate or fraudulent invoices?
Yes, many advanced platforms like SAP and QuickBooks Online use built-in validation tools or AI-powered detection to flag duplicate or suspicious invoices. Those are especially useful if you have a large or high-volume business where manual oversight becomes impractical. However, basic tools like Square may exclude these controls, so if your business handles large invoice flows, you should prioritize software with fraud detection capabilities.
Is it possible to automate tax handling across multiple regions or currencies?
Absolutely. Tools like Zoho Invoice, SAP, and Sage offer multi-currency support and localized tax settings. SAP stands out for global compliance, including VAT validations and e-invoicing mandates.
What if I need to invoice based on project milestones or time tracking?
Platforms like Zoho Invoice and QuickBooks Online (Plus plan) allow you to convert billable hours or project milestones directly into invoices. If your plan lacks the functionality to do those things, you would have to convert your billable hours to billable amounts manually.
Can invoicing software integrate with my CRM or payment processor?
Most modern invoicing platforms support third-party integrations. QuickBooks Online connects to CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, while Zoho Invoice integrates with the broader Zoho ecosystem. Square Invoices is more limited to its native ecosystem, so choose based on the flexibility you need for syncing systems.
How important is batch invoicing, and who needs it?
Batch invoicing allows you to send multiple invoices simultaneously, which is a significant time-saver if your company bills repeat clients or manages subscriptions. It’s typically a feature in higher-tier plans like QuickBooks Online Advanced or enterprise tools like SAP.
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