Free Invoicing Software: 6 Best Options for 2026
A fair comparison of free invoicing software: Wave, Zoho Invoice, Invoice Ninja, PayPal, Square and a free invoice generator, with limits, fees and who each suits.
Quick answer: The best free invoicing software depends on your volume. Wave is a strong pick for free invoicing plus bookkeeping, Zoho Invoice for a full-featured free invoicing app, Invoice Ninja for up to five clients or self-hosting, PayPal or Square if you want card payments built in, and a browser invoice generator for quick invoices with no account. Most charge for card payments.
"Free" means different things across invoicing tools. Some are free because they earn from payment processing, others limit clients or invoices, and some carry their brand on your invoices. This comparison of free invoicing software lays out what each option does well, where it falls short, and who it suits. It's based on each provider's published plans and pricing pages, checked in October 2026, not on hands-on testing, and prices change, so follow the links to confirm. We include our own free invoice generator and are upfront about what it doesn't do.
Free invoicing software compared
| Tool | Free plan limits | Card payments | Accounting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave (Starter) | Unlimited invoices and estimates | Yes, fee per payment | Yes, bookkeeping included | Small businesses wanting free books too |
| Zoho Invoice | Up to 500 invoices a year, 2 users; Zoho branding | Through connected gateways | No (Zoho Books is separate) | Full invoicing features at no cost |
| Invoice Ninja (Free) | Up to 5 clients | Through connected gateways | No | Few clients, or self-hosting |
| PayPal invoicing | Free to send | Yes, fee per payment | No | Clients who pay with PayPal |
| Square Invoices (Free) | Free to send | Yes, fee per payment | No | Local service businesses using Square |
| Our invoice generator | No limits, no account | No (add your own payment link) | No | Occasional invoices and full layout control |
Wave: free invoicing with bookkeeping
Wave's Starter plan is $0 and, per Wave's pricing page, includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records. Wave earns from payment processing and its paid Pro plan.
- Does better: combines invoices with basic bookkeeping, so income and expenses are in one place.
- Trade-offs: US card payments on Starter are listed at 2.9% + $0.60 for Visa, Mastercard and Discover and 3.4% + $0.60 for Amex. Automatic bank imports, late payment reminders and removal of Wave branding are Pro features ($19 a month or $190 a year when we checked).
- Suits: US and Canadian small businesses who want one free tool for invoices and simple books.
Zoho Invoice: a full invoicing app at no cost
Zoho describes Zoho Invoice as free forever. Its pricing page lists up to 500 invoices a year, two users, three projects and two organizations, with "Powered by Zoho Invoice" branding.
- Does better: a lot of features for free: quotes, recurring invoices, automated reminders, a client portal, time tracking and mobile apps.
- Trade-offs: no accounting (that's Zoho Books, a paid product), Zoho branding, and inactive accounts can be deleted after a long period of inactivity, so log in or back up regularly.
- Suits: freelancers and small teams who send regular invoices and want reminders and recurring billing without paying.
Invoice Ninja: free for up to five clients, or self-host
Invoice Ninja's hosted free plan covers up to five clients with unlimited invoices, according to its pricing page. Paid hosted plans start at $14 a month for Pro. Its source code is published on GitHub, and it can be self-hosted.
- Does better: flexibility. Technical users can host it themselves and control their data.
- Trade-offs: the five-client cap on the hosted free plan; self-hosting needs a server and maintenance.
- Suits: freelancers with a handful of regular clients, or developers who want to run their own invoicing.
PayPal invoicing: free to send, pay per payment
PayPal charges nothing to create or send invoices. You pay a fee when the invoice is paid; US invoice fees are currently 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal checkout and 2.99% + $0.49 for cards.
- Does better: clients can pay with PayPal, Venmo (in the US) or card in one click.
- Trade-offs: fees are higher than a bank transfer, the layout is fixed, and there's no bookkeeping.
- Suits: anyone whose clients already pay with PayPal. See how to send a PayPal invoice.
Square Invoices: free plan for local businesses
Square's free plan lets you send invoices at no monthly cost; card payments through invoices are 3.3% + 30¢ in the US on the free plan, with lower card rates on the paid plan.
- Does better: ties invoicing to Square's card readers and point of sale, with estimates and deposits.
- Trade-offs: processing fees on every card payment; limited layout control.
- Suits: trades and service businesses that also take in-person payments. Our Square invoice fees guide has the full rates.
Our free invoice generator: no account, no limits
Our tool is a browser-based invoice generator. You fill in the invoice, choose one of 18 templates, and download a PDF. Drafts are saved in your browser's local storage, and you don't need an account.
- Does better: speed and control. No sign-up, no invoice or client limits, no branding on your invoice, and a choice of invoice templates.
- Trade-offs: it doesn't email invoices, process payments, send reminders, sync across devices or do accounting. You send the PDF yourself and add a payment link from PayPal, Stripe or Square if you want card payments.
- Suits: freelancers and small businesses who invoice occasionally, or who want a specific layout for each client.
Worked example: what "free" costs on $3,000 of card payments
Say three clients each pay a $1,000 invoice by Visa card in the US in a month. Using the published rates above:
| Tool | Fee per $1,000 card payment | Total for 3 payments |
|---|---|---|
| Wave Starter | 2.9% = $29.00, + $0.60 = $29.60 | $88.80 |
| PayPal invoicing (card) | 2.99% = $29.90, + $0.49 = $30.39 | $91.17 |
| Square Free | 3.3% = $33.00, + $0.30 = $33.30 | $99.90 |
| Invoice generator + bank transfer | Depends on your bank; often $0 for domestic ACH | Often $0 |
For Zoho Invoice and Invoice Ninja, the card fee depends on the gateway you connect, such as Stripe. The real cost of "free" software is mostly in how your clients pay, so it helps to give them a cheap option. See ACH vs wire transfer and bank details on an invoice.
What free invoicing software usually won't do
Free plans cover the core job of creating and sending invoices. The features most often held back for paid plans, or missing entirely, are worth knowing before you commit:
- Removing the provider's branding from invoices and emails.
- Automatic payment reminders and late fees. Wave reserves automated reminders for Pro, for example, while Zoho Invoice includes them free.
- Bank feeds and reconciliation, which matter once you need proper books.
- Multiple users with different permissions.
- Structured e-invoicing for tax portals such as those used in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia or parts of Europe. A PDF isn't a compliant e-invoice where a mandate applies; see our guide to e-invoicing.
- Priority support. Free users often get email or help-center support only.
None of that is a reason to avoid free tools. It just means checking the one or two features you'd genuinely miss, rather than comparing long feature lists.
How to choose free invoicing software
- Count your invoices and clients. Over five clients rules out Invoice Ninja's hosted free plan; over 500 invoices a year rules out Zoho Invoice's free plan.
- Decide if you need bookkeeping. If yes, Wave is the free option here; otherwise compare with paid accounting software. Our guide to invoice generator vs accounting software helps.
- Look at how clients pay. Card-heavy clients make processing fees the main cost.
- Check tax requirements. If you need structured e-invoices for a tax authority, none of these free PDF-based options replaces a compliant e-invoicing system where a mandate applies.
- Make sure you can export your data if you switch later.
Comparing paid apps too? See FreshBooks vs QuickBooks, Invoice Simple alternatives and Invoice2go alternatives.
When to move to paid software
Free tools stop being the cheapest option when your time costs more than the subscription. Signs you've reached that point: you spend more than an hour a month chasing late payments by hand, you re-type the same recurring invoices, or your accountant spends billable time rebuilding your records from PDFs and bank statements. At that stage, paying for reminders, recurring billing and bookkeeping usually pays for itself.
Next step
Write down how many invoices you sent last month and how most clients paid. If it's a handful and mostly bank transfers, start with the free invoice generator. If you need reminders, recurring invoices or bookkeeping, try Zoho Invoice or Wave on your next real invoice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free invoicing software?
It depends on what you need. Wave suits people who want free invoicing plus bookkeeping, Zoho Invoice suits those who want a full free invoicing app with reminders, Invoice Ninja suits those with few clients or who want to self-host, and a browser invoice generator suits occasional invoicing with no account.
Is there truly free invoicing software with no catch?
Several tools are free to use, but each makes money somehow: payment processing fees, paid upgrades, branding on invoices or limits on clients or invoices. Check what is limited on the free plan and what you pay when a client pays by card.
Is Zoho Invoice really free?
Zoho describes Zoho Invoice as free forever. At the time of writing its free plan allows up to 500 invoices a year and two users, and invoices carry Zoho branding. Check Zoho's pricing page for current limits.
Does free invoicing software include accounting?
Some do. Wave's free Starter plan includes bookkeeping records as well as invoices. Zoho Invoice, Invoice Ninja and simple invoice generators focus on invoicing, so you would track expenses and taxes elsewhere.
Can I use free invoicing software for a business?
Yes. Free tools are widely used by freelancers and small businesses. Make sure the invoices include what your tax rules require, that you can export your data, and that you keep copies of every invoice for the required retention period.
Can I just use Excel or Google Docs instead of invoicing software?
Yes, many small businesses start with a spreadsheet or document template. The downsides are manual numbering, easy-to-miss formula errors and no tracking of what's been paid. If you go this route, lock the template, keep a separate log of invoice numbers and payments, and save each sent invoice as a PDF. A free invoice generator handles the layout and totals for you without an account.
Does Wave work outside the United States and Canada?
Only to a limited extent. Wave announced in 2020 that it would focus on the US and Canada, and its support pages say users elsewhere can no longer send invoices or reminders through Wave. Online payments also depend on your business being located in the US or Canada. If you're based elsewhere, Zoho Invoice or Invoice Ninja are more practical free options.
Which free invoicing software supports recurring invoices?
Zoho Invoice includes recurring invoices and automated reminders on its free plan at the time of writing, which is a big reason freelancers choose it. Other tools keep some automation for paid plans; Wave, for example, reserves automated reminders for Pro. Browser-based invoice generators, including ours, don't send invoices automatically, so you would recreate and send each recurring invoice yourself.
What happens to my invoices if a free invoicing tool shuts down or changes its plans?
You could lose access or be pushed onto a paid plan, which is why your own copies matter. Download a PDF of every invoice you send, export client and item lists regularly, and keep everything in your own storage. Some providers also delete long-inactive accounts. Treat any free tool as a workspace rather than your only archive, and you can switch whenever you need to.
Which free invoicing software works for businesses in the UAE, Pakistan or India?
Tools without country restrictions, such as Zoho Invoice and Invoice Ninja, are used internationally, and Zoho offers regional editions with local tax fields in some countries. Wave is focused on the US and Canada. Where structured e-invoicing is mandatory, such as India's IRN system for businesses above the turnover threshold, you need software that connects to the official system, not just a PDF.
Invoice Creator Editorial Team
Guides on invoicing, cash flow and small-business finance from Invoice Creator, operated by Next Software Development Company. Content is reviewed for accuracy against the fields our own invoice generator produces.
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