Invoice Simple Alternatives: 7 Options Compared
Looking for an Invoice Simple alternative? Compare free and paid options, including Wave, Zoho Invoice, Invoice Ninja, Square and a no-signup invoice generator.
Quick answer: The best Invoice Simple alternative depends on why you're switching. For a free app with reminders, try Zoho Invoice. For free invoicing plus bookkeeping, try Wave. For a handful of clients, Invoice Ninja's free plan. For card payments built in, Square or PayPal. For a quick PDF with no account, use a free browser invoice generator. Larger businesses may prefer FreshBooks or QuickBooks.
Invoice Simple is a popular mobile-first invoicing app for tradespeople and freelancers, and it does the job it was built for: quick, good-looking invoices and estimates from your phone. People look for an Invoice Simple alternative mostly because of invoice limits on lower plans, subscription cost, or a need for bookkeeping. This guide compares seven options using each provider's published plans as of October 2026, not hands-on testing. Pricing changes often, so check the official pages. If you just need an invoice now, our free invoice generator needs no sign-up.
What Invoice Simple offers
Invoice Simple offers paid plans with a free trial. According to Invoice Simple's pricing page, its tiers have been named Essentials, Plus and Premium, with lower tiers capping invoices per month (Essentials at 3 and Plus at 10 per month in its published plan details) and Premium allowing unlimited invoices. Published prices have changed several times, so we don't quote them here.
What it does well: a clean mobile app, estimates that convert to invoices, online payments in supported countries, and simple reports. Where some users outgrow it: the invoice caps on lower plans, the absence of full bookkeeping, and the cost if you only invoice occasionally.
Invoice Simple alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Cost to start | Main strength | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Invoice | Free | Reminders, recurring invoices, client portal | 500 invoices a year, Zoho branding |
| Wave | Free (Starter) | Free bookkeeping alongside invoices | Reminders and branding removal are paid |
| Invoice Ninja | Free for up to 5 clients | Self-hosting option | Client cap on hosted free plan |
| Square Invoices | Free plan | Card payments, in-person POS | Processing fees per payment |
| PayPal invoicing | Free to send | Clients pay by PayPal or card | Fees per payment, fixed layout |
| FreshBooks | Paid plans | Time tracking, projects, accounting | Client limits on lower plans |
| Our invoice generator | Free, no account | Fast PDF, 18 templates, no limits | No sending, payments or reminders |
1. Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice is free, with up to 500 invoices a year and two users on its free plan when we checked. It covers quotes, recurring invoices, automated reminders, a customer portal, time tracking and mobile apps.
Choose it if you want more features than Invoice Simple without a subscription and can live with Zoho branding on invoices.
2. Wave
Wave's Starter plan is free, with unlimited invoices and bookkeeping records, per Wave's pricing page. Card processing is charged per payment, and the paid Pro plan adds bank imports, automated reminders and removal of Wave branding.
Choose it if you want your invoices and basic books in one free tool and are based in a country Wave supports, mainly the US and Canada.
3. Invoice Ninja
Invoice Ninja's hosted free plan covers up to five clients with unlimited invoices, and paid plans start at $14 a month. Its code is on GitHub and can be self-hosted.
Choose it if you have a few regular clients, or you're technical and want to host your own invoicing.
4. Square Invoices
Square's free plan lets you send invoices at no monthly cost, with card payments at 3.3% + 30¢ in the US. It connects to Square's card readers and point of sale.
Choose it if you're a trade or service business taking payments on site as well as by invoice. See our breakdown of Square invoice fees.
5. PayPal invoicing
PayPal invoices are free to send, with fees when clients pay. US invoice payments by card are 2.99% + $0.49.
Choose it if your clients already pay with PayPal. Our guide on sending a PayPal invoice walks through it.
6. FreshBooks
FreshBooks is paid accounting software built around invoicing, with time tracking, expenses, proposals and project tools. Its lowest plan limits billable clients.
Choose it if you've outgrown simple invoicing and want accounting too. Compare it in FreshBooks vs QuickBooks.
7. Our free invoice generator
Our invoice generator runs in your browser. Fill in your details, pick a template, and download a PDF. Drafts are saved in local storage on your device, and there's no account or invoice limit. It works on a phone browser too; see how to make an invoice on your phone.
It's honest to say what it doesn't do: it doesn't email invoices, take payments, send reminders, convert estimates automatically or keep accounts. You send the PDF yourself, and you can add a payment link from Stripe, PayPal or Square.
Choose it if you invoice occasionally and don't want another subscription.
What to look for in an Invoice Simple alternative
Before you switch, decide what made you look in the first place. The right alternative depends on the reason:
- Invoice limits: look for unlimited invoices on the plan you'd use. Wave Starter and our generator have no invoice cap; Zoho Invoice's free cap is 500 a year.
- Cost: compare the annual cost at the plan you'd actually need, not the entry price.
- Bookkeeping: if you want expenses and reports in the same place, Wave, FreshBooks or QuickBooks fit better than a pure invoicing app.
- Card payments: check the processing rate as well as the subscription. Over a year, fees can cost more than the app.
- Mobile use: if you invoice from job sites, make sure the alternative has a good phone app or works well in a mobile browser.
- Estimates: tradespeople who quote first should check that estimates convert into invoices, or keep a separate quote template. Our guide to invoices vs estimates explains the difference.
- Data export: make sure you can get your invoices out as PDFs or CSV if you move again.
Mobile app or browser-based?
Invoice Simple's appeal is its mobile app. Most alternatives here also have apps: Wave, Zoho Invoice, Square, PayPal and FreshBooks all publish iOS and Android apps. A browser-based generator works differently: there's nothing to install, and you can use it on any device, but drafts are stored in that browser's local storage rather than synced to an account. If you switch between a phone and a laptop, either export the PDF each time or use an app that syncs.
Worked example: does a subscription pay for itself?
Suppose a painter sends 6 invoices a month. A plan capped at 3 invoices won't work, so she'd need a higher tier. Let's compare her annual cost with a hypothetical $15-a-month app against free options (use the real price from the provider's page):
| Option | Monthly cost | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothetical $15/month app | $15.00 | $180.00 |
| Zoho Invoice free (72 invoices a year, under the 500 cap) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Invoice generator | $0.00 | $0.00 |
The $180 a year buys convenience: sending from your phone, payment tracking and reminders. If those features save you an hour a month or get you paid faster, the subscription can be worth it. If you mostly need a clean PDF, it probably isn't.
How to switch without losing records
- Download PDFs of every invoice you've issued, and export client and item lists if the app allows.
- Note your last invoice number and continue the sequence in the new tool. The invoice number generator can help you pick a format.
- Finish chasing open invoices in the old tool, or reissue them carefully with the same numbers.
- Keep the old PDFs for as long as tax rules require; see how long to keep invoices.
For more options, see our best free invoicing software roundup and Invoice2go alternatives.
Which alternative fits which business?
- Solo tradesperson, a few jobs a week: Square Invoices if you also take card payments on site; otherwise Zoho Invoice.
- Freelancer with a handful of retainer clients: Invoice Ninja's free plan or Zoho Invoice for recurring invoices.
- Small business that wants its books in order: Wave on a budget, or FreshBooks if you bill time and projects.
- Occasional invoicer: the browser generator, with a payment link added when needed.
Next step
List the three features you actually use in Invoice Simple. If they're "make a PDF, add my logo, add tax", try the invoice generator on your next job. If one of them is reminders or recurring billing, start a free Zoho Invoice account and send your next invoice from there.
Frequently asked questions
Is Invoice Simple free?
Invoice Simple is a paid subscription app with a free trial. Its plans have differed in invoice limits, with lower tiers capping the number of invoices per month and the top tier allowing unlimited invoices. Check Invoice Simple's pricing page for current plans and prices.
What is the best free alternative to Invoice Simple?
For a free app with reminders and recurring invoices, Zoho Invoice is a strong option. Wave adds free bookkeeping. If you just need a professional PDF without an account, a browser invoice generator is the quickest route.
Can I make invoices on my phone without Invoice Simple?
Yes. Wave, Zoho Invoice, Square and PayPal all have mobile apps, and browser-based invoice generators work in a phone's web browser. Choose based on whether you need the app to send invoices and track payments for you.
How do I move my invoices out of Invoice Simple?
Download PDFs of your past invoices and export any client or item lists the app allows before you cancel. Keep the PDFs for your tax records and continue your invoice numbering in the new tool so there are no gaps or duplicates.
Is Invoice2go the same as Invoice Simple?
No. They are separate apps from different companies, although both are mobile-first invoicing tools aimed at tradespeople and small businesses. Invoice2go is owned by the payments company BILL. Both use paid subscription plans with different feature sets and limits. If you're comparing the two, check each one's current pricing page and invoice limits before deciding, or consider the free options in this guide.
Which Invoice Simple alternatives can create estimates?
Most of the main options can. Zoho Invoice offers quotes, Wave has estimates, Square Invoices supports estimates, and Invoice Ninja includes quotes that can be converted into invoices. Check how each handles client approval and conversion, because some let the client accept an estimate online. If you use a simple PDF generator, keep a separate quote template and copy the details into the invoice once approved.
Which Invoice Simple alternative works best outside the US?
Zoho Invoice and Invoice Ninja are used internationally and support multiple currencies and tax settings. Wave focuses on US and Canadian businesses, and Square Invoices is available only in the countries where Square operates. Check whether the tool supports your local tax fields, currency and any e-invoicing rules before switching, especially if you are VAT or GST registered.
Should I tell clients when I switch invoicing apps?
Yes, briefly. A new tool may send emails from a different address and change how your invoices look, which can make careful clients suspect fraud. Tell them which address invoices will come from, confirm that your bank details have not changed, and keep your invoice numbering continuous. If your payment details do change, confirm them by phone rather than by email alone.
Are browser-based invoice generators safe for storing my invoices?
They are fine for creating invoices, but browser storage is not a long-term archive. Our generator keeps drafts in your browser's local storage on that device, so clearing browser data or switching devices means the drafts aren't there. Download each finished invoice as a PDF and save it to your own folders or cloud storage. That gives you a permanent copy for clients, accountants and tax records.
Is it worth paying for an invoicing app if I send fewer than ten invoices a month?
Often not, unless you rely on features like automatic reminders, online payments or syncing across devices. For a handful of invoices, a free app or a browser generator covers the core job. Work out the annual subscription cost and compare it with the time the app would save you. If it helps you get paid noticeably faster, it can still pay for itself.
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.
Try the invoice generator