Best invoicing software for freelancers
Invoicing software should get you paid faster and keep tax time painless. These two are the common picks for freelancers: one free, one built around client work.
Prices and features come from each vendor's own pages, last checked Oct 26, 2026. We haven't finished hands-on testing of Wave and FreshBooks yet, so this page compares published facts only. How we choose.
Quick comparison
| Wave | FreshBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $19/mo | From $23/mo |
| Free plan | Starter: unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records | No |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial |
| Fees and limits | Online card payments 2.9% + 60¢ (Pro: first 10 transactions a month at 2.9% + 0¢). | Extra team members cost $11/month each. Yearly billing is an extra 10% off. |
| Best for | New freelancers who want free invoicing | Freelancers who bill clients for time and projects |
| Website | Visit Wave | Visit FreshBooks |
Our picks
Wave
Unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records on the free Starter plan. Card payments cost 2.9% + 60¢, and bank sync plus late-payment reminders need Pro at $19 a month.
- New freelancers who want free invoicing
- Keeping simple books without paying monthly
- Businesses that need bank sync on the free plan
FreshBooks
Built for service businesses, with a 30-day trial and 80% off for the first four months. Watch the client limits: Lite allows 5 billable clients and Plus allows 50.
- Freelancers who bill clients for time and projects
- Service businesses that want invoicing plus bookkeeping
- Freelancers with more than 5 clients on the Lite plan
How we chose
We compared these tools on:
- Free plan
- Client limits
- Card payment fees
- Bookkeeping included
Order reflects fit for a one-person business, not commission. Our method.