Best Invoicing Software for Small Business

Invoicing can be a tedious and time-consuming process – but it doesn’t need to be. With the right tools and systems, you can streamline and automate invoicing for your business, in turn saving time and resources, ensuring you get paid on time, and letting your team stay focused on the work itself.

There’s a lot of invoicing software and apps available and it can be difficult to find the one that best suits the needs of your business, so let’s take a look at some of the top options and their benefits for small businesses.

All of the invoicing software listed below can be easily connected to GoCardless with seamless, pre-built integration.

Xero

With over 700 app integrations available to help you manage every aspect of accounting and invoicing, Xero provides a robust platform that grows with your business. Xero offers a wide range of plans tailored to teams of any size – with plans for freelancers, solo traders, and startups, all the way to plans for enterprise-level businesses. Xero supports growth by allowing unlimited users under a single business account – at no additional cost.

Recurrent invoicing is made easy with the tools and templates offered by Xero. Customize your invoices and create multiple professional-looking invoices for various clients with easy branding tools. Accept payments at the click of a button, and set trackable, automatic reminders for late payments.

Additionally, you can generate customizable reports, including general ledgers and profit and loss statements; monitor and manage inventory in real time, and use Xero’s project management tools to manage expenses, budgets, scheduling, billing, and more.

Intuit QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is perhaps the most well-known invoicing software, and with good reason. Through the cloud-based QuickBooks accounting platform, small businesses benefit from cost-effective solutions like built-in, automated reports, professional invoice templates, automatic reconciliation, and more.

With QuickBooks, you can track payments in real time and even receive notifications whenever a customer opens an invoice. You can also set up discounts, late fees and automated tax calculations with ease. Moreover, QuickBooks’ Live Bookkeeping service offers ongoing support and advice to help you make the most of the platform.

Sage

While especially popular among freelancers and self-employed business owners, Sage Business Cloud Accounting offers a full suite of accounting and online invoicing tools that benefit small businesses too. With even the entry-level plan, Sage makes invoicing easy and helps you track payments and reconcile bank entries automatically.

Other plans allow you to run reports and conduct detailed analysis, forecast cash flow, and easily upload and convert scanned or photographed receipts into expenses. Use Sage to generate quotes and estimates – which can be easily converted into invoices at the click of a button.

Sage offers extremely user-friendly invoicing software, and a 30-day free trial allows small businesses the opportunity to test the service ahead of committing long-term, which is why it’s a great choice for freelancers.

As a member of Sage, you’ll also get access to 24/7 support, expert insight and advice, live Q&A sessions, and one-on-one workshops.

Zoho Books

Available as an app on Windows, Android, and Apple devices, Zoho Books is a simple, intuitive platform with a range of useful features. Zoho Books uses automation to help boost efficiency and reduce time spent on menial business processes.

Set up recurring invoices and automatic payment reminders, and link your POS system directly to Zoho Books to streamline payments even further. Automate regular accounting reports on a schedule that suits your business, and have them emailed directly to you whenever they’re generated.

Zoho Books also offers a client portal that your customers and clients can access to view and manage invoices and make payments quickly and easily, which goes a long way in fostering strong customer relationships.

Features like multi-currency pricing, transaction verification, e-signature integration, and returns and refund systems make Zoho Books a comprehensive option for small business invoicing.

FreeAgent

FreeAgent is invoicing software designed specifically for small businesses, but supports unlimited users, invoices, and clients for scalable growth. Generate automatic bank feeds, recurring invoices and payment reminders, and track time easily with FreeAgent’s intuitive system for online invoicing and accounting.

You can choose from a range of templates and add your logo and details with ease, or create your own invoices from scratch within the system,  and have them sent off to clients in a matter of minutes. FreeAgent’s invoice templates cover all of the legal information so you don’t need to stress about the fine details.

View your Invoice Timeline to track payments and set up automated reminders for overdue invoice payments. FreeAgent also offers data-driven insights on your customers, and can help you set bespoke payment terms for different clients.

We can help

GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.