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Quick Summary
Best Overall: Wave Invoicing - unlimited invoices, online payments, professional templates
Best for Freelancers: Zoho Invoice Free - 5 customers, time tracking, expense bills
Fastest Setup: PayPal Business - instant invoicing with PayPal payments
1. Wave Invoicing
Best Overall- Unlimited invoices forever
- Professional customizable templates
- Online payment acceptance (credit card, bank)
- Automatic payment reminders
- Recurring invoices
- Connects to Wave Accounting (also free)
2. Zoho Invoice Free
- 5 customers
- Time tracking
- Expense tracking
- Multiple payment gateways
- Client portal
3. PayPal Business Invoicing
- Unlimited invoices
- PayPal payment integration
- Mobile invoicing
- Basic templates
4. Square Invoices Free
- Unlimited invoices
- Card payments (2.6% + $0.10)
- Contract attachments
- Custom branding
5. Invoice Ninja (Open Source)
- Self-hosted or cloud (free tier)
- Unlimited invoices
- Proposals and quotes
- Recurring billing
6. Hiveage Free
- 5 clients
- Unlimited invoices
- Time tracking
- Expense management
7. Invoicely Free
- Unlimited invoices
- 3 clients
- Basic reporting
- Multiple currencies
| Tool | Free Clients | Invoices | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | Unlimited | Unlimited | Best all-around free invoicing |
| Zoho Invoice | 5 | Unlimited | Time tracking + invoicing |
| PayPal | Unlimited | Unlimited | Quick PayPal payments |
| Square | Unlimited | Unlimited | In-person + online payments |
| Invoice Ninja | Unlimited | Unlimited | Open source, self-hosted |
| Hiveage | 5 | Unlimited | Freelancer projects |
| Invoicely | 3 | Unlimited | Multi-currency invoicing |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best completely free invoicing tool?
Wave is the best free invoicing tool. It offers unlimited invoices, unlimited clients, professional templates, automatic reminders, and recurring billing - all completely free. They charge only for payment processing if you accept online payments.
Can I accept payments through free invoicing software?
Yes. Wave, PayPal, and Square all let you accept online payments through free invoicing. Processing fees apply (typically 2.6-2.9% + $0.10-0.60 per transaction), but there are no monthly subscription fees.
Do I need invoicing software or can I use a template?
You can start with a Word or Google Docs template, but dedicated invoicing software saves significant time with automatic numbering, payment tracking, reminders, and reporting. For any business sending more than 5 invoices per month, free software like Wave is worth using.