Compare invoice software

See how inv.so stacks up against popular invoicing tools. Find the right fit for your freelance business.

Best for designers & creatives: inv.so — AI-powered invoicing, upload your own designs, online payments, from $3.33/mo

Best for full accounting: FreshBooks — time tracking, expenses, double-entry bookkeeping, from $17/mo

Best free option: Wave — free accounting with ads, no custom branding or multi-currency

Best for developers: Invoice Ninja — open source, self-hostable, free or $10/mo hosted

Feature comparison

inv.so RecommendedFreshBooks Wave Invoice Ninja QuickBooks Xero
PriceFrom $3.33/moFrom $22/moFree (ads)Free / $10/moFrom $30/moFrom $29/mo
Invoicing
Unlimited invoices
PDF generation
Email sending
Client management
Payment tracking
Online payments
Design & AI
Upload your own designs
AI-powered invoicing
Custom branding
Dark mode
Advanced
Multi-currency
Partial payments
Time tracking
Expense tracking
Tax calculations

inv.so Our pick

AI-first invoicing built for designers, freelancers, and studios

From $3.33/mo
  • AI-powered invoice creation from text descriptions
  • Upload your own PDF/PNG invoice designs as templates
  • Online payments via Stripe — no platform fee on Pro
  • Custom branding, logos, and fonts on every invoice
  • Unlimited invoices on all plans
  • No built-in time tracking
  • No expense management
  • No accounting features (by design)

Best for: Freelance designers, photographers, and creatives who want beautiful invoices with AI assistance — without accounting complexity

FreshBooks

Full accounting software for small businesses

From $22/mo
  • Full double-entry accounting
  • Time tracking and project management
  • Expense management with receipt scanning
  • Well-known brand with mature mobile app
  • 7x more expensive than inv.so
  • Complex UI — overkill if you just need invoicing
  • No custom template upload
  • Generic invoice templates

Best for: Small businesses that need full accounting, time tracking, and expense management in one tool

Wave

Free accounting and invoicing with ad-supported model

Free (ads)
  • Free to use with no plan limits
  • Full accounting and bookkeeping
  • Receipt scanning included
  • Ad-supported — ads throughout the interface
  • Generic templates only, no custom branding
  • No multi-currency support
  • Primarily US/Canada focused

Best for: Budget-conscious freelancers who need basic accounting and don't mind ads

Invoice Ninja

Open-source invoicing with self-hosting option

Free / $10/mo
  • Open source — can self-host for free
  • Feature-rich with time tracking and expenses
  • Good API for developer integrations
  • Many payment gateway options
  • Complex setup, especially self-hosted
  • Overwhelming interface for simple invoicing
  • No custom template upload
  • Dated visual design

Best for: Developers and tech-savvy users who want self-hosting and full control

QuickBooks

Enterprise accounting software for businesses

From $30/mo
  • Industry-standard accounting software
  • Payroll, inventory, tax filing built in
  • Massive ecosystem of integrations
  • Accountant-friendly reporting
  • 9x more expensive than inv.so
  • Massively overcomplicated for freelancers
  • Generic invoice templates
  • Steep learning curve — built for accountants

Best for: Established businesses with employees, inventory, and complex tax needs — overkill for freelancers

Xero

Cloud accounting for small-to-medium businesses

From $29/mo
  • Strong double-entry accounting
  • Good bank reconciliation
  • Popular with accountants globally
  • Large app marketplace
  • 9x more expensive than inv.so
  • Full accounting suite — way too much for invoicing
  • No custom template upload
  • Complex setup and onboarding

Best for: Small-to-medium businesses that need full cloud accounting — overkill for solo creatives

Frequently asked questions

What is the best invoice software for freelance designers?
inv.so is built specifically for designers, freelancers, and creative studios. It combines AI-powered invoice creation, custom template uploads (use your own PDF/PNG designs), online payments via Stripe, and custom branding — all without the complexity of full accounting software. Plans start at $3.33/mo (yearly) with a 14-day free Pro trial.
How much does inv.so cost?
inv.so offers two plans: Starter from $3.33/mo and Pro from $8.33/mo when billed yearly ($4.99 and $9.99 monthly). Starter includes 3 clients, unlimited invoices, custom branding, and online payments. Pro adds unlimited clients, AI invoicing, custom template uploads, and no platform fee on payments. Every account starts with a 14-day free Pro trial.
How does inv.so compare to FreshBooks?
inv.so is 7x cheaper than FreshBooks ($3.33/mo vs $22/mo) and purpose-built for creatives. FreshBooks is full accounting software with time tracking and expenses — great if you need that, but overkill if you just want to send beautiful invoices and get paid. inv.so uniquely offers AI invoice creation and custom template uploads, which FreshBooks doesn't have.
Can I upload my own invoice design?
Yes. inv.so is the only major invoicing tool that lets you upload your own invoice designs as PDF or PNG and convert them into reusable templates. Map content areas visually, and every invoice you create uses your exact layout — pixel-perfect. Available on the Pro plan.
Does inv.so support online payments?
Yes. Connect your Stripe account and add a payment link to any invoice. Clients can pay directly from the invoice email or PDF. Starter plan charges a 1% platform fee on top of Stripe's processing fees. Pro plan has no platform fee — you only pay Stripe's standard rates.

Ready to create beautiful invoices?

Join thousands of freelance designers using inv.so.