One of the key aspects of running any kind of business is billing your customer and making sure that each of your invoices is paid on time. Large companies hire accountants to take care of this aspect of the business, but home-based business owners cannot afford this option.
There is of course a certain level of uncertainty if you have never prepared an invoice in your life. For this reason, other entrepreneurs and companies have developed a series of web- and mobile-based applications to help you prepare your invoices with ease and confidence. You do not need to know anything about accounting rules and tax quotas to prepare an invoice. All you need to do is be careful with the numbers you input and then do a double check before you issue an invoice.
We have taken a close look at the most popular customer billing software available on the market and picked five of them to recommend you today. We based our selection on their ease of use and the price, and this is what we have come up with:
1. Invoicely
This is a truly simple to use billing software with a clean and user-friendly interface. Its functionalities include, among others, sending invoices by email, automating the recurring issuing of invoices (for subscription-based services), simple tracking of all invoices from a single dashboard, and no limits to the number of customers and invoices issued per month. Another great facility is that you can accept online payments from a wide range of services: PayPal, Stripe, WePay and Mollie.
This software is also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS, and is free to use.
2. Wave Accounting
This is also a free to use billing service developed especially for small businesses. It features a neat user interface with a clean design and easy access to the core functions it offers: Transactions, Invoices, Bills, Receipts and Reports. If you want to add customer service and payroll functionalities, you will have to upgrade to the Premium Services, starting at $9 per month. Also, the free version features advertisements in the interface you are using and the logo of the company in the invoices issued to your clients.
This billing solution is offered as a cloud-based service, meaning that you can access it from any device connected to the internet.
3. Intuit QuickBooks
The number one advantage of using QuickBooks is the wide range of automation features, which help you save time and worry less about the recurring invoices which you have to issue each month to your customers. Besides this benefit, QuickBooks offers excellent customer support, both by phone and via online chat. Also, this software bears the “accountant approved” seal, meaning that it contains all the core functionalities which a professional accounting suite should have. Pricing starts at $9.99 per month.
4. Zoho Invoice
This billing service is your top choice if you sell digital products all over the world and you receive payments in various currencies. Apart from this, the Invoice service alone is one of the best rated both by accountants and business owners in terms of ease of use, accuracy, and flexibility in adding customers and managing your issued invoices.
Besides the computer-based version, Zoho Invoice also offers mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows Mobile. The monthly fee is $24 and it includes an unlimited number of user accounts and transactions – a feature which is worth taking into account if you plan to expand your business in the near future.
5. FreshBooks
This online accounting platform has been dubbed “the no. 1 accounting service for non-accountants”. It features various tiers for freelancers, start-ups and established small businesses, and a clean, easy to use interface. Among other features, FreshBooks offers you the option to send invoices as PDF files, notifies you when your customer views your invoice, and allows you to receive payment from 12 money transfer services and to set reminders for overdue invoices.
This billing service costs $19.95 per month and can be accessed from any device connected to the internet.