Invoicing software is an essential tool for any business owner, but it’s even more so when you run a small business. Without invoicing software, your business won’t be able to provide proper records of completed jobs. If you’re on the hunt for the best invoicing software, you may find it quite challenging to pick just one program that meets your needs. With all the choices, how do you know which one will be the most effective and efficient for your back-office work?
Every business needs to invoice its clients. There are a number of invoicing software packages available to Australian businesses, most businesses decide on whether they need invoice software based on the level of support and features the package offers. If you are a small business owner, you want to make sure your invoicing software is providing you with accurate results and helps your business to run better overall. This article looks at several options for small business invoice software and how they can help Australian SMEs manage their expenses and improve cash flow.
Choosing the right invoicing software for your business can be a daunting task. It doesn’t help that some of the most in-demand applications are not free, which means you have to fork out thousands of dollars if you want to reap the benefits of these packages.
Business owners who outsource their invoicing often neglect to find a system that automates the billing process and simplifies their accounting. Invoice software is essential for any business that needs to invoice clients on a regular basis.
Six ways your business runs faster and smarter with online invoicing
- Automation of tasks that were traditionally manual, saves you time and money, leaving you more capacity to grow your business.
- You have a clearer picture of your cash flow. Invoices are updated in real-time, every time you record a payment on one, edit one or reconcile one.
- Payments are made quickly – your customers can pay online with the click
of a button. - You can create professional, customisable invoices from any device, any time. When your customers have paid or even seen an invoice, you’ll be notified.
- There’s a much better connection to your customers – you can see the same documents at the same time.
- You have greater insight – you can see how much money you’ve made, and which clients owe the most. You can send an outstanding bills link to customers that still owe you.
Zoho Invoice
Zoho invoicing app is one of the main competitors of Freshbooks. The interface is slick and they are constantly adding new features. Zoho invoice was created in 2008. Their motto is to allow users to ‘spend more time on growing your business and less time on sending bills’. They have a great free plan to start you off and then reasonably priced paid plans as you grow your business.
Features:
- Payments collection
- Recurring invoices
- Estimates that can be turned into invoices
- Time tracking
- Expense recording and reporting
- Mobile apps for iOS, Android and Windows
- Customization templates
- Workflow automation
- Collaboration features
- Great selection of integration’s
- Client portal
- Invoicing app
Positives:
- Good supporting documents
- Responsive online support via chat
- Great integration with other Zoho products
Negatives:
- Free version limited to 5 clients
- Custom domains only available on the most expensive plan
- No integration with Zoho inventory
If you are looking for invoicing apps with all the features of Freshbooks but for substantially cheaper you should check out Zoho invoice. Zoho is a solid company that has been around for over a decade. They have many apps to cater to different business needs and Zoho invoice is one of their best.
Wave Invoice
The Wave invoicing app is a unique product in that they offer a full-featured and mature platform for free with no catches. They do however collect a small commission if you use their payment processing facilities (optional) and they are transparent about this. Wave has been operating since 2010 and has served over 3 million customers and tracked over $180 billion in income and expenses.
Features:
- Recurring billing feature
- Automated payment reminders
- Payment processing (with small fee)
- Invoice in any currency
- Invoice customization
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- Email integration with main services
- Automated sales tax calculations
Positives:
- Free platform
- Maintained by a large team
- Intuitive and user friendly interface
- More advanced accounting and payroll features when needed
Negatives:
- Fee on payment processing
Wave is one of the more exciting options on this list. They have a great reputation, a solid team, and fantastic features. If you are looking for a free or paid solution they are worth checking out. They do charge a small fee on payments they process but that’s only if you use them for payments.
Invoicera
Invoicera is a full-featured invoicing app that has over 3 million users. Their focus is more on small to large enterprises rather than freelancers. Their products started as a premium invoicing solution but have since reduced prices to be more competitive.
Features:
- 15 day free trial
- Free limited plan for up to 3 clients
- Mobile apps
- Client portal
- Financial reporting
- Online payments with 25+ payment gateways
- Custom workflows
- Time tracking
- Multi currency support
- Purchase orders
- Late payment reminders
- Local installation available
- Over 35 integration’s
Positives:
- Full featured
- Good reputation
- In business for over 10 years
Negatives:
- Expensive compared to Zoho invoice
- Customer support lacking
- Features not updated as much as the competition
Invoicera is a premium invoicing app that has been through good and bad stages. Their customer support was lacking but seems to have improved. They have a free plan so it’s worth checking out.
Hiveage
60000 small businesses and freelancers use Hiveage for their small business invoicing. Their platform has been running since 2006. It is feature-rich and capable. Unfortunately, they began as a free service but no longer offer free plans. The current iteration focuses more on small businesses than freelancers.
Features:
- Estimates and quotes
- Accept online payments
- Reporting and basic accounting
- Recurring and subscription billing
- Team management
- Time tracking tool
- Expenses tracking
- Mileage/km tracking
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Automated payment reminders
- Open API
Positives:
- Invoice customization
- 14 day free trial
- Impressive automation features
- Extensive third party integration’s
- Focus on ease of use
- Data portability with export/import features
Negatives:
- Expensive relative to the competition
- No free plan
- Mobile apps still in beta
Hiveage invoicing app has a great set of features. At first glance, the pricing seems expensive but looking at what you get it seems reasonable. It may however be overkill for solopreneurs and freelancers wanting to send the occasional invoice.
Due Invoicing
Due invoicing is a part of the due.com platform. They offer a fully-featured service. It’s not however transparent how they generate revenue. There is also less information available about due than the competition and not many comprehensive reviews.
Features:
- Accept payments online
- Security focus
- Automated payment reminders
- Payment processing
- Advanced payment features such as digital wallet and eCheck
- Multiple languages and currencies
- Unlimited clients
- Automated late fees
- Tax calculation
- Team permissions
- Data export feature
- Invoicing app
Positives:
- Clean intuitive interface
- Many of the same features as the paid alternatives
- Support section with FAQ and tutorials
- Used by some large companies
Negatives:
- Selective on who are allowed to use the platform
- Numerous negative reviews
- No mobile apps
Due is another free invoicing app on this list. Their service is full-featured with minimal restrictions. It is however unclear how they generate revenue. They also seem to be selective on who can use the platform. If your feeling adventurous they are worth a look. If you are looking for a simple free solution you might be better off with Zoho.
Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro is a cloud-based field service management app for service professionals to automate workflows and streamline technician dispatch. This solution includes a native mobile app and complementary Web portal and serves a wide range of industries, such as carpet cleaning, window cleaning, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and more. Housecall Pro allows service businesses to forego paperwork in favor of digital automation. HouseCall Pro offers features such as Quickbooks Desktop & Online integration, job scheduling with GPS tracking, dispatching, payment processing, estimates, automated receipts and invoices, real-time customer notifications, text message capabilities, automated postcards, and email marketing automation. Clients can book services via HouseCall’s online booking functionality, communicate through a centralized messaging system and make online payments. The mobile app can be accessed on both Android and iOS devices. There is a free version for single owners/operators, which offers many of the core features of the paid version. Premium pricing is based on the number of users, and an enterprise license is also available. This solution is available across the U.S. and Canada.
BigTime
BigTime is an online time and billing solution designed to serve professional service firms like accounting, engineering, government contracting, legal, and IT services. The integrated solution offers features like time and expense tracking, WIP management, task & workflow management, invoicing, billing, and more. BigTime time tracking captures all time spent on projects or out of office activities through a mobile timesheet app. Employees can submit expenses through the online portal or directly from their mobile devices and attach scanned receipts. Once finalized, the solution automatically generates a digital expense report and submits it to the system for approval. BigTime also offers comprehensive project management features that help managers monitor project status, define tasks and activities, assign tasks, and more. The built-in billing & invoicing tool helps businesses manage their accounting operations with automated expense calculations, multiple billing rates, and receipt management features. Businesses can leverage pre-built reporting templates or create new templates to address their compliance and audit reporting requirements. Users can access the solution on their Android and iOS devices using the BigTime mobile apps. The solution can integrate with various accounting and ticketing solutions including QuickBooks, Slack, Zapier, and more.
Conclusion
Invoicing software is one of the most integral aspects of any small business. Being able to track your invoices and filter out samples helps you have a deeper understanding of your business. Invoice software has improved in the past decade and automatic invoicing, tax calculation, and website integrations have changed the way businesses operate.