The best free invoicing software in 2026What each free plan includes, and what it costs when clients pay online
Updated . Tillage is our product; competitor facts are sourced on each comparison page.
- TillageBest for agencies and freelancers who quote projects
- Zoho InvoiceBest for small businesses that want a full free plan from a big suite
- WaveBest for owners who want free bookkeeping and invoicing in one app
- Square InvoicesBest for businesses that also take payments in person
- Invoice NinjaBest for developers who want open source and self-hosting
- invoicelyBest for someone sending a handful of invoices a month
The short answer
Most “free” invoicing software is free up to a limit: a cap on invoices, clients or users, or features like recurring billing held back for a paid plan. The bigger cost is usually payment processing, since free tools earn when your clients pay online.
For agencies and freelancers who quote projects, Tillage is free with no caps and lets clients cover the card fees. For a general small business, Zoho Invoice has the most generous free plan. If you want free bookkeeping too, choose Wave; if you sell in person, choose Square Invoices.
Free plans compared
| Software | Free plan | Online payment fees | Fees on a $5,000 card invoice | Clients can cover fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tillage | Free with no caps: unlimited users, clients, quotes, contracts and invoices | Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ (cards) or 0.8% capped at $5 (ACH), plus 1% capped at $50 per invoice | $195.30, or $0 if your client covers the fees | YesClients can cover both the Stripe and platform fees |
| Zoho Invoice | Free, capped at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year | No Zoho fee; Zoho Payments cards 2.9% + 30¢, ACH 0.8% capped at $5 | $145.30 with Zoho Payments | NoNo surcharge or fee pass-through feature found |
| Wave | Free Starter plan; Pro $19/mo or $190/yr | Cards 2.9% + 60¢ (Pro: no 60¢ on the first 10 a month); bank payments 1%, $1 minimum | $145.60 | NoWave does not permit surcharging |
| Square Invoices | Free plan; Plus $49/mo and Premium $149/mo per location | Online cards 3.3% + 30¢ on Free (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus); ACH 1%, $1 minimum | $165.30 on the free plan | PartlyCredit card surcharges in beta, capped at 3%; not ACH or debit |
| Invoice Ninja | Free for 5 clients; Pro $14/mo; free to self-host | Bring your own gateway; no Invoice Ninja fee mentioned | Your payment gateway's rate | YesFees per gateway and method, with gross-up |
| invoicely | Free for 5 invoices a month; paid plans $7.99–$23.99/mo billed yearly | No invoicely fee; gateway rates apply | PayPal's rate | NoNo fee pass-through found |
Card fees use each provider's standard US online rate. Tillage's figure is Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ plus its 1% platform fee, which you can pass to your client along with Stripe's fee.
1. Tillage
Best for agencies and freelancers who quote projects.
- What's free
- Free with no caps: unlimited users, clients, quotes, contracts and invoices
- Payment fees
- Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ (cards) or 0.8% capped at $5 (ACH), plus 1% capped at $50 per invoice
- The catch
- A 1% platform fee on online payments, capped at $50 per invoice. No accounting or time tracking.
2. Zoho Invoice
Best for small businesses that want a full free plan from a big suite.
- What's free
- Free, capped at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year
- Payment fees
- No Zoho fee; Zoho Payments cards 2.9% + 30¢, ACH 0.8% capped at $5
- The catch
- Capped at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year, with Zoho branding on documents.
3. Wave
Best for owners who want free bookkeeping and invoicing in one app.
- What's free
- Free Starter plan; Pro $19/mo or $190/yr
- Payment fees
- Cards 2.9% + 60¢ (Pro: no 60¢ on the first 10 a month); bank payments 1%, $1 minimum
- The catch
- Recurring invoices and reminders need Pro. You can't pass card fees to clients.
4. Square Invoices
Best for businesses that also take payments in person.
- What's free
- Free plan; Plus $49/mo and Premium $149/mo per location
- Payment fees
- Online cards 3.3% + 30¢ on Free (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus); ACH 1%, $1 minimum
- The catch
- Higher online card rates on the free plan, and milestone schedules need Plus at $49/mo.
5. Invoice Ninja
Best for developers who want open source and self-hosting.
- What's free
- Free for 5 clients; Pro $14/mo; free to self-host
- Payment fees
- Bring your own gateway; no Invoice Ninja fee mentioned
- The catch
- The free hosted plan is limited to 1 user and 5 clients; self-hosting means running it yourself.
6. invoicely
Best for someone sending a handful of invoices a month.
- What's free
- Free for 5 invoices a month; paid plans $7.99–$23.99/mo billed yearly
- Payment fees
- No invoicely fee; gateway rates apply
- The catch
- 5 invoices a month, 3 saved clients and PayPal only on the free plan.
How we compared
Checked Oct 7, 2026. Pricing and features change, so if something here is out of date, email support@tillage.ai and we will fix it.
We looked at each tool's own pricing and help pages for what the free plan includes, its limits, its online payment rates and whether clients can cover fees. Every competitor fact comes from the sources listed on its comparison page, linked above.
Free invoicing software questions
What is the best free invoicing software?
It depends on how you bill. For agencies and freelancers who quote projects, Tillage is free with no caps on users, clients or invoices, and builds your margin into every quote. Zoho Invoice has the most generous general-purpose free plan, Wave pairs free invoicing with free bookkeeping, and Square Invoices suits businesses that also sell in person.
Is any invoicing software free with no limits?
Few are. Zoho Invoice caps the free plan at 500 invoices a year and 2 users, Invoice Ninja's hosted free plan at 5 clients, and invoicely at 5 invoices a month. Wave and Square Invoices don't cap invoices but keep features like recurring billing or milestone schedules for paid plans. Tillage has no caps; it charges 1% on online payments, capped at $50 per invoice, which your client can cover.
How do free invoicing tools make money?
Mostly from payment processing, paid upgrades and add-ons. When a client pays an invoice online, the tool or its payment partner takes a percentage. That's why the online payment fee matters more than the monthly price when comparing free plans.
Which free invoicing software lets clients pay the card fees?
Tillage lets clients cover both the Stripe processing fee and Tillage's 1% fee at checkout, so you receive the full invoice amount. Invoice Ninja can add gateway fees with a gross-up, and Square is testing card surcharges capped at 3%. Wave doesn't permit surcharging. Card surcharges aren't allowed in some US states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Do I still need accounting software?
Usually yes, unless your invoicing tool is also your ledger. Wave and Zoho's wider suite include bookkeeping. Tillage, Square Invoices and invoicely handle invoicing and payments, so most businesses keep separate accounting software for their books.
