What Is the Best Free Invoice App
Sending invoices is part and parcel of running a business. Freelancers, small businesses, and large enterprises all send invoices on a regular basis. Some organizations send hundreds of invoices every day.
Picking the right software will help you save time and money while also boosting client response rates. Even better, there are many first-rate free platforms to choose from, so you needn’t worry about having to purchase an expensive subscription.
This post is a comprehensive guide to evaluating free sales Sending invoices software. We’ve also reviewed some of the top providers in the space to help you find a platform that meets the precise needs of your free receipt maker for businesses.
What Is Sales Invoice Software?
There are various types of sales invoice software, with differing levels of functionality. Most are cloud-based and require monthly subscriptions.
Tools at the rudimentary end of the spectrum allow users to create basic invoices and send them via email.
More advanced platforms offer a suite of features for putting together complex and visually-rich documents, typically with payment buttons, that can be tracked and stored after payment.
Accounting apps invariably offer basic invoicing tools. However, these tools tend to have only limited features. As a result, many businesses will use sales invoice or document management software in conjunction with their accounting app.
Top Features to Look for in an Invoicing Platform
Generally speaking, you should look for the following features when evaluating invoicing platforms:
- Document editing: All invoicing platforms will include a document editor for creating invoices and sales documents. Look for an intuitive interface, access to content libraries (visual assets, pre-written text, tables, etc.) and easy-to-add payment buttons. A templates library is another good feature to look for.
- Automation tools: Invoicing software is a type of workflow automation software, meaning that it provides a suite of tools for streamlining time-consuming manual tasks. These include sending follow-up communication to clients, manual data entry, storage of documents, and forwarding invoices to managers for approval.
- Integrations: Businesses are increasingly building complex and highly tailored “tech stacks” to handle day-to-day tasks. These apps often need to communicate with each other. And invoicing software is no different, requiring financial data from the accounting app, customer details from the customer relationship management (CRM) database, pre-written content from online storage, and so on. As a result, dedicated integrations with your existing apps are essential when considering an invoicing platform.
- Tracking and analytics: Look for an analytics interface that gives you an overview of how many invoices have been sent, opened and paid. In addition, having access to granular data, such as when a specific individual has opened an invoice, can also be helpful.
Best Free Invoicing Apps: Top 4 Picks
Ready to pick a solution? Here are our reviews of four of the best invoicing apps currently on the market:
- PandaDoc: PandaDoc is one of the best-known document management apps in the space. Its long-term free plan, on which you will never be forced to upgrade, allows for unlimited documents and includes payment integrations. In addition, users have access to a feature-rich document editor and online storage.
- Paypal: If you’re looking for a basic solution with a well-known provider, PayPal is worth trying out. You can create invoices and offer clients several payment methods. However, advanced functionality is lacking.
- Zoho Invoice: Zoho offers a wide range of business apps, of which its free invoicing service is one. If you opt for Zoho Invoice, you’ll have access to a range of features, including multiple currency settings, analytics, integrations and secure online storage.
- Wave: Wave offers a free, intuitive invoicing tool. You can also take out paid subscriptions to its accounting, banking, or payroll services if needed. A Zapier integration and several automation features are also provided.