5 Best Online Billing Software in 2023 (Free and Paid)

Tired of spending hours invoicing? Find yourself a billing software! In this guide, we will compare the most popular billing software so you can make an informed decision and streamline your billing process.

Efficient billing is crucial for running a successful business. While creating invoices may be time-consuming, utilising software specifically designed for this task can help you save valuable time and get paid faster.

In this guide, we will present some of the most popular billing software and compare them with respect to functionality and pricing.

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What is billing software?

Billing software is an online tool that allows you to create and send invoices. Billing software come in all shapes and sizes. Some are free, with limited features, whilst others offer advanced automation functionality.

Below are 10 benefits of using online billing software to speed up the invoicing process:

• Create invoices quickly: Creating and sending invoices is time-consuming. Billing software makes it faster by helping you fill out fields and send the invoice to your customers in their preferred invoicing format (email or eInvoice).
• Keep track of payments: By registering all incoming payments in one place, you will always know which customers owe you money or not.
• Automate the payment reminder process: Create automated payment reminders and spend less time on manual work.
• Bulk invoicing: Make and send several invoices simultaneously.
• Recurring billing: Create invoices that are being sent automatically from period to period (ie. monthly, quarterly or yearly).
• Easier accounting: Billing software can help you keep track of all income and payments, easing the process of making your books.

Best billing software in 2023

1. Conta: Free billing software

Platform: Desktop + mobile | Pricing: Free

Conta is an easy-to-use billing software for small and medium businesses. In Conta, you can craft beautiful invoices in seconds, whilst you also get access to advanced automation functionality.

And the best part of it all? It is free!

Top features:

• Create and send invoices for free – no hidden costs!
• Mobile friendly invoicing software
• Billing software with multi-currency support.
• Customise the invoice template with your own logo.
• Automated payment reminders.
• Recurring billing.

This image shows how you create invoices in Conta simply by typing directly into the invoice template:

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2. Freshbooks: Easy-to-use billing and accounting software

Platform: Desktop + mobile | Pricing: Starting at $15/month

Freshbooks is an easy-to-use billing software that seamlessly integrates with more than 100 apps. 

Regardless of the size of your business, Freshbooks has a plan that suits your needs. It also has accounting functionality and a mobile app, allowing you to invoice clients and track expenses on the go. 

The starting price for Freshbooks is $15/month, which allows you to invoice up to 5 clients. The next plan, Plus, costs $30 per month and allows you to invoice up to 10 clients.

Top features:

• Customise and tailor invoices to your own needs.
• Track billable hours with Freshbooks’ own time-tracking module.
• Work on the go with an easy-to-use mobile app for iOS and Android.
• Accept online payments and get paid faster than regular bank transfers.
• Set up recurring billing.

3. Square: Online payment and billing platform

Platform: Desktop + mobile | Pricing: Starts at 2,9 % + $0,3 fee per paid invoice

Square is a billing and payment platform allowing you to generate invoices that come with an online checkout link. Online checkout links are payment links that allow the receiver to pay the bill directly from their phone, tablet or computer using a credit card. According to Square, 75 % of invoices with such links are in fact paid on the same day.

Please note that Square is priced differently than the majority of other billing software. For some businesses, it can get very expensive. In Square, you pay $0,3 per invoice plus 2,9 % of the amount on the invoice.

Top features:

• Create invoices and send invoices that get paid fast.
• Track payments live in the Square app.
• Bill multiple customers at once with batch invoicing (plus feature!).

4. Intuit QuickBooks Online: Powerful accounting solution

Platform: Desktop + mobile | Pricing: Starts at $17/month

Quickbooks is an accounting software with a powerful invoicing module.

With accounting and billing on the same platform, you can save a lot of time on bookkeeping. For instance, invoices are automatically registered in the books, saving your accountant a lot of time (which in turn saves you a lot of costs).

Top features:

• Invoicing and accounting in the same software.
• Create and send invoices and estimates directly from your phone.
• Integrates with more than 750 apps.
• Allow customers to settle up instantly via debit and credit cards.

5. Vyapar: Affordable desktop software

Platform: Desktop | Pricing: Starts at $49.99 per year

Vyapar is a popular choice among small and medium businesses in India.

The predominant reason why Vyapar har managed to take the South Asian market by storm is that it allows you to easily create GST reports.

Please note that Vyapar is a desktop application, which means that you will have to download and install the software for it to function properly.

Top features:

• More than ready-to-use 10 invoice templates
• Easy-to-use desktop software
• Send invoices via email or print methods
• Keep track of expenses
• Create GST reports in minutes

Billing software pricing: How much does billing software cost?

Billing software can cost everything between $0 to $50 per month.

If you are only looking for software to create invoices and track payments, Conta is a good option.

In Conta, you can generate as many free invoices as you like and send them to customers via email. The software also has advanced features such as recurring billing and automated payment reminders, making it a sufficient alternative for most businesses.

Interested in signing up for free invoicing software?

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Can Excel be used as billing software?

The short answer is no.

You cannot create invoices, track payments and follow up on late payments in an efficient manner using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Therefore, Excel cannot be used as billing software.

It is, however, possible to create invoices in Excel. The easiest way to create an invoice in Excel is with an invoice template.

Note that invoice templates are not recommended for businesses or private individuals that are planning to send more than a few invoices a year, as it can be very time-consuming.

How to choose the best billing software for your business

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing billing software. Here are a few tips that will help you to choose the right software for your business:

1. List your needs: Make a list of all your current and future needs. Here are a few questions you should consider: Are you looking for easy-to-use software? Would you prefer if the software was available online? Do need any third-party integrations?

2. Eliminate the options that do not meet your requirements: Software that fails to meet your needs should not be included in your final decision process.

3. Choose the most cost-efficient alternative: Based on an estimate of the number of invoices you are going to send each month, choose the most affordable software.