Best Free Invoicing Software in 2026
Zoho Books Free stays free while annual revenue stays under $50,000, with up to 1,000 invoices a year, for 1 user plus 1 accountant. Standard is $15 per organization per month on the page we fetched. Wave Pro is $19 USD per month, or $190 per year. The Starter plan did not print a subscription dollar. Card payments on the page are 2.9% plus $0.60. Invoicing is 209 published tools. Only 69 have a free path (33%).
A free plan with a revenue cap is still a free plan. A payments fee is a different bill from the subscription.
Invoicing is 209 published tools on Toolradar as of September 22, 2026. 69 have a free path (33%). 140 are paid only. The median entry is $27.92, from 87 tools with a numeric monthly price. That is the paid-first end of the directory, next to accounting and CRM, not next to note-taking. The counts are in the September 22 addendum of free-tier share by category.
The category ranking is polluted with travel, time tracking, and full ledgers. This page keeps two invoicing products whose pricing pages rendered. Zoho Books prints a free plan with a revenue ceiling. Wave prints a Pro price and a card fee, and it does not print a Starter subscription dollar.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
A solopreneur under $50,000 in annual revenue who needs invoices and a light ledger
Zoho Books is the best value in cloud accounting.
Watch out
Additional users cost $2.50/user/month on top of plan price
A small business that invoices in USD and can live with the card rate
Wave's Starter tier is incredibly generous, offering unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping for free, which is rare in the market.
What It Is
Invoicing software sends a bill and records that it was paid. Accounting software is the ledger around that bill. Zoho Books is on the accounting side of the line, with a free plan aimed at a solopreneur. Wave is on the invoicing side, and the money it makes on the free-looking plan is the card fee.
Why It Matters
A free invoicing plan usually has a ceiling that is not a seat. Zoho's is revenue: under $50,000 in the financial year, the free plan continues, and you can create up to 1,000 invoices a year. Wave's ceiling is harder to see because the subscription line on Starter did not render. The line that did render is the card rate.
Key Features to Look For
A free plan whose limit is written down (revenue, invoice count, or users)
Estimates as well as invoices, if you quote before you bill
A card fee stated next to the plan, because that is often the real price
A paid step in dollars, when the page prints one
A product that is actually invoicing, not a time tracker that can export a bill
What to Consider
Revenue. Zoho Books Free ends, for the free price, when financial-year revenue passes $50,000.
Volume. Free is up to 1,000 invoices a year. Standard is up to 5,000.
How you get paid. Wave's printed card rate is 2.9% plus $0.60 (3.4% plus $0.60 for American Express). Pro is 2.9% plus $0 for the first 10 transactions in a month, then plus $0.60.
Do not pick a travel tool or a timer because the category score put it first.
Evaluation Checklist
Check last year's revenue against Zoho's $50,000 free-plan line before you call it free
Count invoices, not just customers. 1,000 a year is the free Zoho cap
Read the card fee before the subscription. On Wave, the fee is the line that rendered on Starter
Skip category neighbors that are time trackers or travel tools
Pricing Comparison
| Tool | Free or entry plan | The cap that matters | Paid step we could read |
|---|---|---|---|
Free, under $50K revenue | 1,000 invoices a year. 1 user + 1 accountant | Standard $15/org/month | |
Wave | Starter, no subscription dollar printed | Card rate 2.9% + $0.60 | Pro $19/month or $190/year |
zoho.com/books/pricing and waveapps.com/pricing fetched September 22, 2026. Professional and Elite dollars on Zoho Books that did not render are omitted.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Treating Zoho Books Free as unlimited. The FAQ caps it at $50,000 revenue and 1,000 invoices
- ×
Treating Wave Starter as a priced plan. The fetch did not print a subscription dollar
- ×
Ignoring the card fee because the subscription looked cheap
Expert Tips
- →
If you need a ledger, start with Zoho Books. If you need to send a bill and take a card, read Wave's fee line first
- →
The category is 33% free path. A free invoicing shortlist is supposed to be short
- →
The broader pages are best invoicing software and best free accounting software
Red Flags to Watch For
- !
A free invoicing plan with no revenue, invoice, or seat cap written down
- !
A roundup that leads with a tool that does not send invoices
- !
A Starter price filled in because the page left a blank
The Bottom Line
Under $50,000 in revenue, start with Zoho Books Free and know that 1,000 invoices and one user are the walls. If you mostly send invoices and take cards, read Wave's 2.9% plus $0.60 before you read the $19 Pro plan. This page does not invent a Starter subscription price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free invoicing software?
Zoho Books if you are under $50,000 in annual revenue and can live with 1,000 invoices a year. Wave if the decision is the card fee and a $19 Pro plan, with no Starter dollar printed on the page we fetched.
Is Zoho Books actually free?
The FAQ says the free plan is available indefinitely while revenue for the financial year does not exceed $50,000. Free includes 1 user plus 1 accountant and up to 1,000 invoices a year. Standard is $15 per organization per month.
How much does Wave cost?
Pro is $19 USD per month, or $190 per year. Card payments are 2.9% plus $0.60, and 3.4% plus $0.60 for American Express. The Starter subscription dollar did not render on the September 22 fetch.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "Best Free Invoicing Software in 2026", updated September 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/best-free-invoicing-software
Sources
Prices and plan details on this page come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker:
- Zoho Books pricing, checked
- Wave pricing, checked