Top 10 Invoicing & Accounting Apps for Freelance Designers (2026)
Last updated October 11, 2026. Ranked by our scoring system against the published rubric and reviewed by an editor.
Quick answer: the top 10
| Rank | Product | Score /10 | Best for | Entry price (vendor page) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreshBooks | 8.1 | solo designers who want invoicing plus simple accounting | Lite $23/mo (promo $1/mo year one) [FB1] |
| 2 | Zoho Invoice | 7.9 | designers who want a genuinely free invoicing tool | $0 [ZI1] |
| 3 | Indy | 7.8 | freelancers who want a free all-in-one | Free; Pro $12.50/mo (2-yr) [IN1] |
| 4 | Bonsai | 7.7 | proposals, contracts and invoices in one flow | $9/user/mo annual [BN1] |
| 5 | HoneyBook | 7.6 | client-experience workflows (lead form to contract to invoice) | Starter $29/mo annual [HB1] |
| 6 | Harvest | 7.5 | designers who bill by the hour | Free (1 seat, 2 projects) [HV1] |
| 7 | Moxie | 7.4 | solo creatives who want an affordable all-in-one | $10/mo annual [MX1] |
| 8 | Wave | 7.3 | free invoicing and bookkeeping | $0 Starter [WV1] |
| 9 | Plutio | 7.1 | freelancers replacing many tools with one | Core $19/mo [PL1] |
| 10 | Dubsado | 6.7 | designers who want deep workflow automation | $335/yr [DB1] |
Rankings on this page are unpaid. There are no affiliate links yet. Disclosure.
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How we ranked them (method and rubric)
- Candidates: 12 products compared for this list.
- Core-job requirement: the app must natively create and send invoices and accept online payment. All 12 pass.
- Evaluation: Desk research only. Every product was researched, not hands-on tested. How the scores are calculated is on the methodology page.
- Reviews: G2 and Capterra ratings checked 2026-10-11 [VR]. How those ratings become a score is on the methodology page.
- Typical user, for pricing: a solo freelance designer billing 5-15 clients a month, often on project fees or retainers.
Weights (standard SaaS rubric, unchanged)
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Features & fit (invoicing and getting paid as a solo designer) | 25% |
| Pricing & value | 20% |
| Ease of use | 15% |
| Review sentiment | 15% |
| Integrations | 10% |
| Support & reliability | 10% |
| Security & compliance | 5% |
Features checklist: ★invoices · ★online card/ACH payments · ★recurring invoices/retainers · ★client records · proposals · contracts/e-signature · time tracking · expense tracking · client portal · tax reports · accounting integration
Per-criterion scores
| Product | Features | Price | Ease | Reviews | Integrations | Support | Security | Overall | Evaluated via | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8.1 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Zoho Invoice | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8.5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7.9 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Indy | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8.5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7.8 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Bonsai | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7.0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7.7 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| HoneyBook | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8.2 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7.6 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Harvest | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6.9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7.5 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Moxie | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5.0† | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7.4 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Wave | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7.0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7.3 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Plutio | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7.6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7.1 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Dubsado | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6.3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6.7 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Xero | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5.0† | 9 | 6 | 8 | 6.5 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| QuickBooks Online | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5.0† | 9 | 6 | 8 | 6.3 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
† = no usable review data, so a neutral 5.0 was applied.
Ranked 11th or lower (eligible but outside the top 10): Xero (6.5), QuickBooks Online (6.3).
The top 10 in detail
1. FreshBooks: 8.1/10
Best for: solo designers who want invoicing plus simple accounting. · Official site: https://www.freshbooks.com
- Pricing: Lite $23/mo (currently $1/mo for the first year as a promo). Plus $43/mo. Premium $70/mo. Add-ons: team members $11/user, Advanced Payments $20/mo [FB1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Invoicing, payments, expenses and reports. Proposals and time tracking depend on the plan [FB1].
- Pros: aggressive intro pricing [FB1]; G2 4.5 from nearly 1,000 reviews [R1]
- Cons: add-ons raise the real cost [FB1]
- Reviews: G2 4.5/5 from 981 reviews (*company card, so the count may cover the whole vendor; treat with caution): https://www.g2.com/products/freshbooks/reviews; Capterra 4.5/5 from 4,529 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/142390/FreshBooks/. Weighted average 4.50 from 5,510 reviews [VR]
- Score: 8.1
2. Zoho Invoice: 7.9/10
Best for: designers who want a genuinely free invoicing tool. · Official site: https://www.zoho.com/us/invoice/
- Pricing: $0 according to the vendor pricing page [ZI1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Invoices, estimates and payments. Proposals and contracts not verified [ZI1].
- Pros: free [ZI1]; G2 4.7 [R1]
- Cons: fewer creative-workflow features (proposals, contracts) verified
- Reviews: G2 4.7/5 from 365 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-invoice/reviews; Capterra 4.7/5 from 823 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/163114/Zoho-Invoice/. Weighted average 4.70 from 1,188 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.9
3. Indy: 7.8/10
Best for: freelancers who want a free all-in-one. · Official site: https://weareindy.com
- Pricing: Free (unlimited use of basic tools). Pro Bundle $12.50/mo billed $300 every 2 years [IN1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Basic tools are free. Advanced features are in Pro [IN1].
- Pros: free tier [IN1]
- Reviews: G2 4.5/5 from 2 reviews (*company card, so the count may cover the whole vendor; treat with caution) (excluded: fewer than 20 reviews): https://www.g2.com/products/indy/reviews; Capterra 4.7/5 from 103 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/230540/Indy/. Weighted average 4.70 from 103 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.8
4. Bonsai: 7.7/10
Best for: proposals, contracts and invoices in one flow. · Official site: https://www.hellobonsai.com
- Pricing: Basic $9/user/mo annual ($15 monthly). Essentials $19 ($25). Premium $29 ($39). Elite $49 ($59) [BN1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Proposals, contracts, invoicing, client portal and expense tracking on the relevant tiers [BN1].
- Pros: covers proposals through payment [BN1]; low annual entry price [BN1]
- Cons: the client portal and expense tracking need Essentials or higher [BN1]; no free plan found on the pricing page [BN1]
- Reviews: Capterra 4.6/5 from 95 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/238825/Bonsai/. Weighted average 4.60 from 95 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.7
5. HoneyBook: 7.6/10
Best for: client-experience workflows (lead form to contract to invoice). · Official site: https://www.honeybook.com
- Pricing: Starter $29/mo billed yearly. Essentials $49 ($59 monthly). Premium $109 ($129) [HB1].
- Designer workflow coverage: CRM, scheduling, contracts, invoices and payments [HB1].
- Pros: all-in-one client flow [HB1]; G2 4.5 [R1]
- Cons: higher entry price than invoicing-only tools [HB1]
- Reviews: G2 4.5/5 from 250 reviews (*company card, so the count may cover the whole vendor; treat with caution): https://www.g2.com/products/honeybook/reviews; Capterra 4.7/5 from 692 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/. Weighted average 4.65 from 942 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.6
6. Harvest: 7.5/10
Best for: designers who bill by the hour. · Official site: https://www.getharvest.com
- Pricing: Free: 1 seat, 2 projects. Teams from $9/seat/mo annual ($11 monthly) [HV1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Time tracking turned into invoices [HV1].
- Pros: free tier [HV1]; strong time tracking [HV1]
- Cons: not built for project-fee proposals or contracts
- Reviews: G2 4.3/5 from 893 reviews (*company card, so the count may cover the whole vendor; treat with caution): https://www.g2.com/products/harvest/reviews; Capterra 4.5/5 from 655 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/75598/Harvest/. Weighted average 4.38 from 1,548 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.5
7. Moxie: 7.4/10
Best for: solo creatives who want an affordable all-in-one. · Official site: https://www.withmoxie.com
- Pricing: Starter $10/mo annual ($12 monthly). Pro $20 ($25). Teams $32 ($40) [MX1].
- Designer workflow coverage: CRM, calendar, inbox, projects and invoicing. QuickBooks integration on Pro [MX1].
- Pros: low price [MX1]; support by real people (vendor claim) [MX1]
- Reviews: G2 4.5/5 from 4 reviews (excluded: fewer than 20 reviews): https://www.g2.com/products/geoff-mina-moxie/reviews; Capterra 3.0/5 from 1 reviews (excluded: fewer than 20 reviews): https://www.capterra.com/p/252114/Moxie/. No source has 20 or more reviews, so a neutral score was applied [VR]
- Score: 7.4
8. Wave: 7.3/10
Best for: free invoicing and bookkeeping. · Official site: https://www.waveapps.com
- Pricing: Starter $0 (card payments 2.9% + $0.60). Pro $19/mo ($190/yr), with lower card fees on Pro [WV1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records [WV1].
- Pros: free plan [WV1]
- Cons: card fees on the free plan [WV1]; no proposals or contracts
- Reviews: Capterra 4.4/5 from 1,731 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/178021/Wave-Apps/. Weighted average 4.40 from 1,731 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.3
9. Plutio: 7.1/10
Best for: freelancers replacing many tools with one. · Official site: https://www.plutio.com
- Pricing: Core $19/mo. Pro $49/mo. Max $199/mo [PL1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Projects, invoices, contracts and proposals [PL1].
- Pros: broad feature set on every plan [PL1]
- Cons: G2 based on fewer than 100 reviews [R1]
- Reviews: G2 4.3/5 from 57 reviews (*company card, so the count may cover the whole vendor; treat with caution): https://www.g2.com/search?query=Plutio; Capterra 4.6/5 from 162 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/179406/Plutio/. Weighted average 4.52 from 219 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.1
10. Dubsado: 6.7/10
Best for: designers who want deep workflow automation. · Official site: https://www.dubsado.com
- Pricing: Starter $335/yr. Premier $525/yr. Extra brands $10/mo. Extra users from $25/mo [DB1].
- Designer workflow coverage: Forms, contracts, invoices and workflows [DB1].
- Pros: powerful automation [DB1]
- Cons: steeper setup (editorial judgement); annual-price display
- Reviews: G2 4.3/5 from 76 reviews (*company card, so the count may cover the whole vendor; treat with caution): https://www.g2.com/products/dubsado/reviews; Capterra 4.2/5 from 61 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/206389/Dubsado/. Weighted average 4.26 from 137 reviews [VR]
- Score: 6.7
FAQ
What's the best free invoicing app for freelancers? Zoho Invoice and Wave Starter are $0, and Indy and Harvest have free tiers [ZI1][WV1][IN1][HV1].
FreshBooks or HoneyBook for designers? FreshBooks leans toward accounting and HoneyBook toward client workflow (lead to contract to invoice) [FB1][HB1].
How often is this list updated? Prices and ratings are re-checked at least every 90 days. See the changelog.
Sources (all checked 2026-10-11)
- [FB1] FreshBooks pricing: https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing
- [BN1] Bonsai pricing: https://www.hellobonsai.com/pricing
- [HB1] HoneyBook pricing: https://www.honeybook.com/pricing
- [ZI1] Zoho Invoice pricing: https://www.zoho.com/us/invoice/pricing/
- [MX1] Moxie pricing: https://www.withmoxie.com/pricing
- [WV1] Wave pricing: https://www.waveapps.com/pricing
- [HV1] Harvest pricing: https://www.getharvest.com/pricing
- [IN1] Indy pricing: https://weareindy.com/pricing
- [DB1] Dubsado pricing: https://www.dubsado.com/pricing
- [PL1] Plutio pricing: https://www.plutio.com/pricing
- [XR1] Xero pricing: https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/
- [QB1] QuickBooks pricing: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/
- [R1] G2 pages: https://ai.g2.com/product/freshbooks ; https://www.g2.com/compare/freshbooks-vs-zoho-invoice ; https://www.g2.com/compare/freshbooks-vs-xero ; https://www.g2.com/compare/honeybook-vs-xero ; https://www.g2.com/compare/wave-vs-xero
- [VR] G2 and Capterra ratings, browser-verified 2026-10-11. Per-product URLs are given in each entry. Source notes: G2 and Capterra ratings and the rest of the ratings we checked.
Changelog
- 2026-10-11: Replaced the secondary review data with browser-verified G2 and Capterra ratings, using a review-count-weighted average, a 20-review minimum and a neutral score when no source qualifies. Re-scored. Top-5 rank changes: Indy entered at #3; Bonsai #3 → #4; HoneyBook #4 → #5 (Moxie dropped out).
- 2026-10-11: First published.