Eight tools let you send professional invoices and collect payment without a subscription — five hosted free-forever plans, two open-source applications and one processor-bundled option. Invoicing is the category where ‘free’ most often means ‘paid per transaction’, so every Scorecard here states the card and bank fees beside the plan limits. Prices are USD and were checked on 21 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free invoicing plan that fits
- Solo consultant or two-person agency: Zoho Invoice — fully free with no paid tier: 500 invoices a year, 2 users, recurring billing, client portal, time tracking.
- US or Canadian freelancer who also wants books: Wave Starter — unlimited invoices plus double-entry bookkeeping; you pay only per card payment.
- Technical and want no caps at all: Crater (open source, AGPL) on your own server.
Which invoicing software tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every tool on this page lets you create, send and track invoices indefinitely without a subscription. Five are hosted free-forever plans (Zoho Invoice, Wave, Hiveage, Bookipi, Refrens-style regional tools are noted but not ranked), two are open source (Crater, Akaunting), and two are payment processors whose invoicing is free because they earn on each payment (Square, PayPal). We excluded Invoice Simple and Moon Invoice, which offer only 14- and 7-day trials.
Invoicing free tiers are capped in one of three ways: by invoice count (Zoho 500 a year, Bookipi 3 a month, Akaunting 1,000), by client count (Hiveage at 5), or not at all but with a processing fee on every payment (Wave, Square, PayPal). The right choice depends on which of those you will hit first, so the table shows that limit beside the Free Score.
Each row opens into the full Scorecard: what is included, every hard limit, the time limit, the card requirement, the processing fees where they are the real price, what triggers the upgrade, the cheapest paid step, who the free tier fits, and where we checked it.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z |
Free forever | 2 users · 500 invoices/yr | No | 94 | Scorecard ↓ |
| W |
Free forever | Unlimited · 2.9% + $0.60/card | No | 89 | Scorecard ↓ |
| S |
Free forever | Unlimited · 3.3% + 30¢/card | No | 84 | Scorecard ↓ |
| P |
Free forever | Unlimited · 3.49% + $0.49 | No | 80 | Scorecard ↓ |
| H |
Free forever | 5 clients · unlimited invoices | No | 79 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Open source | Self-hosted · unlimited | No | 78 | Scorecard ↓ |
| A |
Open source | Self-hosted · 1 user · 1,000 invoices | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| B |
Free forever | 3 documents / 30 days | No | 58 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 21 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free invoicing plan plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1Z
Zoho InvoiceIndia · a complete invoicing suite with no paid tier at all: recurring invoices, reminders, client portal, time trackingFree forever2 users · 500 invoices/yrNo card94⌄
- What’s free
- Forever free: tax-compliant invoices, quotes, recurring invoices, payment reminders, expenses, time logging and projects, client portal, reports, Zoho CRM/Books/Analytics integrations
- Hard limits
- 2 users · 3 projects · 500 invoices/yr · 2 organisations per account
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever)
- Card required
- Not stated; sign-up is a Zoho account with no plan to pay for.
- Upgrade trigger
- There is no paid Zoho Invoice tier; outgrowing 500 invoices or needing subscription billing moves you to Zoho Billing or Books
- Cheapest paid step
- None for Zoho Invoice; Zoho Books Standard $15/month is the usual next step
- Best free for
- A solo consultant or two-person agency sending under 40 invoices a month who wants a mature, ad-free tool
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · zoho.com/invoice/pricing
2W
WaveCanada · unlimited invoices and estimates with bookkeeping built in; the price is the per-payment feeFree foreverUnlimited · 2.9% + $0.60/cardNo card89⌄
- What’s free
- Starter: unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, mobile invoicing, customer and cash-flow dashboard, optional online payments
- Hard limits
- No invoice or user cap stated · card payments 2.9% + $0.60 (Amex 3.4% + $0.60) · no automated late reminders or bank import
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever)
- Card required
- Not stated for Starter; there is no subscription to charge.
- Upgrade trigger
- Automated payment reminders, automatic bank import, unlimited receipt capture or lower card rates (Pro)
- Cheapest paid step
- Pro $19/month or $190/year per business
- Best free for
- A US or Canadian freelancer who wants invoicing and double-entry books in one free account
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · waveapps.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. No caps and a full ledger behind the invoices put Wave near the top. It loses core-job points because late-payment reminders are automated only on Pro, and friction points because payments approval is subject to Wave’s identity review and only US and Canadian businesses can join.
3S
Square InvoicesUS · unlimited invoices, estimates and contracts with no subscription; Square earns the processing feeFree foreverUnlimited · 3.3% + 30¢/cardNo card84⌄
- What’s free
- Square Free: unlimited invoices and recurring invoices, estimates and contracts, projects, card and ACH payment collection
- Hard limits
- No invoice cap · card via invoice 3.3% + 30¢ · ACH 1% ($1 minimum) · custom templates and payment schedules are Plus features
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever)
- Card required
- Not stated; a Square account is needed to take payments.
- Upgrade trigger
- Payment schedules, custom invoice templates, the $10 ACH fee cap, or the lower 2.9% + 30¢ card rate
- Cheapest paid step
- Square Plus $49/month per location (bundle); 30-day trial
- Best free for
- A US service business already on Square POS that wants invoices and card/ACH collection without a monthly fee
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · squareup.com/us/en/invoices/pricing · help article 7650
Why it ranks here. Unlimited and genuinely free of subscription, but the 3.3% card rate on the free tier is the highest among the processors here and the real cost scales with revenue. Invoicing is now sold inside Square’s Free/Plus/Premium bundle, which makes the upgrade step a $49 jump rather than a small one.
4P
PayPal InvoicingUS · invoicing included with any PayPal Business account, in 200+ markets and 24 currencies; fee per payment onlyFree foreverUnlimited · 3.49% + $0.49No card80⌄
- What’s free
- Included with a Business account: custom branding, taxes and discounts, recurring invoices, templates, reminders, tracking, share by email, SMS or QR, QuickBooks and Xero sync
- Hard limits
- No invoice cap stated · PayPal/Venmo payments 3.49% + $0.49 · cards 2.99% + $0.49 · US bank 1% (cap $10) · cross-border adds a percentage
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever)
- Card required
- Not stated; requires a PayPal Business account.
- Upgrade trigger
- None — there is no subscription tier; the fees are the price
- Cheapest paid step
- None; per-transaction fees only
- Best free for
- A cross-border freelancer whose clients already pay through PayPal and who wants zero software cost
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · paypal.com/us/business/accept-payments/invoice
Why it ranks here. Reach is the strength: 24 currencies and clients who already have PayPal. The core-job score is lower because there is no accounting module and reporting is thin, and the PayPal-wallet fee of 3.49% is the highest on this list; international payments add more on top.
5H
HiveageUS · unlimited invoices, estimates, time and expense tracking for up to five clientsFree forever5 clients · unlimited invoicesNo card79⌄
- What’s free
- Free: unlimited invoices, estimates, time tracking, expense tracking, payment gateways; recurring billing listed on the monthly toggle
- Hard limits
- 5 clients · no team members · no financial reports or automatic reminders
- Time limit
- Unlimited (free forever); new accounts start on a 14-day Pro trial then drop to Free
- Card required
- No card is required for the Pro trial; the Free plan carries no card note.
- Upgrade trigger
- A sixth client, financial reports, team members, or automatic payment reminders
- Cheapest paid step
- Basic $16/month on the yearly toggle ($19 monthly), 50 clients
- Best free for
- A solo consultant with a few recurring clients who wants time and expenses billed from one place
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · hiveage.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Hiveage caps the free plan at five clients and has inconsistent copy about whether recurring billing is on Free. The trial-then-downgrade onboarding means your first fortnight looks richer than the plan you keep; the Scorecard describes the plan you keep.
6C
CraterUS · open-source (AGPL-3.0) invoicing with estimates, expenses, recurring invoices and a customer portal; Docker imageOpen sourceSelf-hosted · unlimitedNo card78⌄
- What’s free
- The self-hosted app: invoices, estimates, expenses, payments, multi-company, recurring invoices, customer portal, Stripe payments, mobile apps
- Hard limits
- None; your server and maintenance time are the limits
- Time limit
- Unlimited (open-source license)
- Card required
- No. Download or Docker image; no account.
- Upgrade trigger
- Wanting hosting and support, or the company’s new sales-led Crater Financial SaaS
- Cheapest paid step
- Not listed; crater.financial offers a demo only
- Best free for
- A technical freelancer or agency that can run a Laravel/Docker app and wants unlimited invoicing for free
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · github.com/crater-invoice/crater (craterapp.com now redirects to crater.financial)
Why it ranks here. No caps and a clean app, but the company has pivoted to a fintech product and the open-source roadmap items (reminders, credit notes, time tracking) are still open. Capacity is full marks; core job and friction reflect missing features and the risk of a slowing project. Keep an export path.
7A
AkauntingTürkiye/US · self-hosted invoicing and expenses core; most extras are paid apps and the license is BSLOpen sourceSelf-hosted · 1 user · 1,000 invoicesNo card72⌄
- What’s free
- On-Premise Standard: invoices, expenses, payments, 1 company, community support
- Hard limits
- 1 company · 1 user + 1 accountant · 1,000 invoices · no apps included
- Time limit
- Unlimited
- Card required
- No. Free download.
- Upgrade trigger
- More companies, users or invoices, ticket support, or any App Store module
- Cheapest paid step
- On-Premise Premium $72/year; Cloud Standard $8/month billed yearly
- Best free for
- A small business with its own server that wants invoicing plus basic accounting and will buy only the apps it needs
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · akaunting.com/plans-on-premise · github.com/akaunting
Why it ranks here. Capable core, but the invoice cap, single user and paid-app model keep it below the hosted free plans, and GitHub lists a Business Source License rather than an OSI-approved one — which matters if you expected the freedoms of true open source.
8B
BookipiAustralia · mobile-first invoicing with e-signatures and a scheduler, capped at three documents a monthFree forever3 documents / 30 daysNo card58⌄
- What’s free
- Free: invoices, quotes and credit notes, e-signatures, AI website and proposal builder, appointment scheduler, card payments, recurring invoices, reminders, deposits, Gmail add-on, web and mobile sync
- Hard limits
- 3 invoices/quotes/credit notes per 30 days · 3 e-signatures per month
- Time limit
- Unlimited (resets every 30 days)
- Card required
- No. The Free plan states no credit card is needed.
- Upgrade trigger
- A fourth document in any 30-day window
- Cheapest paid step
- Starter $7.60/month billed annually ($9.99 monthly), unlimited invoices
- Best free for
- A side-hustler or tradesperson sending one to three invoices a month from a phone
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · bookipi.com/pricing
Why it ranks here. Three documents a month is a hobby limit, which is why Bookipi ranks last despite a broad feature list and an explicit no-card promise. If you send more than three invoices a month, the $7.60 Starter is cheap, but then it is no longer a free tool.
Which free invoicing plan has no credit-card requirement?
None of the eight asks for a card to start. Bookipi states it on its pricing page; Hiveage states it for its trial; Crater and Akaunting are downloads. Zoho Invoice, Wave, Square and PayPal run their free tiers as plain sign-ups and do not mention a card on their pricing pages, which we record as “not stated” rather than assume. Square and PayPal need a merchant or business account to collect money, which involves identity verification but not a subscription card.
The question that matters more for invoicing is what each payment costs you. Zoho Invoice, Hiveage, Crater and Akaunting let you plug in your own gateway, so the fee is Stripe’s or PayPal’s. Wave charges 2.9% + $0.60 per card payment, Square 3.3% + 30¢ on its free tier (ACH 1%), PayPal 2.99% + $0.49 for cards and 3.49% + $0.49 for wallet payments. On $10,000 a month of card revenue those three differ by roughly $50 a month — more than most paid invoicing plans cost.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free invoicing plan fits your situation?
Solo consultant, under 40 invoices a month
Zoho Invoice. No paid tier, recurring billing and a client portal included.
Freelancer in the US or Canada who wants books too
Wave Starter. Unlimited invoices on top of double-entry bookkeeping; pay per card payment only.
Already on Square POS
Square Invoices. Unlimited and subscription-free; watch the 3.3% rate as volume grows.
Clients abroad who already use PayPal
PayPal Invoicing. 24 currencies; accept the higher wallet fee for reach.
Technical, want no limits ever
Crater on Docker.
Which paid invoicing software can you move to?
When the free tier stops being enough, these are the providers in the Kurums Solutions Directory. Every company there is listed free and A–Z by our editors, with a buyer’s guide for the category — no one pays for a position.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, creating, sending and tracking invoices and collecting payment on them. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 21 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections to the Kurums editorial team.
How did we verify these free tiers?
For each product we opened the pricing page, recorded the free tier’s stated limits, the processing fees where they are the real price, the cheapest paid plan and its billing basis, and the card requirement if stated. Where a vendor’s statements conflict (Hiveage lists recurring billing on Free in one toggle and not the other; Refrens says both ’15 documents’ and ‘unlimited invoices’, which is why Refrens is noted but not ranked), we scored the conservative reading. Crater’s company site now redirects to a fintech product, so its row is built from the open-source repository and marked for re-verification.
Prices are USD. Square’s invoicing is now sold inside its Free/Plus/Premium bundle, so the paid step is the bundle price. We did not test the products for this list; the score measures the published free tier, not the product’s quality.
Frequently asked questions
Which free invoicing software has no invoice limit?
Wave, Square Invoices, PayPal Invoicing, Hiveage and Crater state no invoice cap. Hiveage caps clients at five instead; Zoho Invoice allows 500 a year; Bookipi three a month.
Is Zoho Invoice really free forever?
Yes; there is no paid Zoho Invoice plan. The limits are 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year, and invoices carry Zoho branding. Accounts dormant for 180 days may be deleted after notice.
Which free tool charges the lowest card fee?
Among the processors, Wave at 2.9% + $0.60 and PayPal for cards at 2.99% + $0.49; Square’s free tier is 3.3% + 30¢. Tools that let you connect your own gateway pay that gateway’s rate, typically Stripe’s 2.9% + 30¢.
Can I send recurring invoices on a free plan?
Yes on Zoho Invoice, Wave, Square, PayPal, Bookipi and Crater. Hiveage lists it inconsistently; Akaunting’s core includes recurring invoices.
Do these free plans expire or convert to paid automatically?
No. All eight are free-forever or open source. Hiveage starts new accounts on a 14-day Pro trial that downgrades to Free, not to a paid plan.
How is this different from the Best Invoicing Software comparison?
This list answers ‘where can I invoice without paying’. The Best comparison answers ‘which one should I buy’. Both use the same no-sponsorship rule.
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