Writers need invoicing that stays out of the way: simple, preferably free, and professional enough for editors and clients. No hourly billing, no complexity — here’s what actually fits.
Last updated: 2026-09-25 · Prices verified against official vendor pages.
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Writers rarely bill by the hour, so Wave’s missing time tracking doesn’t matter — and its unlimited free invoices plus real bookkeeping do. Bill per article, per word, or per project without paying a cent.
Watch out: Online-payment payouts go to US/CA banks only.
Completely free with professional templates, recurring invoices, and even time tracking if you ever need it. For a writer sending a handful of invoices a month, the ~500/year limit is effectively no limit.
Watch out: No paid upgrade path — you’d migrate to Zoho Books if you outgrow it.
If late payers are your problem, FreshBooks’ automatic payment reminders and recurring invoices earn the $23/mo. Writers with retainer clients will appreciate invoices that send and chase themselves.
Watch out: No free plan; 5-client cap on the Lite tier.
The cheapest paid step up: 5 clients free with unlimited invoices, then just $14/mo Pro. Attractive customizable templates make per-project invoices look sharp.
Watch out: Free plan capped at 5 clients and 1 user.
| Tool | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Genuinely free invoicing and bookkeeping for budget-conscious freelancers. | $0 | Starter plan is free: unlimited invoices, estimates and bills, plus bookkeeping and expense tracking. | Budget-conscious solo freelancers who need free, unlimited invoicing and real bookkeeping — and don’t bill by the hour. | Review → |
| Zoho Invoice A completely free, full-featured invoicing tool inside the Zoho ecosystem. | $0 | 100% free since 2021 — no paid tier. Third-party sources cite limits of 500 invoices per year and up to 2 users. | Solo freelancers and micro-businesses who want a genuinely free, full-featured invoicing tool and are comfortable living inside the Zoho ecosystem. | Review → |
| FreshBooks Effortless invoicing with built-in time tracking for solo service freelancers. | $23/mo | — | Solo service freelancers who bill by time or by project and want effortless invoicing without learning accounting. | Review → |
| Invoice Ninja The cheapest credible invoicing tool, with 40+ payment gateways and a self-hosted option. | $0 | Free plan: up to 5 clients with unlimited invoices; no credit card required. | Freelancers with a handful of clients who want the cheapest credible invoicing tool with maximum payment-gateway flexibility — or technically inclined freelancers who want to self-host for $40/yr. | Review → |
Usually not. Writers typically bill per project, per word, or per article — no time tracking needed — so free tools like Wave or Zoho Invoice cover everything. Pay only if you want automated late-payment chasing (FreshBooks) or outgrow free-plan limits.
Wave: sign up, create a professional invoice in minutes, send it, done. No accounting knowledge required, and the free plan doesn’t expire or cap your invoice count.
Wave invoices in 160+ currencies free, and Zoho Invoice supports multi-currency and multi-lingual invoicing. If most of your clients are abroad, either beats tools that gate multi-currency behind expensive tiers.