Title: Invoicing software for freelancers: 6 options compared (2026) | Bilio URL: https://getbilio.com/invoicing-software-for-freelancers Description: Bilio, Wave, Zoho Invoice, Invoice Ninja, FreshBooks and Bonsai compared on free-plan limits, starting price, bank import and VAT. Every price checked on the vendor's own page on 9 November 2026. Last updated: 2026-11-11 [Resources](https://getbilio.com/resources) Invoicing basics # Which invoicing software should a freelancer use? By [Stefka Ivanova](https://getbilio.com/about), founder of Bilio · Last checked 9 November 2026 Bilio is invoicing and bookkeeping software for freelancers in Europe and the UK. Its free plan has no cap on invoices, quotes or clients, and it handles EU and UK VAT. If you are US-based and need bank feeds, Wave or FreshBooks fits better. Six options, each checked on the vendor’s own pricing page on 9 November 2026. ## What does each free plan cap? Bilio Wave Zoho Invoice Invoice Ninja FreshBooks Bonsai Free plan Starter, no caps Starter, unlimited invoices Up to 500 invoices a year, 2 users Up to 5 clients No, 30-day trial No First paid plan Pro €7 a month (€60 a year) Pro $19 a month Not needed for invoicing Pro $14 a month ($140 a year) Lite $23 (80% off for 4 months), 5 billable clients Essentials $19 a month, paid annually Quotes clients accept online Yes, free See Wave See Zoho See Invoice Ninja See FreshBooks See Bonsai Recurring invoices Pro See Wave Yes, free See Invoice Ninja See FreshBooks See Bonsai Time tracking into invoices Yes, free See Wave See Zoho See Invoice Ninja See FreshBooks Yes, from Basic Expenses Manual free; receipt scanning with AI categories on Pro See Wave See Zoho See Invoice Ninja See FreshBooks See Bonsai VAT EU reverse charge, VIES checks, Dutch btw return, UK nine boxes See Wave See Zoho See Invoice Ninja See FreshBooks See Bonsai Automatic bank feed No; statement import on Pro Pro only See Zoho Enterprise plan See FreshBooks See Bonsai Online payment links Pro: iDEAL, card and SEPA via Stripe (Stripe's fee plus 1% to Bilio) Yes, 2.9% + $0.60 per card payment Yes, via gateways Yes, via gateways See FreshBooks Listed under Essentials Language and markets App and invoices in English, Dutch, German, Spanish or Bulgarian; any currency See Wave See Zoho See Invoice Ninja See FreshBooks See Bonsai Works with Claude or ChatGPT Pro Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed Not listed Data stored EU See Wave See Zoho See Invoice Ninja See FreshBooks See Bonsai Checked [9 Nov 2026](https://getbilio.com/pricing) [9 Nov 2026](https://www.waveapps.com/pricing) [9 Nov 2026](https://www.zoho.com/us/invoice/pricing/) [9 Nov 2026](https://invoiceninja.com/pricing-plans/) [9 Nov 2026](https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing) [9 Nov 2026](https://www.hellobonsai.com/pricing) “See” means the vendor’s pricing page did not confirm it either way. “Not listed” means the pricing page does not mention it. ## Which free plans have no cap on invoices or clients? Two of the six: Wave Starter and Bilio Starter. Zoho Invoice is free up to 500 invoices a year, about 40 a month ([Zoho, checked on 9 November 2026](https://www.zoho.com/us/invoice/pricing/)). Invoice Ninja’s free plan covers 5 clients ([Invoice Ninja, checked on 9 November 2026](https://invoiceninja.com/pricing-plans/)). FreshBooks has no free plan: Lite is listed at $23 with 5 billable clients, with 80% off for the first 4 months ([FreshBooks, checked on 9 November 2026](https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing)). ## When is Wave the better choice? When you are in the US or Canada and want invoicing plus simple bookkeeping in one free tool. Wave Starter has unlimited invoices and estimates; clients can pay by card for 2.9% + $0.60 per payment. Bank transactions import automatically only on Pro, at $19 a month, which also adds automatic late-payment reminders ([Wave, checked on 9 November 2026](https://www.waveapps.com/pricing)). ## When is Zoho Invoice the better choice? When you want a free tool with recurring invoices and automated reminders included, and you send fewer than 500 invoices a year. Invoices carry “Powered by Zoho Invoice” branding on the free plan ([Zoho, checked on 9 November 2026](https://www.zoho.com/us/invoice/pricing/)). ## When is FreshBooks or Bonsai the better choice? FreshBooks suits freelancers in the US who are happy to pay after the trial and want a large, established tool; its plan table shows which plans include bank import and online payments. Bonsai suits freelancers who want proposals, contracts and invoices in one place; invoices and payments are listed from its Essentials plan at $19 a month, paid annually ([Bonsai, checked on 9 November 2026](https://www.hellobonsai.com/pricing)). ## When is Bilio the better choice? ### Choose Bilio if - you freelance in the EU or the UK, or bill clients in several countries, and want the reverse-charge or “outside the scope of VAT” wording, VIES checks and the right currency on each invoice; - you want no cap on invoices, quotes or clients without paying; - you want your Dutch btw return laid out by rubriek, or your UK nine-box VAT return, from the same invoices; - you want to ask Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor about your own invoices ([Bilio with your assistant](https://getbilio.com/works-with-your-assistant), on Pro). ### Choose something else if - you are US-based and want a bank feed in the same tool: Wave Pro or FreshBooks; - you want proposals, contracts and invoices in one tool: Bonsai; - you are a UK business that must submit VAT returns to HMRC from the software under Making Tax Digital: Bilio lays out the nine boxes but is not MTD-recognised, so you would need bridging software (see [Bilio for UK freelancers](https://getbilio.com/for/uk-freelancers)). ## What does sending a first invoice in Bilio look like? About four minutes, in five steps: 1. Sign up with your email. No card. 2. Add your business details, VAT number and IBAN. 3. Log your hours for a client, or add a line for the work. 4. Turn it into an invoice in any currency and send it. Bilio picks the VAT treatment from the client’s country and VAT number. 5. See when the client received and opened it. Want one invoice without an account first? Fill in the [free invoice generator](https://getbilio.com/free-invoice-generator); you create a free account to download the PDF. ## Who built Bilio? > “I invoice clients in the Netherlands, Finland and France, split between 21% btw and reverse charge, and I got tired of tools that cap the free plan at three invoices. So I built the one I wanted and have used it for my own studio since July 2025.” > > [Stefka Ivanova](https://getbilio.com/about), founder of Bilio Bilio has been in daily use on real invoices since July 2025, with clients invoiced in 13 countries. ## What does Bilio cost? Starter is €0 with no caps. Pro is €7 a month or €60 a year: Pay now links, recurring invoices, receipt scanning with AI categories, automatic reminders, bank statement import and the connection to your AI assistant. Business is €15 a month or €144 a year. Your price holds for 24 months. Plans are billed in euros. See [all plans](https://getbilio.com/pricing). ## Common questions ### What is the best free invoicing software for freelancers? It depends on the cap you can live with. On 9 November 2026, Wave Starter and Bilio Starter had no cap on invoices or clients. Zoho Invoice was free up to 500 invoices a year, and Invoice Ninja free for up to 5 clients. ### Is FreshBooks free? No. FreshBooks has a free trial, not a free plan. Lite is listed at $23 with 5 billable clients, and FreshBooks showed 80% off for the first 4 months when we checked on 9 November 2026. ### Which invoicing software is best for freelancers in Europe? Look for EU VAT handling: reverse-charge wording, VAT number checks and your country’s VAT return. Bilio does this for the Dutch btw return and the UK nine-box return, in euros or any currency. US-first tools like Wave and FreshBooks are built around US dollars and US sales tax. ### Do I need a bank feed in my invoicing software? Only if you want payments matched without importing statements. Wave links bank accounts on Pro ($19 a month). Bilio has no automatic bank feed yet; on Pro you import a bank statement (CAMT.053, MT940 or CSV) and Bilio matches the payments. Bank feeds for three accounts are planned for January. ### Can invoicing software work with ChatGPT or Claude? Bilio connects to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor on Pro, so you can ask about your invoices or have a draft invoice prepared, with nothing sent or changed without your OK. Send your first invoice in Bilio. Free, no card, no caps. [Start free](https://app.getbilio.com/register) ## More guides - [Which invoicing software should a freelancer use?](https://getbilio.com/invoicing-software-for-freelancers) - [How to invoice as a freelancer](https://getbilio.com/resources/how-to-invoice-as-a-freelancer) - [Freelance in the Netherlands: btw, KOR and invoicing, explained in English](https://getbilio.com/resources/freelance-in-the-netherlands)