15 Best Billing Software and Platforms for Small Businesses

Billing software is ideal for those looking to improve their invoice management processes.

It delivers productivity tools and hassle-free payment solutions to help you streamline your workflows and get paid on time.

Several good billing apps are available on the market. 

For your ease, I have curated a list of the top software products that offer excellent bill management features and flexible payment solutions. The review covers both accounting software and standalone invoicing platforms.

What Is Billing Software And What Apps Are Best For You?

Billing software is a digital platform that provides invoice creation, bill tracking, and online payment tools.

It’s built for freelancers and business owners, offering simple ways to make professional invoices and receive client payments.

If you are considering your options, here are some features to look for in billing software.

Top Features of Billing Software;

• Custom invoicing.
• Payment integration.
• Auto-reminders.
• Reporting.

The billing app also offers other useful functions, such as multiple business management and time tracking. To find out more, check out the list and explore their features.

1. Sage Billing

Sage is a business management platform. It sells several financial tools, including smart billing software.

The app covers invoices, payments, workflows, and reporting. It’s designed to automate your manual invoicing, offering tracking tools and reminders to help you manage invoices with ease.

Sage’s billing feature is available on its cloud and desktop products both. You’ll get account payable tools with the invoicing software to manage your cash inflow and outflow together.

Core Features

• Quotes and invoices.
• Secure Payments.
• Expense management.
• Reminders.
• Multicurrency support.
• Real time reporting.
• Team collaboration.
• Integration.

Price

Sage shares prices on demand. Contact sales for details.

2. Bill

Bill is a comprehensive platform. It has AR and AP modules, a user-friendly invoicing tool, cash flow forecasting, and more.

You can generate both quick invoices for small gigs and custom bills for established clients. Plus, you can set up recurring payments and offer an online portal to your clients for easy payment transactions. 

To speed up the payment, you can add an auto-pay option to your invoices. Bill provides multiple payment methods to help you optimize your workflows.

Advanced features like Team collaboration, multi-location accounting, and forecasting are available on the advanced subscription. 

Core Features

• Custom invoices.
• Online payment.
• Recurring billing.
• Tracking and reporting.
• Account payable features.
• Cashflow forecasting.
• Mobile and desktop.
• Integrations.

Price

BILL subscriptions range between $45 and $40. You can customize the package.

3. Bonsai

Bonsai is incredibly versatile. It helps you manage your projects, clients, and finances from one app.

The software supports both small businesses and agencies. You’ll get client portals, mobile apps, and integrations to optimize your workflows.

For billing, Bonsai provides an invoicing module. Via this software, you can create one-time and recurring bills, attach late fees, and get paid online. You’ll also know when your client opens the invoice.

A library of templates is included in the package for your ease. You’ll find a variety of pre-built invoice templates created for different scenarios.

Core Features

• Branded invoices.
• Payments.
• Recurring billing.
• Workflow automation.
• Templates.
• Project management.
• Client portal.
• Mobile apps.
• Integration.

Price

Bonsai prices start at $15. The billing software is available on the Essential plan, which costs $25 per month.

4. Melio

Melio helps small businesses manage their receivables. Via this platform, you can create invoices and send payment requests.

You can connect Melio with your accounting software and set workflows on autopilot. It has two-way syncing to auto-reconcile the transactions.

You can offer ACH and credit card options to your customers. To improve the user experience, you can create personalized payment links.

Melio also delivers an account payable tool. If you want to manage your bills and vendor payments, this is your best option.

Core Features

• Branded invoice.
• Bank and credit card transfer.
• Payment and reminders scheduling.
• Team collaboration.
• Multicurrency support.
• Account payable.
• Integration.
• Mobile apps.

Price

Melio’s basic plan is free. The Core plan costs $25/month.

5. Square

Square provides both software and hardware business tools. One of its products is an Invoice software via which you can generate bills and receive client payments.

You can create as many invoices as you want and track your payments in real time. There’s also an option for estimate generation, which you can later convert into an invoice.

You’ll have the flexibility to add multiple payment gateways for clients and include custom fields in your invoice, like a late payment fee. Recurring payment scheduling is also available.

You can access Square on desktops and smartphones both.

Core Features

• Custom invoices and contracts.
• Flexible payment.
• Auto-reminders and recurring billing.
• Real-time tracking.
• Customizable templates.
• Reports and insights.
• Team collaboration.
• Tipping and refunds.
• Mobile and desktop versions.
• Integration.

Price

You can get started on Square for free. The Plus plan costs $20/month.

6. Invoicely

Invoicely provides billing, online payment, and tracking tools. It’s an intuitive platform with custom features and flexible payment options.

You can sign up for free and create up to 5 bills per month. Premium subscriptions offer unlimited invoices and client profiles.

If you manage multiple businesses with your team, you can do that as well. The software allows up to 25 users and lets you build brand invoices.

Invoicely has Android and iOS mobile apps both.

Core Features

• Custom invoices.
• Time and expense tracking.
• Flexible payments.
• Team collaboration.
• Multiple business support.
• Automation.
• Integration.
• Mobile apps.

Price

Invoicely charges $10 to $30 per month. 

7. ZOHO Invoice

ZOHO lets you create professional invoices for free. It’s a user-friendly software and supports major payment gateways, including bank transfers and credit cards. 

You can build quotes, invoices, and reminders on ZOHO. 

You’ll also get scheduling and automation tools to set up recurring bills.

Other notable features of ZOHO are project management and team collaboration. You can run more than one organization on a single account and keep a record of billable hours and expenses.

Core Features

• Custom invoices.
• Time and expense tracking.
• Flexible payments.
• Team collaboration.
• Customer portal.
• Payment reminders.
• Reporting and analytics.
• Mobile apps.

Price

Zoho Invoice is completely free. You can check the demo invoice here.

8. Stripe Billing

Stripe provides an easy way to bill your clients. Via this platform, small businesses and independent contractors can process cross-border transactions and manage invoices.

The platform has a robust billing module. You can generate quotes, make quick invoices, create recurring bills, and send payment requests. 

You’ll get a full-fledged cart tool with point-of-sale features for physical and digital products. You’ll also receive separate features for subscription and project bills.

Overall, Stripe is a popular choice for bill management.

Core Features

• Accept payments in 135+ currencies
• Custom checkout.
• Quotes, invoices, subscription.
• Payment request.
• Multiple payment gateways.
• Customer portal.
• Reconciliation.
• Fraud detection.
• Real-time financial reports.
• Integration.

Price

You can sign up for free. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per successful card payment. Businesses with high transaction volumes can get custom pricing.

9. Recurly

Recurly is a subscription management platform. It helps you create and manage recurring bills.

Top notable features of Recurly are automated billing, 10+ payment methods, multicurrency transactions, and tracking. You can set up various pricing models for clients and handle both one-time and recurring bills.

You’ll have the option to manually and automatically charge your customers. Churn management and promotion features are also built into the software.

I recommend checking out its official website. 

Core Features

• Automated recurring billing.
• One-time invoicing.
• Subscription management.
• Flexible payment.
• Multicurrency support.
• Smart dunning.
• Real-time analytics and reports.
• Email marketing.
• Integration.

Price

Recurly shares prices on request. You can try it for free.

10. Chargebee

Chargebee is also a good subscription billing platform. It has one of the most advanced invoicing features with smart dunning and multi-entity support.

You can integrate over thirty payment channels to Chargebee, including Stripe and PayPal. You’ll get a catalog of 67+ models to build your product pricing, and automation tools to set up recurring payments.

Quotes, trial management, and retries are all included in the package. You can also buy retention and revenue recognition products with the billing software.

Core Features

• Quotes, trials, and invoices.
• Subscription management.
• Recurring billing.
• Global payments.
• Smart dunning.
• Analytics and reporting.
• Multi-entity support.
• Integration.

Price

Chargebee’s billing software prices start at $599. A free plan is available for startups.

Book a demo to explore the premium features.

11. FreeAgent

FreeAgent is designed for solopreneurs, freelancers & small businesses. It’s an accounting software with good billing and online payment capabilities.

Here, you can generate estimates and invoices, create timesheets, and get paid by clients online. The software comes with a user-friendly dashboard to track bills and monitor your profit and loss.

You will also get project management software to oversee your income and expenses. You can take a 30-day free trial to explore the features.

Core Features

• Invoicing.
• Online payment.
• Expense tracking.
• Bank Integration.
• Dashboard monitoring.
• Financial reports.

Price

FreeAgent offers 50% off for the first six months, with a discounted price of $11/month. 

12. Paymo

Paymo delivers project management and billing functions. It gives you everything you need to manage your tasks, time, and payments.

The software is user-friendly and affordable. For $24 a month, you can create estimates, generate unlimited invoices, track projects, and build timesheets.

For payments, both credit cards and ACH are available. Your clients will have the option to pay you directly through your invoice.

All in all, Paymo is worth exploring.

Core Features

• Estimates and invoices.
• Recurring billing.
• Task management.
• Time tracking.
• Online payment.
• Reporting.
• Team collaboration
• Guess access.
• Mobile apps.

Price

Paymo’s basic plan is free and the premium plan costs $10 to $24 per month. You can take a 14-day free trial.

13. Quickbooks

Quickbooks is an accounting software. It’s widely used by small businesses from all around the world, providing essential tools to help you maintain your book of accounts accurately.

People also love Quickbooks billing software. It’s easy to use and highly efficient. You can create both one-time and recurring bills and set reminders on auto to track outstanding invoices. If you have a brand, you can add your logo to personalize your invoices.

User-friendly payment options are available here for your clients. They can pay you through bank and credit cards and add bonuses and tips.

Core Features

• Custom invoices.
• Payment request.
• Credit card and ACH transactions.
• Auto-reminders.
• Bill management.
• Basic accounting.
• AI invoice assist. (Beta version)
• Reports.
• Multicurrency support.
• Integrations.

Price

Quickbooks monthly subscription starts from $18.  You can take a free trial.

14. Clio

Clio is a legal billing software. It helps you with invoicing, billable hours tracking, and payments.

The price is slightly higher comparatively, but you get additional tools with the billing feature to manage your calendar and documents. You’ll also receive a client portal to collaborate on cases.

Custom billing, auto-reconciliation, and document management are some of Clio’s other standout features. 

Core Features

• Time and expense tracking.
• Custom billing.
• Online payments.
• Automated workflows.
• Calendar.
• Client portal.
• Case management.
• Detailed reporting.
• Integration.

Price

Clio prices range between $49 and $159. You can try it for free.

15. Bill4Time

Bill4Time is another cloud-based billing software for law firms, consultants, and professional services. It’s specifically designed for small firms, offering user-friendly and accessible features.  

You can use Bill4time to record billable hours, track expenses, create invoices, and receive payments online. You’ll get customizable templates for invoices and a storage space for documents.

The software has desktop and mobile versions both.

Core Features

• Time and expense tracking.
• Custom invoices.
• Online payments.
• Automation.
• Document management.
• Reporting.
• Client portal.
• Integration.

Price

Bill4Time charges $29 for the tracking and invoicing product. You can take a free trial.

Conclusion

Billing software makes invoice management effortless. 

You can generate branded invoices for clients and receive payment directly through your bills. Plus, you get a bunch of other useful tools to optimize your workflows.

Try out the above-listed apps and pick the software that offers a better bill management solution. Good luck!