Top 10 Invoicing Software for Indian Freelancers & Small Agencies (2025 Review)

Why Your Invoicing Software is the Key to Getting Paid Faster in India

In India's booming gig economy, freelancers and small agencies offering services like Digital Marketing are the new engines of growth. From creative designers in Mumbai to tech consultants in Bengaluru providing expert SEO Services, independent professionals are thriving. But with this success comes a challenge that every business owner knows too well: managing the money. Chasing payments, creating professional-looking bills, and navigating the complexities of GST can quickly turn into a full-time job, taking you away from the work you love.

 

In 2025, the right invoicing software is no longer just a tool to create a bill; it's a complete business management partner. The focus has shifted from simply generating a PDF to automating the entire payment cycle—from sending the invoice to getting the money in your bank account. For Indian users, two factors are more critical than ever:

• Ease of Use: You are an expert in your craft, not in accounting. The software should be simple, intuitive, and work flawlessly on your mobile so you can send an invoice right after a client meeting.
• Payment Integration: Getting paid should be easy for your clients. This means seamless integration with local payment methods like UPI and credit/debit cards via gateways like Razorpay, as well as international options like PayPal.
  
   

Furthermore, a non-negotiable feature for any serious Indian business is robust GST compliance. This goes beyond just adding a tax percentage. The best tools now offer automated e-invoicing with IRP (Invoice Registration Portal) integration and help generate GSTR reports, making tax filing less of a nightmare. This manual will break down the top 10 invoicing tools that can help you get paid faster, stay compliant, and win back your valuable time.  

Our Evaluation Framework: How We Picked the Best Invoicing Tools for You

To give you the most practical advice, we established a clear and transparent framework for evaluating each software. We looked at these tools from the perspective of an Indian freelancer or a small agency owner.

 

• Ease of Use & User Experience (UX): This is more than just a good-looking design. We assessed how quickly you can set up an account, how many clicks it takes to create and send an invoice, and the quality of the mobile app for managing business on the go. The best tools feel intuitive even for someone with zero accounting knowledge.  
• Payment Integration & Fees: We prioritized tools that support a variety of payment gateways, with a special focus on Indian favorites like Razorpay, PayU, and UPI. We also dug into the transaction fees (for example, a typical fee is 2.9% + a fixed amount per transaction ) to understand how much of your hard-earned money actually lands in your account.  
• Core Features & Functionality: A great invoicing tool does more than just bill. We looked for essential features like automated recurring invoices for retainer clients, expense tracking by snapping pictures of receipts, professional templates to make you look good, and time tracking that converts billable hours directly into an invoice.  
• Pricing & Value for Money: We analyzed everything from generous free plans to premium subscriptions. We looked past the attractive initial discounts to understand the true long-term cost, ensuring you get the best value for your money.  
• India-Specific Suitability: This was our most critical criterion. A tool is only useful if it works in the Indian context. We checked for built-in GST features (like e-invoicing and GSTR reports), seamless integration with Indian payment gateways, efficient handling of multi-currency transactions for international clients, and the availability of local customer support. 

The Top 10 Invoicing Software: In-Depth Reviews

1. FreshBooks: The King of Simplicity for Service-Based Businesses

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Freelancers and small service-based agencies who prioritize an extremely easy-to-use interface.
  • Starting Price: Begins at around ₹1,750/month (converted from $21/month), but often comes with significant introductory offers like 90% off for 4 months.  
  • Free Plan: No, but a 30-day free trial is available.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Primarily integrates with Stripe and PayPal. Integration with Razorpay is possible through third-party automation tools.
      
• Detailed Review: FreshBooks has built its reputation on being incredibly easy to use, and it lives up to the hype. The interface is clean, intuitive, and designed for business owners, not accountants. Its mobile app is particularly powerful, allowing you to track time, log expenses with receipt photos, and send invoices from anywhere. For payments, it connects smoothly with global giants like Stripe and PayPal, allowing your clients to pay with credit cards or Apple Pay directly on the invoice. The standard transaction fee is around 2.9% + $0.30.  
• Its features are perfectly tailored for service-based businesses. The time-tracking tool is a standout, letting you log hours and add them to a client's invoice with a single click. It also handles proposals, expense management, and team collaboration effectively. However, the pricing can get steep as your business grows. The initial promotional deals are tempting, but the Price increases significantly after the offer period, and adding team members costs extra ($11 per user/month).  
• For the Indian market, FreshBooks is a mixed bag. It is certainly usable and is even listed on platforms like IndiaMart with "GST Billing" as a feature. Its automatic tax calculation can be configured for GST. However, this functionality is basic. It lacks the deep, automated GSTR reporting and direct e-invoicing (IRP integration) that India-native tools provide. This approach suggests a global-first strategy, where localization is a functional layer rather than a core design principle.  

• Expert Verdict: FreshBooks is an excellent choice for Indian freelancers who primarily serve international clients and value a polished, world-class user experience above all else. The trade-off is that for domestic business and GST compliance, you may need to do more manual work or rely on an accountant, which can be a hidden cost.

2. Wave: The Best Truly Free Option for Beginners

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: New freelancers, solopreneurs, and micro-businesses looking for a 100% free invoicing and accounting solution.
  • Starting Price: $0 (Free).
  • Free Plan: Yes, the core invoicing and accounting software is completely free.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Supports standard credit card and bank payments, but lacks native integration with Indian gateways like Razorpay.  
    
     
• Detailed Review: Wave's biggest advantage is its Price: the core accounting and invoicing software is genuinely free. This makes it an incredibly attractive option for anyone just starting out. The platform is generally user-friendly, and creating a basic invoice is very simple. Users have praised it as a fantastic freemium tool for getting started. The free plan is surprisingly robust, offering unlimited invoicing, expense tracking, and basic financial reports.  
• The business model becomes clear when you look at payments and advanced features. You only pay when you use their payment processing (at a standard rate of 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction) or when you opt for paid add-ons like payroll or advisory services. More convenient features, such as automatic import of bank transactions, are part of the paid "Pro" plan ($16/month). This "freemium funnel" strategy is designed to attract a large audience with a free, functional product and generate revenue from those who value convenience enough to upgrade or pay transaction fees.  
• For the Indian market, Wave is a functional but limited choice. While it can be used by Indian freelancers , its India-specific features are nearly non-existent. It does not offer payroll for India, and more importantly, it has no built-in tools for GST compliance, e-invoicing, or GSTR reporting. This means all tax-related work must be done manually.  

• Expert Verdict: Wave is an unbeatable starting point for a new Indian freelancer on a tight budget. It handles basic invoicing perfectly. However, it is a temporary solution. As your business grows and GST compliance becomes mandatory, you will quickly outgrow its capabilities and need to migrate to a more India-focused platform.

3. Zoho Invoice: The Powerhouse Free Tool for the Indian Ecosystem

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Small businesses and freelancers in India looking for a powerful, feature-rich, and GST-compliant free invoicing solution.
  • Starting Price: ₹0 (The core Zoho Invoice product is 100% free).
  • Free Plan: Yes, an incredibly powerful and feature-rich one.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Excellent support, including Razorpay, PayPal, and its own Zoho Payments gateway.  

• Detailed Review: Zoho Invoice is a standout performer, especially for the Indian market. It offers a clean, straightforward user experience that manages to be both powerful and accessible. Its most compelling aspect is that its core invoicing product is completely free, without the limitations seen in many other free plans. This is part of a larger strategy: Zoho uses its excellent free tools to draw users into its comprehensive ecosystem of business software. Once a business is running on Zoho Invoice, it's a very smooth and logical transition to paid products like Zoho Books (for full accounting) or Zoho CRM as needs grow.  
• The feature set is outstanding for a free tool. It includes customizable templates that support your professional Branding Services, recurring invoices, expense tracking, time tracking, a client portal, and detailed business reports. Where it truly shines for Indian users is in its payment integration and compliance. It supports a broad range of payment gateways, including the essential ones for India, like Razorpay, allowing you to easily accept payments via cards, UPI, and net banking.  
• Most importantly, the Zoho ecosystem is built with India in mind. The platform offers full GST compliance, including the generation of GST-compliant invoices, integration with the e-invoicing portal (IRP), and the creation of tax reports to help with filing. This deep localization makes it an incredibly sticky product for Indian businesses.  

• Expert Verdict: For the vast majority of Indian freelancers and small agencies, Zoho Invoice is the best place to start. It's free, powerful, perfectly tailored for the Indian financial system, and provides a clear, scalable growth path within its own ecosystem. It's hard to beat the value it offers.

4. QuickBooks Solopreneur (Self-Employed): The Go-To for Tax-Focused Freelancers

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Self-employed individuals whose primary concern is separating business/personal expenses and preparing for tax season.
  • Starting Price: Around ₹1,650/month (converted from $20/month), with frequent deep discounts.  
  • Free Plan: No, but offers a 30-day free trial.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Supports PayPal and credit cards. A key advantage is the RazorpayX integration for payouts and reconciliation.  

• Detailed Review: QuickBooks positions its Solopreneur product as the ultimate tool for managing freelancer finances with an eye toward tax time. Its standout feature is the effortless tracking and separation of business and personal expenses, a common headache for solopreneurs. The platform is known for its intuitive interface, and the mobile app is excellent for tracking mileage automatically and capturing receipts on the go.  
• However, the focus on tax preparation means its other features can feel basic. The invoicing tools have limited customization, and they lack the advanced project management or reporting features of their competitors. The product's value is maximized for those who also use Intuit's other products, like TurboTax, for filing returns.  
• For Indian users, QuickBooks is a viable option. The platform has a strong presence in India, and many certified freelance accountants are available for support. The Australian version of the software demonstrates robust GST capabilities, suggesting the core platform is well-equipped to handle such taxes. A major plus for the Indian market is the integration with RazorpayX, which allows users to sync and pay vouchers from QuickBooks via Razorpay with automatic reconciliation. This is a smart move to bridge the local payment gap. Be aware that some long-time users have expressed frustration over recent changes, such as the removal of the receipt matching feature in the shift from "Self-Employed" to "Solopreneur." 

• Expert Verdict: QuickBooks Solopreneur is a strong choice for the disciplined Indian freelancer who prioritizes meticulous financial organization for tax purposes. Its expense tracking is best-in-class. If your primary need is advanced, beautiful invoicing or deep project management, you may find it limiting.

5. Invoice Ninja: The Flexible Open-Source Champion for Tech-Savvy Users

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Tech-savvy freelancers and agencies who want extreme customization and control, including the option to self-host the software.
  • Starting Price: $0 (Free plan available). Pro plan is competitively priced at about $10/month (billed annually).  
  • Free Plan: Yes, a generous free plan for up to 5 clients.  
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Excellent support for Razorpay.  

• Detailed Review: Invoice Ninja is built for power and flexibility. It offers both a cloud-based service and an open-source version you can host on your own server, giving you complete control over your data. While the interface is clean and modern, this flexibility means it can have a steeper learning curve than simpler tools.  
• Its biggest strengths are its features and integrations. The free plan is very generous, offering unlimited invoices for up to 5 clients, a client portal, time tracking, and even Kanban boards for project management. The paid plans unlock a massive list of advanced features at a very competitive price. Its technical foundation allows it to integrate with over 45 payment gateways , and its support for Razorpay is particularly deep. This integration allows for easy setup, payment links, and even advanced functions like splitting payments and reconciling UPI/NEFT transfers automatically, making it ideal for the Indian market.  
• In terms of Indian market readiness, it scores very high. The strong Razorpay integration makes accepting local payments seamless. The platform is also noted as being GST-compliant, completing it as a practical choice for Indian businesses that need to follow tax regulations.

  

• Expert Verdict: Invoice Ninja is the perfect tool for the freelancer or small agency that values power, control, and customization. If you're comfortable with a bit more initial setup, it offers incredible functionality and value, especially for Indian users, thanks to its superb Razorpay integration and affordable pricing.

6. HoneyBook: The All-in-One Clientflow Manager for Creatives

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Creative professionals (photographers, designers, etc.) who want a single platform to manage the entire client journey.
  • Starting Price: Approximately $29/month (billed yearly).  
  • Free Plan: No, but a 7-day free trial is available.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Uses its own in-house processor for credit cards and bank transfers. No direct integration with Indian gateways is mentioned.  

• Detailed Review: HoneyBook isn't just an invoicing tool; it's a "clientflow" management platform. Its goal is to make a small creative business look and operate like a polished, professional agency. The user experience is highly praised for being intuitive and visually appealing. Its standout feature is the ability to combine proposals, contracts (with e-signatures), and invoices into a single, interactive file. A client can receive one link, review the proposal, sign the contract, and make the initial payment all in one seamless process.  
• This all-in-one approach justifies its premium pricing, which starts higher than many competitors. It uses its own payment processor, which simplifies setup but lacks direct integration with Indian gateways like Razorpay or PayU.  
• Unfortunately, this is where it falls short for the Indian market. Despite having a registered LLP in India , the product itself is heavily focused on the US and Canadian markets. There is no mention of any features for GST compliance, e-invoicing, or GSTR reporting. The lack of local payment gateway support and India-specific tax features is a major hurdle for anyone doing domestic business.  

• Expert Verdict: HoneyBook is a beautiful and powerful platform for Indian creative professionals who work exclusively with international clients and are comfortable managing their GST compliance manually. Its client experience workflow is second to none. However, for any business serving the Indian domestic market, the lack of essential payment and tax features makes it a non-starter.

7. Square Invoices: The Best Choice for Businesses Already in the Square Ecosystem

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Businesses in supported countries that use Square for point-of-sale (POS) or other payment services.
  • Starting Price: $0 (Free plan available).
  • Free Plan: Yes, a very capable free plan.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Not available in India.

• Detailed Review: In the markets where it operates, Square Invoices is a fantastic product. It is known for its simplicity and user-friendly design, making invoicing a breeze. As a payment company, its integration with its own processing system is flawless. The free plan is excellent, offering unlimited invoices, estimates, and contracts, making it a powerful entry point into the Square ecosystem. The goal is to get businesses to use their free invoicing, which naturally leads them to adopt other paid Square services like POS systems or business checking accounts, creating a high switching cost.  
• However, there is one critical deal-breaker for our audience. Square's services are not available in India. This means that despite its strong features and positive reviews, it is not a viable option for freelancers or agencies based in India. Any mention of GST features in its documentation refers to other regions, such as Australia.  

• Expert Verdict: While an excellent tool, Square Invoices cannot be recommended as it does not operate in India. It remains on this list as a point of comparison for those who might be operating from a supported country.

8. Bonsai: The Integrated Workspace for High-End Freelancers

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Professional freelancers in supported countries who need an integrated system for proposals, contracts, project management, and invoicing.
  • Starting Price: Approximately $19/user/month (Essentials plan, billed annually).  
  • Free Plan: No, but a free trial is offered.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Stripe and PayPal, but Stripe integration is explicitly not available for India.  

• Detailed Review: Bonsai, much like HoneyBook, is an all-in-one business management platform designed for professional freelancers. It is highly regarded for its clean interface and ability to centralize proposals, contracts, project management, time tracking, and invoicing in one place. Its financial management and accounting features are considered particularly strong. The platform targets freelancers who have moved beyond the basics and are willing to invest in a sophisticated tool to run their business efficiently.  
• However, Bonsai has a critical flaw in the Indian market. Its payment integration relies on Stripe and PayPal. The official documentation clearly states that its Stripe integration is available in all Stripe-supported countries except India. This is a major roadblock, as it removes the primary method for accepting credit/debit card payments. While a PayPal account can be linked, the lack of a primary card processor and any local Indian gateways is a severe limitation.  
• While the software allows you to add a VAT/Tax ID to invoices for manual compliance , it offers no dedicated features for Indian GST, e-invoicing, or reporting.  

• Expert Verdict: Bonsai is a powerful and well-designed platform that is, unfortunately, not a suitable choice for freelancers based in India due to its significant payment integration limitations for the region.

9. Fiverr Workspace (formerly AND.CO): A Simple Tool for Fiverr Sellers and Beyond

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Freelancers who are active on the Fiverr platform or those looking for a very simple, project-based invoicing tool.
  • Starting Price: $0 (Free plan for 1 client). The Unlimited plan is $24/month.  
  • Free Plan: Yes, but very limited (1 client only).
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Integrates with PayPal and Stripe. For domestic Indian payments, users recommend alternatives like Razorpay. 

• Detailed Review: Fiverr Workspace grew out of the acquisition of AND.CO, aims to be a simple business management tool for freelancers. Its interface is generally considered easy to use and visually appealing. It includes basic tools for creating proposals, contracts, and invoices, as well as time and expense tracking.  
• The platform's strategy seems to be to provide a business management tool for its huge community of Fiverr sellers, keeping them within the brand's ecosystem. However, as a standalone product, it faces stiff competition. The free plan is essentially a trial, as it's limited to a single client, forcing any active freelancer to upgrade. At $24/month, the paid plan is more expensive than more capable competitors like Invoice Ninja or the free-forever Zoho Invoice.  
• For the Indian market, its utility is limited. Fiverr is a hugely popular platform for Indian freelancers to find work, especially for those offering Content Writing Services to a global audience. However, the Workspace tool itself is not tailored for India. It lacks native integration with Indian payment gateways and has no GST compliance, e-invoicing, or reporting features. Freelancers would have to handle all tax matters manually.  

• Expert Verdict: Fiverr Workspace is a decent tool if you're just starting and are heavily invested in the Fiverr marketplace. However, for most Indian freelancers, there are more powerful, more affordable, and more India-friendly options available.

10. Refrens: The Made-for-India Invoicing and Payments Specialist

• At a Glance:
  • Best For: Indian freelancers and small businesses who need a simple, affordable, and fully GST-compliant solution with excellent local payment support.
  • Starting Price: ₹0 (Free plan available). Premium plans start at an affordable ₹100/month.  
  • Free Plan: Yes, a generous plan for up to 50 documents per year.
  • Key Indian Payment Gateway: Excellent support. Integrates with Cashfree for domestic payments (UPI, Cards, Wallets) and has its own gateway for international payments.  

• Detailed Review: Refrens is a prime example of a product built to solve specific local problems. It positions itself as a direct answer to the gaps left by global software giants in the Indian market. The platform is developed for simplicity and speed, with an intuitive interface that gets rave reviews from Indian users. It understands the local business culture, offering features like automated payment reminders via WhatsApp and email to tackle the common issue of delayed payments.  
• Its greatest strength is its deep India-centricity, including integrations with platforms like Shopify, which is essential for any E-Commerce business. Its payment integration is tailored for India, using gateways like Cashfree to seamlessly accept UPI, cards, and wallet payments. It also has its own transparent international payment gateway and low fees.  
• The pricing is extremely competitive and designed for the Indian market, with a very usable free plan and highly affordable premium tiers. This combination of localized features, ease of use, and affordability makes it a powerful contender.  

• Expert Verdict: Refrens is a top-tier choice for almost any freelancer or small business in India. It perfectly balances ease of use with powerful, India-specific features for payment and tax compliance. It's a tool that truly understands and solves the day-to-day challenges of running a small business in India.

Comparative Analysis: Selecting the Right Tool for Your Business

With so many options, picking the right one can be tough. The following comparison table and head-to-head analysis will assist you narrow down the choices based on what matters most to your business.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison Matrix

This table provides a quick overview of our top 10 tools, focusing on the features most important to Indian freelancers and agencies.

Note: Prices are based on USD to INR conversion rates at the time of writing and may vary. Fees are for standard online card payments and can differ for other methods like ACH.

Head-to-Head: The Best Tools for Specific Needs

• Best on a Budget (Free Tools): Wave vs. Zoho Invoice vs. Refrens While Wave offers a globally recognized free product, it's quickly outmatched in the Indian context. The real competition is between Zoho Invoice and Refrens. Both offer incredibly generous free plans with features that are essential for India. Zoho Invoice is the winner if you want a feature-packed tool that can connect to a larger software ecosystem as you grow. Refrens wins if your priority is absolute simplicity and a laser focus on solving Indian invoicing and GST challenges without any extra complexity.
• Best for Simplicity & User Experience: FreshBooks vs. HoneyBook Both platforms are champions of user-friendly design. FreshBooks is the clear winner for pure, simple invoicing and accounting. Its interface is designed to make financial tasks feel less intimidating. HoneyBook wins for managing the entire client journey, from proposal to payment, in one beautiful package. The choice here depends on your biggest pain point: is it bookkeeping or overall client management? For Indian users, both come with the major caveat of weak localization for payments and tax.
• Best All-in-One Business Suite: Bonsai vs. QuickBooks Solopreneur These tools offer different visions of an "all-in-one" suite. QuickBooks is fundamentally an accounting and tax suite designed to make bookkeeping and tax filing seamless. Bonsai is a freelance business management suite focusing on proposals, contracts, and project delivery. For an Indian user, QuickBooks Solopreneur is the more viable option due to its stronger payment integration story via RazorpayX and its focus on tax organization. Bonsai's payment limitations currently make it unsuitable for the Indian market.
• Best for Indian GST & Payments: Zoho Invoice vs. Refrens This is the final showdown for the most India-ready platforms, and both are excellent choices. The decision comes down to your business's ambition and complexity. Zoho Invoice is the ideal choice for those who see their business growing significantly and want a platform that can scale with them into a full-fledged, deeply integrated software suite covering CRM, accounting, and more. Refrens is the perfect choice for the freelancer or small business that wants a dedicated, streamlined, and incredibly easy-to-use tool that solves Indian invoicing and payment challenges perfectly without the potential complexity of a larger ecosystem.

Final Verdict: Your Perfect Invoicing Partner in 2025

Choosing the "best" invoicing software is not about finding a single winner, but about finding the right partner for your specific business needs. Your ideal tool depends on your budget, your clients, your technical comfort, and how you plan to grow.

Based on our detailed analysis, here are our final recommendations:

• For the Brand-New Freelancer: Start with Zoho Invoice or Refrens. They are free, powerful, and built from the ground up to handle Indian GST and payment systems. They will keep you compliant and help you get paid without costing a rupee.
• For the Service-Based Agency Working with Global Clients: FreshBooks is a top contender. If your clients are primarily international and you value a polished, world-class user experience, it's an excellent choice. Just be prepared to manage some GST reporting with an accountant's help.
• For the Tax-Conscious Solopreneur: QuickBooks Solopreneur is built for you. Its ability to separate business and personal expenses is unmatched, and its focus on tax preparation will save you headaches. The RazorpayX integration makes it a solid choice for India.
• For the Tech-Savvy User Wanting Ultimate Control: Invoice Ninja offers incredible power and flexibility for its Price. If you want to customize your workflow and appreciate its open-source roots, its excellent support for Indian payment gateways makes it a fantastic option.
  
   

The future of invoicing is clear: It's moving towards greater automation, deeper integration into all aspects of business including a range of Corporate Services, and hyper-localization. For Indian freelancers and agencies, this means that tools built with a deep understanding of the local market, like Zoho and Refrens, are no longer just alternatives—they are becoming the leading choice for smart business management.