As a freelancer, I've always found invoicing to be somewhat frustrating. After sending an invoice, I often feel left in the dark—I'm left wondering if the client received it, if it ended up in their spam folder, or if they're just ignoring it altogether. This uncertainty usually leads me to follow up manually without really knowing what's going on. Additionally, managing client information, payment details, and notes across various platforms (like emails, documents, and spreadsheets) has been a hassle. I've started building a tool for my own invoicing needs, but I'm curious if other freelancers experience the same issues. How do you keep track of whether your clients have seen your invoices?
11 Answers
FreshBooks works well for me. It’s flexible and simple, but I know everyone has their preferences.
I use Harvest for time tracking and invoicing. It’s pretty good, and you can see when clients view the invoices, which is super helpful.
I like Harvest as well, but it’s a bit pricier than other options. However, it integrates nicely with Stripe and QuickBooks, which my accountant prefers.
Thanks for the recommendation! I thought Harvest was just for teams, so I’ll definitely check it out.
You might want to check out InvoiceMama. They offer a free plan and mobile apps if that's your style.
Their pricing is definitely attractive!
I’m working on something similar, but I’m impressed with their pricing structure.
I’m a big fan of Square. It lets you see when clients open your invoices too!
I haven't tried Square yet. Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it!
Wave Apps has always been my go-to for invoicing, complemented by Toggl for time tracking. Both platforms are free, which is great. I just started using QuickBooks Online at my accountant's suggestion—tough to set up, but I’m getting the hang of it.
I use Google Docs with a custom template that reflects my branding. It's quick to make a copy for each invoice, fill it out, and send it as a PDF via email. It’s free and takes just a couple of minutes.
I've been trying out Zoho Invoice recently.
I used Stripe invoicing for a bit, but their fees added up. I switched to Invoice Ninja, which is open-source and lets you self-host. It was a quick setup and now I don’t pay any platform fees. It handles recurring invoices and payment tracking just fine. Sure, the interface isn’t as modern as FreshBooks, but it gets the job done and I own my data.
I agree, Invoice Ninja is a solid choice! The interface might be dated, but it's reliable.
Some folks recommend BigTime because it keeps all client data, work tracking, and invoices in a single spot. This helps avoid the chaos of scattered information.
Right now, I'm using CheckIssuing for my invoices. So far, it’s been working well for me.
Is anyone working on a better alternative to QuickBooks?
I’m hoping my project will provide a better solution. Right now, I'm focusing solely on invoicing, though. What features do you find most useful in QuickBooks?
Right? FreshBooks can be a bit overwhelming at times for me too.