Freelancers out there often find themselves spending 10+ hours a week on tasks clients never pay for: admin, emails, follow-ups, and billing chaos. If you’re a designer, that’s time you should’ve spent sketching, branding, or creating.
What if instead of drowning in post‑project paperwork, you could send polished invoices in minutes and reclaim hours in your week?
That’s where the right invoicing software makes a real difference. The best options go beyond just sending a PDF. They help you look professional, get paid faster, and save hours each month.
Whether you bill hourly, per project, or on retainer, these tools are designed to streamline the business side of design so you can focus on the creative.
Best Invoicing Software for Designers: At a Glance
Here are the top 5 invoicing tools every graphic designer should know about, with FreshBooks leading the pack.
|
Tool |
Best For |
|
FreshBooks |
Best overall for creative professionals |
|
HoneyBook |
Best for client experience and CRM features |
|
QuickBooks |
Best for accounting-focused design businesses |
|
Zoho Invoice |
Best free invoicing option |
|
Xero |
Best for simple accounting with invoicing support |
1. FreshBooks: Best Overall for Creative Professionals
FreshBooks was built for service-based businesses like freelance designers, illustrators, and boutique creative studios. Its interface is clean, modern, and easy to use, with tools that make invoicing feel like an extension of your creative process rather than a detour.
You get branded invoice templates for your industry, seamless payment options (Stripe, PayPal, ACH, Apple Pay), and time tracking that ties directly to billable projects. What truly sets FreshBooks apart is that it’s not trying to be everything. It’s laser-focused on helping solo creatives and small teams get paid faster, with minimal friction.
While platforms like QuickBooks and Xero lean into accounting, FreshBooks keeps its focus clear: intuitive billing, pro-level estimates, easy retainer invoicing, and robust client collaboration, all without the accounting clutter.
Pros
Gorgeous, user-friendly interface
Time tracking is tied directly to projects and invoices
Recurring billing + automatic reminders
Fast payments via built-in gateways
Responsive, human support when you need it
Cons
Limited advanced reporting compared to accounting-first tools
Slightly higher pricing as your client list grows
Perfect for: Freelancers and small design teams who want smart, streamlined invoicing with just enough extras.
2. HoneyBook: Best for Client Experience and CRM Tools
HoneyBook markets itself as a “client experience platform,” which makes sense for photographers, wedding pros, and creatives juggling onboarding, proposals, and payments in one system.
It’s sleek, lifestyle-friendly, and great for keeping all client communication in one place. You can send invoices, schedule meetings, and share contracts from one dashboard. But for graphic designers who want deeper billing flexibility or detailed financial tracking, HoneyBook’s CRM-first approach can feel a bit limiting.
Pros
All-in-one CRM + invoicing + scheduling
Designed for creatives and solopreneurs
Simple contract and proposal creation
Great branding tools for client communications
Cons
Payment options are more limited than FreshBooks
Invoicing lacks customization and advanced billing logic
More CRM than a pure billing tool
Perfect for: Designers who sell packaged services and prioritize a polished client journey.
3. QuickBooks: Best for Accounting-Focused Creatives
If you’ve got a growing design studio or work closely with an accountant, QuickBooks Online is the go-to for accounting-heavy workflows. It offers robust tools for invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting, with AI features that save time and reduce errors.
But here’s the tradeoff: QuickBooks can feel overwhelming for solo creatives. Its interface leans more toward “bookkeeper” than “designer,” and many features are overkill if you just want simple invoicing that looks good.
Pros
Advanced accounting and tax features
Payment integration and bank sync
AI-powered automation for finance tasks
Cons
Steeper learning curve than FreshBooks
Interface not tailored for creatives
More expensive as your business scales
Perfect for: Designers with complex financial needs or established studios working with external accountants.
4. Zoho Invoice: Best Free Invoicing Platform
If you’re a freelance designer just starting out or you’re operating on a tight budget, Zoho Invoice offers one of the most generous free plans in the game. You can create beautiful invoices, log time, set payment reminders, and even manage tax settings without spending a dime.
Zoho doesn’t push upsells too aggressively, and the platform is stable and secure. The only caveat? It’s part of a broader ecosystem (Zoho Books, CRM, etc.), and you may eventually need to upgrade to access more advanced tools.
Pros
100% free invoicing with no hidden fees
Easy to use with customizable templates
Great for managing multiple projects
Cons
Limited customization beyond basic templates
Automation and reporting features are capped
Email-only support
Perfect for: New graphic designers who want a clean, capable invoicing tool without a monthly bill.
5. Xero: Best for Simple Accounting with Invoicing Support
Xero positions itself as small-business accounting made easy, and it delivers on that promise. It’s simpler than QuickBooks, more affordable for solopreneurs, and offers solid invoicing features for designers who want a lightweight accounting tool.
You can track expenses, create branded invoices, and reconcile payments, all in a clean interface. But if you’re focused more on project-based billing and client-facing workflows, Xero can feel like it’s missing the creative touches found in FreshBooks.
Pros
Easy-to-navigate interface
Great for handling basic accounting and invoicing
Offers multi-currency support and time tracking
Cons
Not designed for creatives or service providers
Basic invoicing templates
Some features require paid add-ons
Perfect for: Designers who want a combined accounting + invoicing platform without QuickBooks complexity.
Why Designers Need the Right Invoicing Tool
For graphic designers, invoicing isn’t just admin. It’s part of your brand. With the right tool, you can streamline your admin, reduce late payments, and present your services with polish and clarity.
Tools like HoneyBook, QuickBooks, Zoho, and Xero all offer value in different ways, especially as your business evolves.
But if you're looking for something intuitive, creative-friendly, and built for service-based workflows from the start, FreshBooks checks all the boxes without overcomplicating things.
