Invoicing app pricing for service businesses, compared
An invoicing app is software that builds, sends, and tracks the bills a business sends its customers. The cheapest paid plan with unlimited invoices among the five tools I checked is Billdu's Lite plan, at $4.99 a month billed annually. Zoho Invoice is free, but its free plan stops at 500 invoices a year, which is about 42 a month. Tofu, Jobber, and Invoice Simple cost more, and which one fits depends on how many people need a login and whether you want scheduling and quotes in the same app.
What does a simple invoicing app cost per month?
Each company publishes its own plan names and limits, so the table lists the lowest paid plan, the highest plan I read, and any free option. Prices are monthly unless marked as billed annually. I took them from each company's pricing page, except Invoice Simple, whose own page refused my request, so those numbers come from Capterra's listing of its plans.
| Tool | Lowest paid plan | Highest plan I read | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice Simple | Essentials, $4.99, up to 3 invoices | Premium, $19.99, unlimited invoices | A free plan is listed. I could not confirm its terms. |
| Tofu | Solo, $29 ($10 billed annually), individuals only | Business, $149 ($99 billed annually), up to 10 workers | None. 7-day free trial. |
| Jobber | Core, $49 ($29 billed annually), 1 user | Plus, $499 ($399 billed annually), 5 users included | None. 14-day free trial. |
| Billdu | Lite, $7.99 ($4.99 billed annually), unlimited invoices | Premium, $27.99 ($19.99 billed annually) | None. 7-day free trial. |
| Zoho Invoice | Not listed on the pricing page I read | Not listed on the pricing page I read | 500 invoices a year, 2 users, 3 projects |
Which invoicing apps have a free plan?
Only Zoho Invoice has a free plan I could confirm from the company's own page. Zoho's pricing page describes it with the line "Send up to 500 invoices per year," and it adds "Add up to two users" and "Create a maximum of three projects." Invoice Simple's listing also mentions a free plan, but I could not read its limits. Tofu, Jobber, and Billdu offer trials but no free tier, so you pay once the trial ends.
How much does sending 60 invoices a month cost?
Take a two-person plumbing shop that sends 60 invoices a month, which is 720 a year, and needs a login for both people. I priced each tool on the plan that covers that volume and that user count, using annual billing where the company offers it. The cost per invoice is the annual price divided by 720.
| Tool and plan | Monthly cost | Yearly cost | Cost per invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Invoice, free plan | $0 | $0, but the cap is 500 invoices, which leaves 220 over the limit | Does not fit |
| Invoice Simple, Premium | $19.99 (monthly billing; no annual rate found) | $239.88 | $0.33 |
| Tofu, Team (up to 5 workers) | $29 | $348 | $0.48 |
| Jobber, Core plus one extra user | $58 | $696 | $0.97 |
| Billdu, Lite | $4.99 | $59.88 | $0.08 |
| Billdu, Standard | $9.99 | $119.88 | $0.17 |
The spread is wide. Billdu's Lite plan costs about 8 cents an invoice at this volume, and Jobber costs about 97 cents, but Jobber is also scheduling and field service software, so the comparison is not fair to it as a pure invoicing tool. The caveat for Invoice Simple and Billdu is user count. Neither pricing page I read says how many logins Lite or Premium includes, so confirm that before you pick the cheapest row.
Is Jobber a simple invoicing app?
Jobber is closer to field service software that happens to send invoices. Its plans are built around the work that comes before the invoice, such as quotes, jobs, and scheduling, and that is where its price comes from. If you only need to send a bill and get paid, a tool like Billdu or Invoice Simple will cost you less. If your crew already schedules jobs on paper, the extra money may be worth it. I also build an invoicing app, WaffleInvoice, which is on my projects page. It is not in this comparison, and I did not price it here, so weigh my interest accordingly.
What should I check before I pay for an invoicing app?
Four things change the answer more than the headline price:
- The invoice cap. Zoho's free plan caps at 500 a year. Invoice Simple's Essentials plan caps at 3 a month.
- The user count. Jobber charges $29 a month for each user beyond the plan's included seats.
- The billing commitment. Jobber's Core plan costs $49 a month with no commitment and $29 billed annually, so a yearly plan saves $240 a year.
- The trial length. Jobber gives 14 days, and Tofu and Billdu give 7.
I build an invoicing app myself, as my about page explains, so keep that in mind as you read. The numbers matter more than my opinion. Run the 60-invoice example against your own volume and seat count before you trust a headline price.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free invoicing app for a small service business?
Zoho Invoice has a free plan that allows up to 500 invoices per year, two users, and three projects, according to Zoho's pricing page. That is about 42 invoices a month, so a busy shop will outgrow it.
Does Jobber have a free trial?
Yes. Jobber's pricing page offers 14 days of full access to the Grow plan with no credit card required. It has no free plan after that.
How much does Tofu cost for a team?
Tofu's Team plan costs $79 a month billed monthly or $29 a month billed annually, and covers up to 5 workers. Tofu has no free plan, but paid plans include a 7-day free trial.
Does Billdu have a free plan?
No. Billdu's pricing page lists no free plan and offers a 7-day free trial with full access to every feature. The cheapest paid plan, Lite, costs $4.99 a month billed annually and includes unlimited invoices.