Fortunately, you have dozens of outstanding invoicing tools – that do all the heavy lifting for you – to choose from. You’ll enter a few client details, break down what goes into each bill, and your chosen app takes care of everything else. This includes sending reminders, keeping track of your earnings, and more.
In this article, you’ll learn a bit more about how invoicing apps can improve your life as a freelancer. Then I’ll introduce you to the best invoicing apps for freelance writers. Let’s get to it!
Why You Should Use an Invoicing Application
As a freelancer, invoicing will be a necessary ongoing task throughout your career. Each time you reach a new milestone or complete a project, you need to send your client an invoice. This ensures you both have a paper trail of where money comes and goes.
Creating and managing invoices can be quite dull, to be honest. It requires you to keep meticulous track of the work you do and document it. The more clients you have, the longer it can take. That’s why I recommend you use an invoicing app to take care of most of the work.
These days, invoicing software does a lot more than just make your receipts look pretty. Most applications enable you to send reminders to clients, add late fees, keep track of your earnings, and more. In other words, they’re a time-saving lifesaver for freelancers. The only thing better than the right app is hiring an accountant, but those can get quite expensive!
3 Best Invoicing Apps for Freelance Writers
The following apps aren’t only for freelancers. They’ll benefit any type of self-run business. It’s also important to note that the best services are premium, so there may be a small monthly fee. However, that is time you’re then free to use earning even more money with extra clients. Don’t be dissuaded from the right solution due to a small monthly investment!
1. Freshbooks
Freshbooks is one of the biggest names in invoicing applications. It’s become wildly popular thanks to its broad range of features and excellent interface, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Before Freshbooks, I only used PayPal Invoices. Switching over was a breath of fresh air. It has so many features, I’m still finding great new ones all the time. For example, it enables you to charge clients using credit cards, send late reminders for your invoices, translate them, and more. As a freelance writer, you’ll appreciate being able to charge for actual invoice deposits, rather than creating separate project invoices for each milestone.
Who Should Consider Using Freshbooks
I’m usually wary of recommending a single solution for everyone, but I can make an exception with Freshbooks. It has enough features you could conceivably use it to run a traditional business, and it’s perfect for freelancers. The only downside is you can’t accept PayPal payments with it. If your clients insist on using PayPal, you’ll need a different solution.
Price
Freshbook’s starter plan will set you back $15 a month, supporting up to five clients at a time. Once you’ve worked up to a bigger freelance base, you can upgrade to the Plus plan. This only costs $10 more and supports up to 50 unique clients.
2. Wave
Wave has comparable features to Freshbooks. It enables you to create professional-looking invoices using templates and customize them with your logo in minutes. On top of that, you can also process credit card and bank payments, stay on top of unpaid invoices, and more.
One area where Wave shines is when it comes to team expenses. If you’re ever looking to grow your freelance business and put together a team, Wave can help you manage payroll. Plus, it’s free to use, so you don’t have to stretch your budget to accommodate a new expense.
Who Should Consider Using Wave
My experience with Wave is limited, but solid. I’ve submitted a few invoices and always got paid without a hitch. However, I have it on good authority that Wave’s payroll features are some of the best around, which makes it a great fit if you like to work with subcontractors.
Price:
Wave is a free service. Similar to PayPal, they do charge 2.9% for credit card transactions, plus a $0.30 service fee. The app also supports bank payments, for which it only charges 1%.
3. PayPal Invoices
If you’re a freelance writer, you have almost certainly used PayPal at some point in your career. Most of the clients I’ve worked with use it as one of their payment methods, and you can use PayPal to buy almost anything online.
It’s important to note PayPal isn’t an invoicing app per se. It’s a money transfer service with modest built-in invoicing features. Its invoices aren’t anywhere near as good as those you can create using Freshbooks or Wave. However, the platform still deserves a spot on this list because it’s so popular. Plus, since you probably already have a PayPal account set up, you won’t need to sign up for any new services.
Who Should Consider Using PayPal
Many freelancers don’t like to completely depend on PayPal for their wages. However, you can supplement your income by using PayPal for select clients who prefer it, and handle the rest in another app. In short, don’t limit your potential income. Get used to PayPal and learn how to send invoices to maximize your client base.
Price:
Anyone can create a PayPal account for free, but they do charge fees whenever you get paid. These vary depending on your country and where the money’s coming from, and they can get fairly steep.
Conclusion
Modern invoicing applications are all about simplifying your work life. The less time you spend worrying about bills and chasing clients, the more you can dedicate to working on and drumming up new business. If your business is still fledgling, you’ll need a few clients before you start worrying about invoices. One of the best places to find them as a freelance writer is the Paid to Blog Jobs board, so check it out!
Once you have some business to your name, it’s time to choose an invoicing app to take care of them. Here are my three favorites:
- Freshbooks: A fantastic all-in-one invoicing app for any business.
- Wave: The perfect service if you work with other freelancers.
- PayPal Invoice: Aside from being the most popular online payment processor, PayPal also enables you to send invoices.
What do you think is the best invoicing app for freelance writers? Tell us why in the comments section below!
Image credit: Pixabay.