Best invoicing apps
The Best Invoicing Apps for Designers in 2026
Designers usually bill by project or retainer, send estimates before work starts, and want the money side handled without becoming accountants. The tools below are ranked on invoicing strength, project and time tracking, price, and how much extra admin they add. Auritrack sits fourth on purpose: it is an AI bookkeeping app, not a dedicated billing tool, so we rank it honestly against apps built for the job.
FreshBooks
From ~$21/moFreshBooks is invoicing-first and fits designers well: clean invoices and estimates, a client portal, and time and project tracking to bill retainers and fixed-scope work. It has no free tier, starting around $21/month, but for project-based billing it is the most complete fit.
QuickBooks
From $35/moQuickBooks pairs solid invoicing with full double-entry accounting and tax integration, which helps once a design business needs real books. It starts around $35/month with no free tier, so it can be more than a solo designer needs.
Wave
Free plan + Pro ~$16/moWave offers genuinely free unlimited invoicing funded by payment fees (around 2.9% + $0.60 per card), making it the value pick for a designer who mainly needs to send professional invoices and get paid. It has no AI bookkeeping and thinner support on the free plan.
Auritrack
Free app + web from $3/moAuritrack ranks fourth here honestly: its invoicing is partial, aimed at small-business records and reports rather than a full client-billing workflow like FreshBooks or Wave. It earns its place on the other half of the admin, using AI to log software subscriptions, hardware and other expenses by chat or statement import in any currency, free on the mobile apps and Telegram (AI pay-as-you-go), or on the web from $3/month.
The verdict
For most designers, FreshBooks is the top pick because invoicing, estimates, a client portal and project tracking are its whole reason to exist. Choose Wave if you want free invoicing and only pay per payment, or pair a dedicated invoicing app with Auritrack when you want AI to handle expenses on the bookkeeping side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare and switch
Let AI do the tracking
Auritrack does the bookkeeping for you. Connect your bank on Premium ($20/month) in the US, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, or import a statement from any bank, in any currency. It's free on the mobile apps and Telegram, with AI pay-as-you-go; the web app is from $3/month.
Rankings reflect our understanding of each product at the time of writing and may change; check each provider’s site for current pricing and features. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is general information, not financial advice.