FreshBooks is one of the best billing software options thanks to its ease of use and scalability. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, plus FreshBooks tends to use terminology that’s easy to understand, rather than verbiage known to accountants. If you’re unsure of what a feature does, you can easily find a definition or explanation in its help centre.

If you only need invoicing software to bill your clients, then a low-cost FreshBooks plan could be all you need, especially if you only have a handful of clients. As your business grows, you can easily upgrade to a higher plan to allow for more clients and get more helpful features, such as unlimited proposals, bank reconciliation and accountant access. Plans range from £6 to £17.50, and there’s a custom pricing plan that comes with lower transaction fees and removes the FreshBooks branding from emails.

To accept payments by phone or to set up subscription-based invoicing, you’ll have to choose at least the Plus plan (£11 per month) and the Advanced Payments add-on (£15 per month), making this an expensive choice if you need more versatility in how you accept payments. You have the option to use FreshBooks Payments, which charges you 1% plus 15 pence per online transaction. There are other payment gateways you can use and those each have their own transaction fees, including PayPal and Stripe.

Who should use it:

Self-employed and small businesses that need easy-to-use invoicing software that includes accounting features in higher-end plans.