Invoicing software comparison
Wave is "free" but charges 2.9% + 60¢ per transaction. FreshBooks starts at $17/mo and caps features by tier. JustInvoice is $9/mo USD flat with zero transaction fees. Works in 40+ countries. Here are the actual numbers, with no marketing spin.
The hidden problem with most invoicing apps (Wave, FreshBooks, InvoiceFast, Square Invoices, PayPal invoicing): your client gets an invoice, opens it, then has to manually pay by e-Transfer, bank transfer, or visit a different site. That friction costs you 11+ days on average before the invoice is paid. JustInvoice is one of the only modern invoicing tools that puts a "Pay Now" button right on the invoice — client clicks, pays with card, done. No friction. No "I'll do it later."
Before you read the full breakdown, here's what actually happens when you create and send an invoice in JustInvoice. Real screen recording, founder-narrated:
60-second demo · Real screen recording · No edits to the UI
| JustInvoice | Wave | FreshBooks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Free now ($9/mo USD after launch) | "Free" (but 2.9% + 60¢ per transaction) | From $17/mo |
| Unlimited invoices | ✓ | ✗ (capped by tier) | Only on higher tiers |
| Unlimited clients | ✓ | ✓ | Only on Plus+ tier ($30/mo) |
| No transaction fees | ✓ | ✗ (2.9% + 60¢) | ✓ |
| Built-in tax handling | ✓ (configurable: GST/HST, US sales tax, UK VAT, any rate) | Basic | Yes (costly tier) |
| Stripe payments native | ✓ | Via Wave Payments | Add-on |
| "Pay Now" button on invoice | ✓ (Stripe OR e-Transfer — user picks in settings) | ✗ (PDF + manual e-Transfer) | ✓ (Stripe add-on) |
| Built-in e-Transfer instructions | ✓ (Canadian Interac, no fees) | Basic (manual) | Add-on |
| Average days to get paid | Same day for most clients | 14-30 days typical | 7-21 days typical |
| PDF export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clean, simple UI | ✓ | Cluttered | Bloated |
| Time tracking | ✗ (use Toggl) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inventory | ✗ | ✓ | Add-on |
| Accounting reports | ✗ | Full | Full |
The marketing copy for Wave says "free invoicing." The reality is more nuanced. Wave is free for the software, but every invoice paid through Wave Payments costs you 2.9% + 60¢.
| Tool | Monthly | Annual | Effective per invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| JustInvoice | $9/mo (free now) | $108/yr (free now) | $0 fees |
| Wave | $0 + ~$86 in transaction fees | $0 + ~$1,032 in fees | ~$14 per $500 invoice |
| FreshBooks Lite | $17/mo | $204/yr | $0 fees (but caps at 5 clients) |
| FreshBooks Plus | $30/mo | $360/yr | $0 fees |
Assumes 6 invoices per month averaging $500 each.
| Tool | Monthly | Annual | Effective per invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| JustInvoice | $9/mo (free now) | $108/yr (free now) | $0 fees |
| Wave | $0 + ~$290 in transaction fees | $0 + ~$3,480 in fees | ~$58 per $2,000 invoice |
| FreshBooks Premium | $60/mo | $720/yr | $0 fees |
Assumes 5 invoices per month averaging $2,000 each.
Honestly: Wave is great for some people. If you want full double-entry accounting, payroll, inventory, and invoicing all in one tool — and your clients don't pay by card through the platform — Wave is the best free option out there. The accounting suite is genuinely good. We don't compete with that.
What Wave is not great for: solo freelancers billing primarily via card payments. The 2.9% cut eats your margin.
FreshBooks is the right choice if you need:
What FreshBooks is not great for: solo freelancers who don't need any of the above. The $17/mo starting tier caps you at 5 clients — fine for someone with 3 clients, brutal if you have 6.
InvoiceFast.ca is a popular Canadian-only invoicing app with a strong mobile presence (native iOS + Android apps), $3.99/month or $79.99 lifetime pricing, and 1,000+ contractor users in Canada.
| JustInvoice | InvoiceFast | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $9/mo (free during early access) | $3.99/mo or $79.99 lifetime |
| Stripe payments | ✓ Native, one-click | ✗ PDF only, manual e-Transfer |
| Mobile apps | Mobile-responsive web (native app on roadmap) | ✓ Native iOS + Android |
| Lifetime deal | None | ✓ $79.99 one-time |
| Avg days to get paid | Same day (one click) | 14-30 days (e-Transfer friction) |
| Premium templates | All included | $9 per template pack |
| Best for | Freelancers who bill via card, want fast payment | Contractors who invoice from job sites, e-Transfer payers |
JustInvoice is built for one specific user:
Solo freelancer or 1-3 person agency, 5-30 active clients, billing primarily via card or ACH, doesn't need time tracking / inventory / full accounting, in any of 40+ Stripe-supported countries (Canada, US, UK, Australia, EU, etc.), wants to send clean PDF invoices and get paid without fees eating their margin. Configurable tax and currency per account.
That's it. We don't try to be everything for everyone. We try to be the right tool for that specific person.
Winner: JustInvoice for flexibility. Tax percentage is configurable per account in settings — set GST/HST, US state sales tax, UK VAT, or any custom rate you need. Every invoice automatically applies the right rate. Wave and FreshBooks support common tax scenarios but the configuration is locked behind tier upgrades or awkward workarounds. JustInvoice treats tax as a first-class setting, not a paid add-on.
Three-way tie. All three generate clean PDF invoices. Wave and FreshBooks have more template options. JustInvoice keeps it simple — one clean template that looks professional. Pick based on what you actually use.
Winner: Wave. Wave has the best mobile app of the three. FreshBooks mobile is solid. JustInvoice is currently mobile-responsive web only — a native app is on the roadmap.
Winner: FreshBooks. FreshBooks integrates with 100+ tools. Wave integrates with most of the same. JustInvoice is intentionally minimal — Stripe for payments, Resend for email, that's it.
Winner: JustInvoice. $9/mo USD flat. No tiers, no caps, no "contact us for pricing." Wave's pricing page requires you to calculate your transaction fees yourself. FreshBooks has 4 tiers and 7 add-ons — easy to accidentally end up at $60/mo when you thought you were paying $17.
The software is free. The payment processing is 2.9% + 60¢ per transaction. For a freelancer billing $50K/year through Wave, that's roughly $1,450 in fees. Not "free" in practice — Wave makes money from your payment processing.
Yes. Both Wave and FreshBooks let you export invoices and clients as CSV. JustInvoice supports CSV import for both. Migration takes about 20 minutes for a typical freelancer.
Not yet. Recurring invoices are on the roadmap. If recurring billing is a core need, FreshBooks is the better choice today.
Yes. Export your data as CSV from JustInvoice whenever you want. We don't lock your data in.
Anywhere Stripe works — 40+ countries including Canada, US, UK, Australia, most of EU. Currency is configurable per account (USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, AUD, and more). Tax rate is also configurable — set GST/HST for Canadian clients, US state sales tax, UK VAT, or any custom rate. Each invoice uses your account's configured currency and tax rate.
InvoiceFast is great for mobile-first contractors who invoice from job sites and clients pay by e-Transfer. JustInvoice is built for freelancers whose clients want to pay by card with one click. If you've ever lost a week waiting for an e-Transfer, that's the difference. If you do most of your invoicing on your phone from a job site and your clients pay by e-Transfer anyway, InvoiceFast is the better choice.
Free during early access. After launch, JustInvoice is $9/mo USD flat — no transaction fees, no caps, no surprises. Watch the 60-second demo above to see the full invoice flow before you sign up.
No credit card required. Set up in 2 minutes.
Last updated: 2026-06-21 · Written by Jas, founder of JustInvoice. Built with OpenClaw + Claude Sonnet.