Project Management by Team · Researched comparison

Best Project Software With Invoicing for Freelancers

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The short answer

Paymo is the top pick for most freelancers because Solo at $5.9 a month on annual billing covers projects, time tracking, and invoicing for one user. Harvest is the best fallback for a freelancer who wants the simplest time-to-invoice flow, with Teams at $9 per seat each month.

On this page

Key takeaways

  • Paymo Solo is $5.9 a month on annual billing, and it is the cheapest invoicing option in this guide for a freelancer, at $70.80 a year.
  • Harvest Teams is $9 per seat each month, and it has the simplest time-to-invoice flow in this guide, with a free plan for 1 seat and 2 projects.
  • Bonsai Essentials is $19 per user each month on annual billing, and it is the first Bonsai tier with invoicing, proposals, and contracts.
  • HoneyBook Starter is $29 a month on annual billing, and it covers proposals, contracts, invoices, and payments for a freelancer with clients.
  • A freelancer on Paymo Solo spends $70.80 a year, while the same freelancer on HoneyBook Starter spends $348 a year.

Comparison

How these compare
ToolBest forPrice rangeFree plan
PaymoFreelancers who want projects, time, and invoices in one app$5.9 per month (billed annually)Yes
HarvestFreelancers who want simple time-to-invoice flow$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
BonsaiFreelancers who want proposals, contracts, and invoices$9 per user/month (billed annually)No
HoneyBookFreelancers who want a full client suite$29 per month (billed annually)No
FreshBooksFreelancers who want invoicing and payments first$23 per monthNo
ClickUpFreelancers who want one tool for tasks and time$9 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
TeamworkFreelancers who bill clients by the hour$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)Yes
AvazaFreelancers who want flat account pricing$11.95 per month (per account)Yes

How we choose

We compared the tools on price for one person, free plan limits, task views, time tracking, invoicing, and how the hours flow into an invoice. Prices come from each vendor pricing page, read on 14 November 2026, and the Sources section lists those pages. We reviewed vendor docs and plan comparison pages, and we did not claim hands-on testing. A tool made this guide only if it covers projects plus time or invoicing, fits a freelancer budget, and has a clear path from logged hours to a client invoice.

Our full method

The shortlist

★ Best overall

Paymo

Best for freelancers who want projects, time, and invoices in one app

  • cheapest invoicing option in this guide
  • projects, time, and invoices in one app
Price$5.9 per month (billed annually)
See Paymo pricing

Paymo Solo at $5.9 a month on annual billing is the cheapest way for a freelancer to run projects, time tracking, and invoicing in one account, at $70.80 a year. Solo covers 1 user, 3 clients, and 5 projects, with Kanban and calendar views, flat-rate and retainer projects, and guest access. The free plan covers 1 user, 1 client, and 2 projects, with time tracking and invoices included, so a freelancer can test the full flow before paying.

The limits are the caps on Solo. A freelancer with more than 3 clients or 5 projects must move to Plus at $10.9 per user each month, and Gantt charts and dependencies only arrive on Pro at $16.9. Paymo also has a smaller integration list than Asana or Monday, so a freelancer who relies on many outside apps should check the list first. For a solo freelancer with a handful of clients, Paymo Solo is the best value here.

Price: $5.9 per month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: paymoapp.com

Watch out for

  • Solo covers 1 user, 3 clients, and 5 projects
  • Gantt charts need Pro at $16.9
2

Harvest

Best for freelancers who want simple time-to-invoice flow
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

Harvest keeps the path from hours to invoice short. A freelancer tracks time against projects and tasks, then turns the logged hours into an invoice in a few clicks, with expenses and payments in the same flow. Teams at $9 per seat each month on annual billing adds unlimited projects and clients, while Enterprise at $14 adds approvals and more controls. The free plan covers 1 seat and 2 projects, which suits a solo operator testing the flow.

The trade-off is project depth. Harvest is a time and invoicing tool first, so its task boards and project views are lighter than ClickUp or Asana. Flex usage fees also apply for active projects, clients, tasks, and invoicing on top of the seat price, so a freelancer should read the pricing page before budgeting. For a freelancer who wants clean time tracking and fast invoicing without a heavy project system, Harvest is the simplest choice here.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: getharvest.com

What we like

  • simplest time-to-invoice flow in this guide
  • clean reports on hours and budgets

Watch out for

  • project management is lighter than full PM tools
  • Flex usage fees apply on top of seat price
3

Bonsai

Best for freelancers who want proposals, contracts, and invoices
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

Bonsai is a freelance business suite that links proposals, contracts, time tracking, invoicing, and payments in one chain, so a client moves from proposal to signed contract to invoice without leaving the account. Basic at $9 per user each month on annual billing covers time tracking, tasks, and a CRM, while Essentials at $19 adds invoices, payments, proposals, and contracts. Premium at $29 adds accounting, expense automation, and Gantt views.

The limit to watch is that Basic has no invoicing, so the real entry price for a freelancer who invoices is Essentials at $19 a month, or $228 a year. Card payments through Bonsai also carry a fee of 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction, and the trial lasts 7 days. For a freelancer who wants proposals and contracts as well as invoices, Bonsai Essentials covers the full client workflow in one account.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: No

Website: hellobonsai.com

What we like

  • proposals, contracts, and invoicing in one flow
  • client portal included

Watch out for

  • invoicing needs Essentials at $19
  • card fees of 2.9 percent plus 30 cents apply
4

HoneyBook

Best for freelancers who want a full client suite
$29 per month (billed annually)

HoneyBook is a client suite for independent service businesses such as photographers, planners, designers, and coaches, with proposals, contracts, invoices, payments, and a client portal in one account. Starter at $29 a month on annual billing covers unlimited clients and projects, invoices, payments, proposals, and contracts, while Essentials at $49 adds the scheduler, automations, and QuickBooks Online. Premium at $109 adds unlimited team members and advanced reports.

The limits are price and the tier jump. HoneyBook has no free plan, only a trial, and the scheduler and automations that many freelancers want start on Essentials at $49 a month, not Starter. Card payments also carry a processing fee of 2.9 percent plus 25 cents per transaction. For a freelancer who runs a client-facing service business and wants one polished suite, HoneyBook Starter covers the core flow, but the yearly cost of $348 is five times the price of Paymo Solo.

Price: $29 per month (billed annually)

Free plan: No

Website: honeybook.com

What we like

  • proposals, contracts, invoices, and payments in one suite
  • client portal included

Watch out for

  • no free plan
  • scheduler and automations need Essentials at $49
5

FreshBooks

Best for freelancers who want invoicing and payments first
$23 per month

FreshBooks is an invoicing and accounting tool first, with projects and time tracking added so a freelancer can bill from the same account it tracks work in. Lite at $23 a month covers 5 billable clients with invoicing, payments, estimates, expenses, and time tracking, while Plus at $43 covers 50 clients and adds proposals and retainers. Premium at $70 removes the client cap and adds project profitability reports. There is no free plan, only a 30-day trial.

The trade-off is project depth. FreshBooks covers tasks, time, and project profitability, but its project views are lighter than ClickUp or Teamwork, so a freelancer with complex project plans may find it thin. Lite also caps at 5 billable clients, and extra team members cost $11 each per month, so a freelancer with more than 5 clients should budget for Plus. For a freelancer who wants billing done right and project tracking as a bonus, FreshBooks is the most finance-first option here.

Price: $23 per month

Free plan: No

Website: freshbooks.com

What we like

  • invoicing, payments, and expenses built for billing
  • estimates and retainers included

Watch out for

  • project management is lighter than a full PM tool
  • Lite caps at 5 billable clients
6

ClickUp

Best for freelancers who want one tool for tasks and time
$9 per user/month (billed annually)

ClickUp packs tasks, docs, whiteboards, goals, and time tracking into one account, which suits a freelancer who wants one system for all client work. The free plan covers unlimited tasks and members, plus docs and whiteboards, so a freelancer can run real work on it before spending anything. Core at $9 per user each month on annual billing adds native time tracking, more storage, and guest permissions, which covers the next step for most freelancers.

The limit for billing is that native invoicing needs Business at $17 per user each month, so a freelancer who wants invoices inside ClickUp pays more than the $9 starting price. ClickUp also has so many views and settings that a new user can spend the first week configuring instead of working. A freelancer that mainly needs tasks and time, and bills from another app, will find Core a strong value, while a freelancer who wants invoicing built in should look at Paymo or Harvest.

Price: $9 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: clickup.com

What we like

  • free plan covers tasks, docs, and whiteboards
  • native time tracking starts on Core

Watch out for

  • native invoicing needs Business at $17
  • feature depth can slow new users
7

Teamwork

Best for freelancers who bill clients by the hour
$9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Teamwork is built for client work, with billable time tracking, invoicing, and client users in the same account as tasks and milestones. Basics at $9.99 per user each month on annual billing adds billable time, invoicing, and project templates, while the free plan covers up to 5 users and 5 projects. A freelancer can log time on a task, mark it billable, and turn it into an invoice without leaving Teamwork, which removes the retyping that causes billing errors.

The limit for a solo freelancer is the minimum. Basics needs at least 3 users, so a freelancer must pay for three seats at $359.64 a year, even when working alone. The interface also packs in a lot of options, so new users need a few days to find their way around. For a freelancer who works with two or more collaborators, Teamwork is a strong option, while a solo freelancer should pick Paymo or Harvest instead.

Price: $9.99 per user/month (billed annually)

Free plan: Yes

Website: teamwork.com

What we like

  • billable time tracking and invoicing built in
  • client seats included

Watch out for

  • Basics needs a minimum of 3 users
  • interface has a learning curve
8

Avaza

Best for freelancers who want flat account pricing
$11.95 per month (per account)

Avaza prices by account, not by seat, which keeps costs low for a solo freelancer. Startup at $11.95 per month covers the core quote-to-invoice flow, while Basic at $23.95 and Business at $47.95 add more timesheet and admin users. The free plan covers 1 timesheet user, 5 active projects, and 5 invoices a month, with unlimited project collaborators on every plan. A freelancer can invite clients and collaborators without paying for each head.

The limit is the role pricing. Extra timesheet or admin users cost $7 each per month, so the bill rises when the freelancer adds collaborators, and the interface is less visual than Monday or ClickUp. Avaza also has fewer templates than larger rivals. For a solo freelancer who wants quotes, timesheets, and invoices at a flat monthly price, Avaza Startup at $143.40 a year is a fair middle ground between Paymo Solo and Bonsai Essentials.

Price: $11.95 per month (per account)

Free plan: Yes

Website: avaza.com

What we like

  • flat account pricing, not per user
  • quotes, timesheets, and invoices in one place

Watch out for

  • extra timesheet users cost $7 each per month
  • interface is less visual than Monday

What to check before you buy

Check whether invoicing is included on the starting price or locked on a higher tier, since Bonsai Basic has no invoicing and ClickUp needs Business for it. Check the seat minimum, because Teamwork Basics needs 3 users and a solo freelancer pays for all three. Check payment processing fees, since card fees of about 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction add up on large invoices. Finally, test the tool with one real client for two weeks, and confirm that time logs, invoices, and client records export cleanly if you leave.

FAQ

What is the best project management software with invoicing for freelancers?

Paymo is the best pick for most freelancers, with Solo at $5.9 a month on annual billing for projects, time tracking, and invoicing at $70.80 a year. Harvest is the best fallback for a freelancer who wants the simplest time-to-invoice flow at $9 a month, and Bonsai Essentials is the best pick for a freelancer who also needs proposals and contracts.

How much does invoicing software cost a freelancer per year?

A freelancer spends $70.80 a year on Paymo Solo at $5.9 a month, $108 a year on Harvest Teams or ClickUp Core at $9, $143.40 a year on Avaza Startup at $11.95, $228 a year on Bonsai Essentials at $19, $276 a year on FreshBooks Lite at $23, and $348 a year on HoneyBook Starter at $29. Free plans cover a freelancer with few clients on Paymo, Harvest, ClickUp, Teamwork, and Avaza.

Can a freelancer invoice clients for free?

Yes, on the free plans of Paymo, Harvest, ClickUp, Teamwork, and Avaza, a freelancer can track time and send invoices without paying. Paymo free covers 1 user, 1 client, and 2 projects, Harvest free covers 1 seat and 2 projects, and Avaza free covers 5 invoices a month. Check the client and project caps before relying on a free plan, because those limits decide how long it lasts.

Does Bonsai or HoneyBook fit a freelancer better?

Bonsai Essentials at $19 a month on annual billing fits a freelancer who wants proposals, contracts, time tracking, and invoicing in one flow, with a client portal included. HoneyBook Starter at $29 a month fits a freelancer in a client-facing service business who wants a polished suite with scheduling and a client portal. Bonsai costs $228 a year against $348 for HoneyBook, so Bonsai is the cheaper of the two.

What should a freelancer check before picking an invoicing tool?

Check whether invoicing sits on the starting price or a higher tier, and check the seat minimum, because Teamwork Basics needs 3 users. Check the billable client cap, since FreshBooks Lite caps at 5 clients, and check card processing fees, which run about 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction. Test the tool with one real client for two weeks before moving all billing onto it.

Sources we checked

How we score

Need the method behind these picks?

We publish the criteria and the weights, so you can disagree with them.

Paymo#1 PICK
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