Accurate billing is essential to retain clients and track profit margins. However, marketing and advertising agencies can have complex billing structures, making it difficult for them to track details manually. This is where a billing and invoicing tool can help.
The software helps marketing businesses automate payment collection, create detailed invoices, and secure billing processes. But how do you ensure you have all the necessary features to ensure smooth billing operations?
To help you make the right decision, this article highlights, in alphabetical order, the five top-rated billing and invoicing software for marketing and advertising professionals based on user reviews. For each product, we include overall user ratings along with the highest-rated parameter, review excerpts from industry professionals, and product pricing. Read more.
1. FreshBooks
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from marketing and advertising professionals who have used FreshBooks for billing and invoicing:
"Their support, and generally their entire staff is absolutely amazing and helpful. Invoicing, recurring invoices, client management works nicely as it should. The user interface is gorgeous."
"It just makes life simple. I just wanted to be able to find the easiest way possible to invoice clients in a professional way and manage the client accounts while minimising the work that I had to do or outsource. This solution really did tickle the boxes for me and saves me a lot of time from the manual system I was using previously."
"I appreciate how easy it is to set up a new client then invoice them with an option to pay online. It's also incredibly user-friendly for the client, so I never have to field questions like "where do I put in my credit card info again?". I also appreciate the companion app, which is not just a responsive version of the website. It's lighter on features but has all the features you need on the go."
Read all Freshbooks reviews here.
2. SuiteDash
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from marketing and advertising professionals who have used SuiteDash:
"It allows me to automate emails, proposals, invoices, etc. It allows me to use webhooks and stripe. It allows me to provide a hub for my clients. The community can suggest and vote on future features. The support team has been responsive and helpful. Good documentation- YouTube channel"
"I love the sheer amount of options you get with Suitedash to help you cover a big chunk of the admin tasks involved with running a successful business, especially one that deals with clients."
"SuiteDash is a comprehensive software solution. It offers a range of features like project management, client portals, invoicing, and file sharing, all within an easy-to-navigate interface. It really made my workflow a lot cleaner."
Read all SuiteDash reviews here.
3. Wave Accounting
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from marketing and advertising professionals who have used Wave Accounting for billing and invoicing:
"Wave accounting has been a great experience right from the start, it's easy to use, easy to send and enter bill in fraction of seconds, and the support is great!"
"I love it and use it all the time, I track my payments and earnings through Wave. Fantastic, and I suggest everyone to use it, even the free version."
"I am surprised by the amount of value I receive and would not hesitate to pay for the service if the business grows. Wave makes invoicing and drafting estimates extremely easy and pleasant. The end products are professional and afford me the opportunity to produce excellent financial documents for clients."
Read all Wave Accounting reviews here.
4. Xero
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from marketing and advertising professionals who have used Xero for billing and invoicing:
"Xero makes managing the finances for a business really straightforward. The user interface is intuitive, and it centralises all my accounts information. One of my favourite features is the dashboard, which is clear and customisable, and gives a great summary of the position at any time. The software also integrates really well to other platforms for things like receipt capture and detailed business analysis."
"I started using this software because I wanted a simple accounting system for my small business. I like how it is easy to use and understand. After loading all your company information, invoicing becomes such a breeze. I love how you can keep track of the invoices you've sent out, what's upcoming, and that you can also email yourself a copy of the invoice to fact check it."
"The best thing about Xero is just how many features are packed into it but also how simple and easy it is to use. Having used very complicated chunky systems, Xero was a breath of fresh air. It has been created with the user in mind and ensuring that it’s simple but does everything a billing software needs to."
5. Zoho Invoice
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from marketing and advertising professionals who have used Zoho Invoice for billing and invoicing:
"I like that it's easy to create the invoices and I can customize the fields. But the most important reason I like it is because it's free."
"It's an easy-to-use platform that makes invoicing so much easier. I've been a happy customer for over two years and have no intention of changing."
"Excellent, consistent user experience for over 10 years. Their product and UX team really serve up improvements that are seamless and customer-focused. Likely, you don't realize they're as good as they are until you use another platform and service, they step out of the way on the UI completely, and it's a really hospitable product."
Read all Zoho Invoice reviews here.
What features do billing and invoicing tools offer?
An online billing and invoicing software for marketing and advertising professionals commonly tends to offer the following core features:
Invoice creation: | Generate and share invoices to clients for the services you have provided, including content creation, digital marketing, and advertising. The invoicing feature enables marketing teams to create professional invoices, considering factors such as taxes, rates, and discounts. |
Invoice history: | Track invoices and relevant details, such as invoice numbers, client information, and unpaid invoices. The tool offers a centralized repository to store all invoices, offering easy access for reference purposes. Users can also filter the invoice history using specific periods, such as a month, quarter, or year. |
All products listed in this report include the features mentioned above. Besides the core features, a billing and invoicing tool also commonly tends to offer:
Contact database
Customizable invoices
Mobile payments
Online payment
Tax calculation
Time and expense tracking
How to choose the right billing and invoicing software for marketing and advertising
Here are some factors to consider while you look for the top billing and invoicing software for a marketing and advertising business:
Evaluate available payment options. Before investing in an online invoicing platform, make sure to check payment methods supported by the tool. The best invoicing solution should support multiple payment options, such as credit/debit cards and bank transfers, to help clients pay via different methods and expedite the payment process.
Look for recurring invoices feature. Recurring invoices are valuable for retainer-based clientsConsider analytics and reporting capabilities. Before investing in the best billing software, make sure that the system is able to provide your marketing team with a comprehensive overview of their financial performance, helping them track the revenue and profitability of their marketing campaigns. Your shortlisted tool should be able to generate necessary reports, such as revenue trends, unpaid invoice summaries, cash flow statements, online payment history, and tax reports, to help them make informed financial decisions and optimize campaigns based on the revenue reports.
Common questions to ask software vendors before purchasing collaboration software for real estate
Consider asking your vendor the following questions so that you find the top billing and invoicing software for your marketing and advertising business.
Does the software support multiple currencies?
If you cater to a global audience, ensure that the billing and invoicing software you select supports multiple currencies and can automatically convert rates as needed. This will help you provide bills and invoices to clients in their preferred currency, making transactions more convenient. Additionally, it will help you reduce the risk of invoicing errors because of the tool’s ability to convert currencies based on real-time exchange rates.
Is the tool mobile-accessible?
It is always good to have a tool to help bill clients, create and share invoices, and check their status remotely. Check whether the billing and invoicing system you select offers a mobile-responsive design or has a mobile app to ease procedures for remote work.
Does the tool integrate with email marketing software?
Integrating a billing solution and email marketing system enables marketing professionals to send automatic email reminders to clients for unpaid invoices. It ensures that all invoices are promptly delivered to the clients’ email inboxes, reducing the risk of lost or overlooked invoices. Moreover, it helps professionals personalize email communications related to billing and invoicing.