Best Invoicing Software in Canada
Last updated October 2026 by the FacilInvoice team
A practical roundup of the best invoicing software for Canadian businesses, with features, pricing and who each tool suits.
Our quick picks
Comparison at a glance
Most of these apply Canadian sales tax directly; a couple of payment platforms expect you to add the tax line yourself. The real differences are the free plan, how payments are priced, and how much accounting is bundled. Confirm current pricing on each provider's site.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | GST/HST/QST | Online payments | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FacilInvoice | Canadian freelancers and small businesses | Yes | Auto | Yes | Free, paid plans (verify) |
| Wave | Free invoicing + basic accounting | Yes | Auto | Yes (fees) | Free, payment fees (verify) |
| Zoho Invoice | Free invoicing with automation | Yes | Auto | Yes | Free (verify) |
| Square Invoices | In-person and online payments | Yes | Auto | Yes (fees) | Free, processing fees (verify) |
| Invoice Simple | Mobile, on-the-go sole traders | Limited | Yes | Yes | Free tier, paid (verify) |
| FreshBooks | Client-service billing | Trial | Auto | Yes | Paid, free trial (verify) |
| QuickBooks Online | Full accounting | Trial | Auto | Yes | Paid (verify) |
| Xero | Growing SMB accounting | Trial | Auto | Yes | Paid (verify) |
| Jobber | Trades and home-service field work | Trial | Auto | Yes | Paid (verify) |
| PayPal Invoicing | Getting paid through PayPal | Yes | Manual | Yes (fees) | Free to send, payment fees (verify) |
| Stripe Invoicing | Online and developer-led businesses | No | Add-on | Yes (fees) | Usage and card fees (verify) |
Auto = provincial tax applied for you by selecting the province. Manual / Add-on = you set the tax rate yourself or enable a separate tax feature.
Create a free invoice with FacilInvoice
Types of invoicing tools (and which you actually need)
The directories lump very different products together. Knowing the category you are shopping in saves time and money.
Most Canadian freelancers and small businesses only need the first category to start, and can move up as they grow. Paying for an accounting suite or ERP before you need it is the most common overspend.
A closer look at each
FacilInvoice
Built for Canada first, with GST, HST, PST and QST handled by province and a free, no-signup set of tools, calculators, generators and guides, that feed the paid app. Best if you want to get an invoice out fast and get paid online without learning accounting software.
Wave
A Canadian-founded favourite that bundles free invoicing with basic double-entry accounting. Payments carry the usual processing fees. A strong free all-rounder if you want light bookkeeping in the same place.
Zoho Invoice
Genuinely free invoicing with solid automation, and a natural fit if you already use the wider Zoho suite. Lighter on Canadian-specific guidance than a Canada-first tool.
Square Invoices
Free to send, and the obvious pick if you also take in-person card payments with Square. Watch the processing fees on paid invoices.
FreshBooks
Canadian-founded and polished, with strong invoicing, time tracking and retainer features. It is paid (with a trial), so it suits service businesses that will use the extra tooling.
QuickBooks Online
Full-featured accounting that happens to invoice. Powerful but pricier and more complex; choose it when you need complete books, not just invoicing.
Xero
Another full accounting platform aimed at growing businesses, with good bank connectivity. Overkill if invoicing is all you need right now.
Invoice Simple
A mobile-first app for creating invoices and estimates on your phone. The free tier is capped at a few documents, so it suits sole traders who bill occasionally on the go rather than high-volume senders.
Jobber
Built for trades and home-service businesses: quoting, scheduling, job tracking and invoicing in one place. Worth it if you run field work; more than you need if you only send invoices.
PayPal Invoicing
Free to create and send, and the natural choice when your clients already pay with PayPal. You add the tax line yourself, and card or PayPal fees apply when you get paid.
Stripe Invoicing
Powerful and flexible for online and developer-led businesses, billed on usage plus card fees, with tax handled through a separate Stripe Tax feature. Overkill for simple one-off Canadian invoices.
What to look for in Canadian invoicing software
Beyond price, these are the features that actually change your day-to-day. Use them as a checklist when you compare.
- Automatic provincial tax: GST, HST, PST and QST applied by the client's province, not a manual rate you have to remember. This is where generic US tools slip.
- Estimates that convert to invoices: quote once, then bill the approved work without retyping.
- Saved clients and invoice history: a reusable contact list and a searchable record of every invoice for reporting and audits.
- Online payments: a pay-now link for card or bank transfer so you get paid faster; check the fees.
- Recurring and retainer billing: automatic invoices on a schedule for repeat clients.
- Reminders: automatic nudges before and after the due date to cut late payments.
- Customizable, branded invoices: your logo and layout, plus clean PDFs.
- Reporting: who owes what, what is overdue, and income over time.
- Multi-currency: only if you bill outside Canada, but useful when you do.
- Mobile access: create and send from your phone when you work on site.
FacilInvoice covers the Canada-first essentials, automatic provincial tax, estimates, saved clients, payments, recurring billing and reminders, on a free plan, so you can tick most of this list without paying for a full accounting suite.
Free generator vs invoicing software
A free generator is perfect for a one-off bill. Invoicing software adds saved clients, payment tracking and automatic tax, which a growing business needs.
| Feature | Free generator | Invoicing software |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free plans and paid tiers |
| Save client data | No | Yes |
| Tax automation | Manual | Auto GST/HST/PST/QST |
| Payment tracking | None | Real-time |
| Recurring billing | No | Yes |
If you send more than about three invoices a month, use invoicing software with a free plan such as FacilInvoice.
What a Canadian invoice must include
Whichever tool you pick, a compliant Canadian invoice needs these, and good software fills most in for you.
- Your Business Number if you are registered for GST/HST.
- A clear tax breakdown by the client's province.
- The client's full name and address.
- The date and payment terms (for example Net 30).
- Amounts in Canadian dollars.
See our guide on what to include on an invoice.
Where invoicing is heading in Canada
- AI assistance: tools are starting to draft line items, flag overdue accounts and surface cash-flow trends automatically, so less time goes into manual bookkeeping.
- Mobile and instant notifications: clients increasingly expect to receive, view and pay an invoice from their phone, with app alerts rather than buried emails.
- Digital and structured invoicing: governments worldwide are moving toward structured e-invoicing. Keeping clean digital records now makes any future reporting requirement easier to meet.
Trends are general industry direction, not a prediction of specific CRA rules; confirm any compliance requirement with current CRA guidance.
How to choose
- Volume: a few invoices a month means a free tool is plenty; dozens means automation pays off.
- Budget: start free or on a trial before paying for advanced features.
- Features: estimates, recurring billing, time tracking or multi-currency.
- Canadian fit: make sure provincial tax and CAD are handled properly, not bolted on.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free invoice generator for Canadian businesses?
For a quick one-off bill, a free generator like FacilInvoice works well and handles GST, HST and QST. If you send more than a few invoices a month, a free invoicing plan that saves clients and tracks payments will save more time.
Is Wave really free in Canada?
Wave's invoicing and basic accounting are free; you pay processing fees only when clients pay you by card or bank transfer. Confirm current fees on their site.
Which invoicing software is best for freelancers in Canada?
Freelancers usually want speed and low cost, so a free, Canada-first tool like FacilInvoice or Wave is a strong start; FreshBooks suits those who also need time tracking and retainers.
Do these tools handle GST, HST and QST?
Yes. Every tool in this roundup lets you apply the correct Canadian tax by province so your invoices stay CRA-compliant.
Can I get invoicing software with a free plan, not just a trial?
Yes. FacilInvoice, Wave, Zoho Invoice and Square Invoices offer free plans; FreshBooks, QuickBooks and Xero are paid with free trials.
What is the difference between an invoice generator and invoicing software?
A generator creates a single document. Invoicing software also saves clients, tracks payments, sends reminders and bills on a schedule.
Do I need accounting software or just an invoicing tool?
If you only need to send invoices and get paid, a dedicated invoicing tool is simpler and cheaper. Choose a full accounting suite like QuickBooks or Xero when you also need bank feeds, expenses and complete books.
What about payment platforms like PayPal, Stripe or Square?
They are great at getting you paid, but invoicing is a secondary feature, and PayPal and Stripe expect you to handle Canadian tax yourself. Pair them with a Canada-first invoicing tool if tax and client records matter.
Which tool is best for trades and home-service businesses?
Field-service tools like Jobber bundle quoting, scheduling and invoicing. If you only need to bill, a free invoicing tool is lighter and cheaper.
How many invoicing tools are there in Canada?
Software directories list well over a thousand billing and invoicing products available in Canada, which is why narrowing by category, free plan and Canadian tax handling matters more than the raw count.
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
This guide is published by FacilInvoice. We include our own product and aim to compare fairly on features that matter to Canadian businesses. Feature availability and pricing change often, so confirm current details on each provider's website. We do not publish paid or fabricated ratings.