Automated Invoicing Software: 9 Tools Compared (2026)

Automated invoicing software creates your repeat invoices on a schedule, emails clients a reminder when an invoice goes overdue, and tells you when an invoice has been opened or paid, so you stop rebuilding the same bill and writing the same chaser every month. For a sole trader or small business, those three jobs (recurring invoices, automatic payment reminders and status tracking) are what "automation" actually means. Invoice processing tools that scan supplier bills for accounts payable teams are a different category.

We compared nine invoicing tools on exactly those three jobs, plus what each one costs and where the automation is locked behind a higher plan. Prices and features were checked on each vendor's own pricing and help pages on 16 October 2026. Australian prices are in AUD including GST unless we say otherwise. InvoiceSonic publishes this guide and is one of the tools compared.

Automated invoicing software compared

What invoicing automation actually does

Most invoicing software advertises "automation", but it bundles together four separate things. It is worth knowing which ones you need before you compare plans, because vendors often put one of them on a more expensive tier.

• Recurring invoices. You set up a client, the line items and a schedule once, and the software creates the next invoice each week, month or quarter. Some tools email it straight to the client; others create it for you to check and send. If the amount changes each period (extra hours, materials), the review step matters. Our guide to what a recurring invoice is covers when to review rather than auto-send.
• Automatic payment reminders. The software emails the client when an invoice is close to due or overdue, without you writing anything. This is the automation that most directly gets you paid faster. We compare tools built only for this in our payment reminder software guide.
• Status tracking. You can see that an invoice was sent, opened and paid, so you know whether "I never got it" is true before you chase.
• Automatic payment collection. The software charges a saved card or direct-debit mandate on the due date. This is the strongest automation, but it needs a payment processor and the client's consent, and it costs a card or debit fee every time.

If you only bill a handful of clients, reminders and tracking usually save more time than auto-charging. If you bill the same retainer every month, recurring invoices are the bigger win.

How we chose and checked these tools

We started from the tools Australian sole traders, tradies and small service businesses actually shortlist, then kept the ones that automate at least two of the four jobs above. For each, we read the vendor's current pricing page and its help documentation on reminders and recurring invoices. Where a vendor's page didn't state something (for example, how many reminders a plan allows) we say "not stated" rather than guess. We didn't include accounts-payable automation tools such as bill-scanning software, because they solve a different problem: paying your suppliers, not getting paid.

1. InvoiceSonic: best for sole traders who want reminders without accounting software

InvoiceSonic is invoicing software for sole traders and small service businesses that don't need a full accounting package. Its automation covers the three jobs most one-person businesses care about:

• Automatic overdue reminders. Once an invoice is overdue, InvoiceSonic emails your client a reminder at 7, 14 and 30 days past the due date, up to three in total, and stops when the invoice is marked paid. You can switch reminders off for any individual invoice, for example a client who has agreed a payment plan.
• Recurring invoices. Set a schedule (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly or yearly) and InvoiceSonic creates the next invoice with the same client, line items and GST on that date, ready for you to check and send.
• Invoice tracking. You see when a client first and last viewed an invoice, and what is paid, outstanding or overdue.

Invoices can include a "Pay now" button that links to your own payment page (Stripe, PayPal, Square or similar), alongside bank transfer or PayID details. InvoiceSonic doesn't process card payments itself, so there is no InvoiceSonic card fee, but it also can't auto-charge a saved card.

Price: free for 3 invoices a month, including one tracked send and one automatic reminder a month so you can see the whole loop work. Pro is A$19 a month or A$168 a year, with unlimited invoices, recurring invoices, reminders and custom branding. Pro starts with a 7-day trial.

Watch out for: reminders are sent after the due date, not before it, and the schedule is fixed rather than customisable. If you want a "due in 3 days" nudge or SMS reminders, look at FreshBooks, Zoho Invoice or a dedicated reminder tool.

2. Square Invoices: best free automation if clients pay by card

Square's free plan includes unlimited invoices, recurring invoices and automatic reminders timed before or after the due date. Clients can pay online by card, and you can keep a card on file and charge it, on both the free and Plus plans. Square makes its money on payments: online card payments cost 2.2%. On A$5,000 a month of invoices paid by card, that is about A$110 a month in fees, which is more than most subscriptions in this list.

Watch out for: payment schedules (deposits and instalments) and batch invoicing need Square Invoices Plus at A$30 a month.

3. Zoho Invoice: best free invoicing with configurable reminders

Zoho Invoice is free, with no paid tier. It includes recurring invoices and three preset payment reminders, each of which you can set a number of days before or after the due date. That makes it the most configurable free option here. Clients can pay by card, e-wallet or bank debit through a connected payment gateway.

Watch out for: the free plan allows 500 invoices a year and two users. Late fees aren't part of Zoho Invoice (they are in Zoho's separate subscription billing product).

4. FreshBooks: best for service businesses that want late fees too

Every FreshBooks plan includes recurring invoices and up to three automatic reminders, each set a chosen number of days before or after the due date. FreshBooks can also add a late fee automatically, either a percentage or a flat amount, a set number of days after the due date. That combination is rare at this price.

Price: Lite is A$29 a month (often discounted for the first three months).

Watch out for: Lite allows only 5 billable clients and Plus allows 50. Automatically charging a client's saved card is only listed on the custom-priced Select plan.

5. Xero: best if your bookkeeper already uses Xero

Xero can create and send repeating invoices and send reminders before and after the due date, then weekly until the invoice is paid. Clients can pay by card through Stripe, by direct debit through GoCardless, or by PayTo. Because invoices sit inside your accounting file, paid invoices reconcile against your bank feed without re-keying.

Price: Ignite is A$37 a month (with an introductory discount for the first three months); Grow is A$78 a month.

Watch out for: Ignite caps you at 20 invoices, and invoices created by connected apps count toward that cap. If you invoice more than about once a working day, budget for Grow.

6. QuickBooks Online: accounting with three reminder slots

QuickBooks Online can send up to three automatic reminders per invoice, each up to 90 days before or after the due date. Clients can pay online by card.

Watch out for: recurring invoices aren't included on Simple Start; you need Essentials or above. QuickBooks' Australian pricing page currently shows promotional discounts rather than a standing price, so check the price you'll pay once the promo ends. You also can't exclude individual customers from automatic reminders.

7. MYOB: cheapest accounting software, but check the plan

MYOB includes unlimited invoices and online card payments on every plan. Automatic reminders, described by MYOB as AI-powered and currently in beta, start on Business Lite (A$315 a year, discounted in the first year).

Watch out for: MYOB Solo, the A$99-a-year plan for sole traders, has no automatic reminders. If chasing late payers is the job you want automated, Solo won't do it.

8. Invoice Ninja: open-source automation for freelancers

Invoice Ninja includes recurring invoices and auto-billing on all plans, including the free plan for up to 5 clients. Its paid plan adds up to three reminders, timed a set number of days before or after the due date or invoice date, and a late-fee field in the reminder settings.

Price: Pro is US$14 a month or US$140 a year.

Watch out for: the free plan has no automatic reminders, so the most useful automation needs the paid plan.

9. Hnry: automation that comes with your tax

Hnry isn't priced like invoicing software. It charges 1% of your self-employed income plus GST, capped at A$1,500 plus GST a year, and handles your tax, GST and payments as a service. Invoices are chased automatically once they are more than two days overdue, and you can turn reminders off per client.

Watch out for: the reminder timing isn't configurable. On A$100,000 of income, Hnry costs A$1,000 plus GST a year, so it only makes financial sense if you also want the tax side done.

What automated invoicing costs in a year

The subscription is only part of the cost. Card fees on automatically collected payments often matter more. Here is the first-year cost for a sole trader sending 15 invoices a month, with no card payments and no introductory discounts:

If you already pay an accountant to work in Xero or MYOB, using that file's invoicing is usually cheaper overall than running a separate tool. If you don't, a dedicated invoicing tool costs a fraction of accounting software. Our invoice generator vs invoicing software guide explains where the jump in features is worth paying for.

Does automation actually get you paid faster?

Late payment is still common. Xero's Small Business Insights put the average Australian small business payment at 6.0 days late in the June 2026 quarter, with invoices taking 22.9 days to pay on average (Xero, August 2026). In Atradius' 2024 survey of Australian businesses, 45% of B2B invoices were paid late (Atradius Payment Practices Barometer, 2024).

Most late payments aren't refusals. The invoice was missed, sat in someone's inbox or is waiting on an approval. An automatic reminder fixes those cases without an awkward phone call, and it goes out on day 7 whether or not you remember. Automation won't fix a genuine dispute, though: if a client is unhappy with the work, switch reminders off for that invoice and talk to them. Our guide to overdue invoices in Australia covers what to do when reminders stop working.

Which automated invoicing software should you choose?

• You want it free and configurable: Zoho Invoice.
• Your clients pay by card and you'll accept 2.2% fees: Square Invoices.
• You're a sole trader who wants reminders and recurring invoices without accounting software: InvoiceSonic, at A$168 a year.
• You want automatic late fees as well: FreshBooks, if 5 billable clients is enough.
• Your bookkeeper or accountant already works in Xero: Xero, and check the 20-invoice cap.
• You want your tax handled too: Hnry.

If you'd like to see the reminder loop work before paying anything, you can create a free InvoiceSonic account, send one tracked invoice and get one automatic reminder this month. Or compare every option in our best invoice apps guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is automated invoicing software?
Automated invoicing software creates recurring invoices on a schedule, emails clients automatic payment reminders when invoices are due or overdue, and tracks whether each invoice has been opened and paid. Some tools also charge a saved card or direct debit automatically on the due date.

What is the best automated invoicing software for a small business?
For a small business without accounting software, Zoho Invoice (free) and InvoiceSonic (A$19 a month) both cover recurring invoices and automatic reminders. Square Invoices is free if your clients pay by card and you accept a 2.2% fee. If you already use Xero for bookkeeping, Xero's built-in repeating invoices and reminders are the simplest choice.

Is there free automated invoicing software?
Yes. Zoho Invoice is free with recurring invoices and three configurable reminders, up to 500 invoices a year. Square Invoices' free plan includes recurring invoices and reminders, and charges 2.2% on online card payments. InvoiceSonic's free plan includes one automatic reminder a month.

Can invoicing software send payment reminders automatically?
Yes. Most invoicing software can email a client automatically before or after the due date. The number of reminders and how configurable they are varies: QuickBooks and FreshBooks allow up to three, Xero sends them weekly after the due date until the invoice is paid, and InvoiceSonic sends three at 7, 14 and 30 days overdue.

Do recurring invoices charge my client automatically?
Not necessarily. A recurring invoice repeats the bill on a schedule; it only collects payment automatically if the software also has a saved card or direct-debit authority from the client. InvoiceSonic creates the recurring invoice for you to send, and the client pays through your payment link or bank details.

Is automated invoicing the same as invoice processing automation?
No. Automated invoicing helps you bill your clients and get paid. Invoice processing automation (accounts payable software) scans and approves the bills your suppliers send you. They are different tools for different teams.