QuickBooks Online wins on more features overall (9 vs 6, 4 tied). Below is the full feature-by-feature breakdown.
| Feature | PayPal Invoicing | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan |
✓ Yes
Free to create — fees on paid invoices
|
✗ No
30-day trial only
|
| Entry paid plan |
✓ Yes
No subscription, only per-transaction fees
|
— Paid add-on
AU$33/mo Simple Start, AU$49/mo Essentials
|
| Download PDF without signup |
✗ No
PayPal account required
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | PayPal Invoicing | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited invoices |
✓ Yes
|
— Limited
Simple Start caps at 20 invoices/month
|
| Custom logo & branding |
— Limited
Logo only — minimal template control
|
✓ Yes
|
| Recurring invoices |
✓ Yes
|
— Paid add-on
Essentials plan and above
|
| Email invoices to clients |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Multi-currency |
✓ Yes
|
— Paid add-on
Plus plan only
|
| Client management |
— Limited
|
✓ Yes
|
| Feature | PayPal Invoicing | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| ATO-compliant GST invoices |
— Limited
Configurable but not auto-formatted
|
✓ Yes
|
| ABN field built in |
✗ No
Manual workaround via custom fields
|
✓ Yes
|
| Australian-focused support |
— Limited
|
— Limited
US-headquartered, AU support via partner network
|
| Feature | PayPal Invoicing | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Bank reconciliation |
✗ No
|
✓ Yes
|
| Expense tracking |
✗ No
|
✓ Yes
|
| Payroll |
✗ No
|
— Paid add-on
+AU$5/mo per employee
|
| Inventory tracking |
✗ No
|
— Paid add-on
Plus plan only
|
| Feature | PayPal Invoicing | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe payments |
✗ No
PayPal locks you to its own processor
|
✓ Yes
|
| Mobile app |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Feature | PayPal Invoicing | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time |
— Limited
PayPal Business account required
|
✗ No
30+ minute guided setup
|
Neither tool fits your invoicing-only workflow? Try InvoiceSonic — free for unlimited ATO-compliant tax invoices, no signup required.
Create a free invoice now →PayPal Invoicing starts at Free (2.6% + AU$0.30 per paid invoice); QuickBooks Online starts at AU$33/mo (Simple Start). PayPal Invoicing offers free invoicing — fees apply to payments. QuickBooks Online offers 30-day free trial.
For ATO-compliant GST: PayPal Invoicing = limited, QuickBooks Online = yes. For native ABN field: PayPal Invoicing = no, QuickBooks Online = yes. If you operate in Australia and either tool falls short here, InvoiceSonic handles both natively — and it's free.
Most freelancers want fast invoicing without paying for full accounting. Between these two, QuickBooks Online wins more categories overall. But if you're a freelancer who just wants ATO-compliant tax invoices for free, InvoiceSonic is purpose-built for that workflow.
Both PayPal Invoicing and QuickBooks Online let you export client lists and invoice history (usually as CSV). Migration takes an afternoon for most small businesses. If you're considering switching anyway, it might be worth evaluating InvoiceSonic as a free alternative for invoicing while keeping your accountant's tool of choice for bookkeeping.
Both tools are accounting-first platforms; their invoicing modules are a subset of what they do. If invoicing is your only need, a free dedicated invoice generator like InvoiceSonic is usually faster, cheaper, and more focused — without paying for bookkeeping, payroll, or inventory features you won't use.
Yes — InvoiceSonic is free for unlimited Australian-compliant invoices with no signup required for PDF download. You can run it alongside or instead of paid accounting platforms.