Invoicing
What's the best invoicing app for freelance web designers?
Short answer
Pick one that invoices from the agreed scope rather than a blank page: a link the client can pay by card or bank debit, deposits and milestone payments, reminders that send themselves, and final files held until the invoice is paid. PaloWorks does all of that, and the money goes to your own Stripe account.
Free for 1 client, 3 active projects. No card to start. Updated by PaloWorks.
Worked example
A website invoice, line by line
Hours times rate per line, totalled by the same invoice math PaloWorks uses.
- Design, homepage and five inner pages (24 hours at $120)
- $2,880
- Build and CMS setup (30 hours at $120)
- $3,600
- Launch and handover (4.5 hours at $120)
- $540
- Total due
- $7,020
- Paid by
- Card or bank debit, from the invoice link
What to look for
An invoice the client can pay in one click
Every step between reading an invoice and paying it is a reason to pay next week.
In PaloWorks
Each invoice is a web link and a PDF, with a Pay button for card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus bank debit for USD, EUR and GBP where available.
Deposits and milestones, not one big bill
Web projects run for weeks; a single final invoice carries all the risk.
In PaloWorks
Agreement payment plans of up to 12 payments, each invoiced on signature, on a date, when a key date is completed or on delivery.
Reminders you do not have to write
Most late invoices are forgotten, not refused.
In PaloWorks
Reminders on by default 3 days before the due date, on the due date, 3 days after and 7 days after; late fees only if you switch them on.
Leverage at handover
The finished site or file bundle is the strongest reason to pay the balance.
In PaloWorks
Deliveries can hold downloads until the invoice is paid; the client's download opens when it clears.
Clients abroad
Converting currencies by hand on every invoice invites mistakes.
In PaloWorks
14 invoice currencies, tax rates (tax-inclusive prices too), and a statement of account per client.
How it works in PaloWorks
Step 1
Agree the scope and price
The client approves the scope, so the invoice starts from numbers they have already seen.
Step 2
Invoice the deposit
Send it yourself, or let the agreement's payment plan issue it when the client signs.
Step 3
Bill the stages
Each milestone payment becomes an invoice when its moment comes; logged hours can become line items on Pro and Studio.
Step 4
Get paid, then hand over
The client pays from the link and the delivery's download opens. Reminders cover the ones who forget.
When PaloWorks is the wrong pick
- If you need new recurring invoices on a schedule, PaloWorks does not create those today.
- If you only send a handful of invoices a year and never take deposits, the free invoice generator may be all you need.
- PaloWorks is not accounting software: there are no bank feeds or bookkeeping. Export your invoices to your accountant's tools.
Comparing tools? Read PaloWorks compared, including what the others are better at.
Questions people ask
- Does the client need an account to pay?
- No. The client opens the invoice link and pays by card or bank debit. There is no sign-up on their side.
- Is there a PaloWorks fee when a client pays online?
- A PaloWorks fee, set by plan, applies when a client pays online, and Stripe's processing fees are separate. The money goes straight to your Stripe account. Pricing lists the rates.
- Can I record payments made outside Stripe?
- Yes. Record a part payment or the full amount by bank transfer, cash, check or another method, and the balance updates.
- Can I send an estimate first?
- Yes. The client accepts the estimate with their typed name, which creates a draft invoice for you to check and send. Nothing is sent for you.
- What invoice numbers does it use?
- Numbers count up per month or per year, with a prefix you choose, and a duplicate number is refused.