The short answerThe software is free. The card fees are $3,186 to $3,618 a year.
For one electrician sending 15 invoices of $600 a month, two apps are free to use and list a phone app: Wave Starter and Zoho Invoice (Wave's own comparison table is unclear on mobile invoicing for Starter, so test the app first). The $0 plan matters less than the card rate: over a year, card fees run $3,186 with Zoho Payments, $3,240 with Wave and $3,618 with Square or Stripe, so the cheapest and dearest free options sit $432 apart. Taking payment by bank transfer cuts the bill to $864 to $1,296. Joist, still called free in many guides, no longer has a free plan. QuickBooks Free sends only 2 invoices a month and has no phone app. Prices checked Oct 28, 2026.
Which "free" is really freePlan $0, and whether there is a phone app
Free invoicing apps compared| App | Invoices on the free plan | Phone app | Catch |
|---|
| Wave Starter | Unlimited | Listed in its Starter bullets; its comparison table is unclear, so test the app first | Card fee has a 60c fixed part; bank import and late reminders are on Pro ($19/mo) |
| Zoho Invoice | Up to 500 a year (about 41 a month) | iOS and Android | "Powered by Zoho Invoice" on every invoice; 2 users |
| QuickBooks Free | 2 a month, unlimited only if approved for QuickBooks Payments | No | No phone app is the deal-breaker for work done from a van |
| Square (free plan) | Invoicing included; limit not published | Yes | Highest online card rate here, 3.3% + 30c |
| Stripe Invoicing Starter | Not stated | Dashboard app | Built for developers; 0.4% on every paid invoice on top of card fees |
Free means the software. The payment processor is where you pay.
Not free any moreWhat older guides get wrong
- Joist: its page says the free plan is no longer available. Basics is $10 a month ($8.34 billed annually) for up to 5 documents a month; Pro is $17 and Elite $32 a month, billed monthly. The page prints no card or ACH rates.
- Invoice Simple: Research read its pricing page on Oct 28 as Essentials at $6.99 a month for up to 3 invoices a month, a paid plan, though some listings still call it free. Worthd could not load the page directly, so treat this as a pointer and check their page.
- PayPal: not checked. Worthd could not read PayPal's fee page, so no rate is quoted here.
Worthd arithmeticWhat 15 invoices a month really cost
$600 per invoice, $9,000 a month, 180 invoices a year.
Yearly cost of 15 invoices a month at $600 each| App | Software a year | Fee per $600 invoice, card / bank | Year on card | Year by bank transfer |
|---|
| Zoho Invoice + Zoho Payments | $0 | $17.70 / $4.80 | $3,186 | $864 |
| QuickBooks Free + QuickBooks Payments | $0 | $17.94 / $6.00 | $3,229 | $1,080 |
| Wave Starter | $0 | $18.00 / $6.00 | $3,240 | $1,080 |
| Square free plan | $0 | $20.10 / $6.00 | $3,618 | $1,080 |
| Stripe Invoicing Starter | $0 | $20.10 / $7.20 | $3,618 | $1,296 |
| Jobber Core, 1 user, annual | $348 | $17.70 / $6.00 | $3,534 | $1,428 |
Method: fee per invoice = rate x $600 + fixed part; year = fee x 180 + software. Zoho bank = 0.8% x $600 = $4.80, under its $5 cap. Stripe adds 0.4% of the invoice ($2.40). QuickBooks needs Payments approval to send more than 2 invoices a month; its 2.99% and 1% payment rates were last read Oct 15. Wave's bank rate is 1% with a $1 minimum. Zoho Payments' rates are from its general US Payments page. Rates are US list rates for online invoice payments. Jobber Core: $29 a month annual, card 2.9% + 30c, ACH 1%.
- On cards the spread across free apps is only $432 a year.
- By bank transfer, Zoho's $5 cap makes it cheapest at $864; every 1% app costs $1,080.
- Jobber Core costs $348 more than Zoho on cards ($3,534 vs $3,186) and buys scheduling, quotes and the Jobber app. That is the trade-off, not "free beats paid."
When free stops being enoughThree concrete triggers
- You want quotes that turn into invoices and a calendar in one app: Jobber Core is $29 a month billed annually for 1 user, $348 a year.
- A second person on jobs: Zoho allows 2 users, Wave Starter 1 as far as the page says; Jobber's extra user is $29 a month.
- More than 500 invoices a year: Zoho's limit.
For the whole stack see software for a solo electrician and free vs paid software.
Not for everyoneWho this page is wrong for
Shops with employees or more than about 40 invoices a month (Zoho's cap is 500 a year); customers who pay mostly by check or cash, where card fees do not apply; anyone who needs PayPal, which this page did not price. Bigger shops: contractor invoicing software cost.
FAQQuestions owners ask
What is the best free invoicing app for an electrician?
For one electrician sending 15 invoices of $600 a month, Wave Starter and Zoho Invoice are free to use and list a phone app. Over a year, card fees run $3,186 with Zoho Payments and $3,240 with Wave. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
Is Joist still free?
No. Joist's pricing page says its free plan is no longer available. Basics is $10 a month for up to 5 documents a month.
Does QuickBooks have a free invoicing plan?
QuickBooks Free sends 2 invoices a month unless you are approved for QuickBooks Payments, covers 1 user and has no phone app.
How much do card fees cost on a $600 invoice?
$17.70 on Zoho Payments, $18.00 on Wave, $20.10 on Square or Stripe, using their published US rates.
Is it cheaper to get paid by bank transfer?
Yes. On 15 invoices of $600 a month, bank transfer costs $864 to $1,296 a year in fees, against $3,186 to $3,618 on cards.
Solo handyman who needs scheduling too? Cheapest software for a solo handyman.
Related: contractor invoicing software cost · get paid by bank transfer · Jobber pricing · Housecall Pro pricing
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