Roundup · 2026
The best invoice apps for Mac in 2026
Seven invoice apps for Mac, free and paid, compared on price, limits, card payments and where invoices live, with a pick for each kind of business.
“Best” depends on how you work: whether clients pay by card, whether you want your invoices online or on your Mac, and whether you mind a monthly bill. Here are seven good invoice apps for a Mac, with what each one does best and where it falls short. Facts come from each maker’s own website or App Store listing, checked on November 8, 2026.
The short list
All seven compared
| Feature | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 once | From $23 a month | Free (2 invoices a month); Lite $20 a month | Free; Pro $19 a month | Free | Free self-hosted; Pro $13.99 a month | €69 once, 1 year of updates |
| Limits on the cheapest plan | None | 5 clients on Lite | 2 invoices a month on Free | Reminders and recurring need Pro | 500 invoices a year, base currency only | See its plans | Free for the first 3 clients, quotes and invoices |
| Where it runs | Mac | Web, iPhone and iPad | Web, plus iPhone, iPad and Android apps | Web, iPhone and Android | Web, plus Mac, iPhone and Android apps | Web, with Mac and iPhone apps; or host it yourself | Mac and Windows |
| Where invoices are kept | On your Mac | Online | Online | Online | Online | Online, or your own server | On your computer |
| Clients pay by card from the invoice | No | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.99% | 2.9% + $0.60 | Through payment gateways | Stripe, Braintree (PayPal) and more | QR code payments |
| Recurring invoices | Yes | Yes | Not covered here | With Pro or online payments | Yes | Yes | Not covered here |
| Time tracking | Yes | Yes | Not covered here | Not covered here | Yes | Yes | Not covered here |
| AI assistant access | Claude, Cursor and other MCP assistants | An official Claude connector that reads your FreshBooks data (read-only) | Intuit Intelligence built in, plus official Claude and ChatGPT connectors that can create invoices | Not advertised on its pages | Zia built in, plus Zoho MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor | No official one; third-party MCP servers exist | A local MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and others |
From each maker’s own pages and App Store listings, checked November 8, 2026. Prices are regular US monthly prices before introductory discounts; Cakedesk’s is in euros. “Not covered here” and “See its plans” mean we couldn’t confirm it on the maker’s own pages, not that the app lacks it.
The seven, one by one
1. Best without a subscription, and with AI
Invoicewell
Good
- Invoices, quotes, credit notes, recurring invoices, a menu bar timer, three reminder levels and late fees
- Claude and other assistants make drafts on your Mac; it tells them what’s missing, and only you send
- Your invoices stay on your Mac, with no account, and it works offline
- 5 designs and 6 invoice languages
Not so good
- No online card payments: you record payments yourself
- Mac only: no iPhone, iPad or Windows version
- No bookkeeping, expenses or client portal
- New: first released November 1, 2026
2. Best for getting paid online
FreshBooks
Good
- Card, bank and Apple Pay payments from the invoice
- Recurring invoices, reminders, late fees and time tracking even on Lite
- Client portal; accounting reports on Plus
- Well-rated iPhone app
Not so good
- Lite allows 5 billable clients; Plus 50
- A monthly bill, plus card fees
- No Mac App Store app: on a Mac it runs in the browser
3. Best if you also want bookkeeping
QuickBooks Online
Good
- Invoices go straight into your books
- Many accountants already use it
- Card payments at 2.99%, ACH at 1%
Not so good
- The free plan sends only 2 invoices a month without QuickBooks Payments
- More software than you need if you only invoice
- Monthly price for unlimited invoices
4. Best free online invoicing
Wave
Good
- Unlimited invoices and estimates free, with bookkeeping
- Card payments at 2.9% + $0.60 on the free plan
- iPhone and Android apps
Not so good
- Automatic overdue reminders need Pro
- Recurring invoices need Pro or online payments
- Web only: needs a browser and the internet
5. Best free plan with a Mac app
Zoho Invoice
Good
- Free, with quotes, recurring invoices, reminders, time tracking and a customer portal
- An app on the Mac App Store
- Up to two users
Not so good
- 500 invoices a year and 3 projects on the free plan
- Invoices only in your base currency
- Your invoices live in your Zoho account
6. Best for hosting it yourself
Invoice Ninja
Good
- Self-hosting includes all Pro and Enterprise features, its README says
- Quotes, recurring invoices, tasks and time tracking
- Online payments through Stripe, Braintree (with PayPal) and other gateways
Not so good
- Source-available under the Elastic License 2.0, not open source in the strict sense
- Hosting it yourself means running and updating a server
- The hosted Pro plan is a monthly subscription
7. Best one-time app for German e-invoicing
Cakedesk
Good
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoices
- Data stored locally, works offline, dark mode
- 14 languages, 100+ currencies, and AI agent access through MCP
- Free for your first 3 clients, quotes and invoices
Not so good
- Priced in euros, with one year of updates included
- Not on the Mac App Store
- Its homepage and docs don’t mention recurring invoices or time tracking
According to Invoicewell’s own tests, with 5,000 invoices in the list, ⌘K found the one you typed in under half a second, and Claude got 14 of 14 invoicing conversations fully right, with both Claude Sonnet and Claude Haiku.
Try Invoicewell right here. This is a working model of the app, not a video: pick a request and answer its questions.
An example with made-up clients. The questions are the ones Invoicewell really asks.
Also worth a look
- Harvest, for teams that track time together (free for 1 seat and 2 projects, Teams $11 per seat a month): Invoicewell vs Harvest.
- Bonsai, for proposals and contracts with your invoices (invoicing from $25 a month): Invoicewell vs Bonsai.
- Billings Pro, a long-running native Mac app with iPhone and Apple Watch apps (from $5 a month): Invoicewell vs Billings Pro.
- Apple Numbers, free, with an invoice template, if you send only a few invoices: how to make an invoice on a Mac.
How to choose
- Clients pay by card online? FreshBooks, QuickBooks or Wave.
- Need bookkeeping? QuickBooks, or Wave for free.
- Want it free, online? Wave or Zoho Invoice.
- Want your own server? Invoice Ninja.
- Need German e-invoices? Cakedesk.
- Want a native Mac app, no subscription, invoices on your Mac, and Claude to do the typing? Invoicewell.
Questions about invoice apps for Mac
What is the best free invoice app for Mac?
For online invoicing, Wave’s Starter plan (unlimited invoices, card payments at 2.9% + $0.60) or Zoho Invoice (500 invoices a year, in your base currency). For a template you fill in yourself, Apple Numbers is free and has an invoice template.
Is there an invoice app for Mac without a subscription?
Yes. Invoicewell is $19.99 once, for up to 3 Macs, with free updates. Cakedesk is €69 once with a year of updates, on Mac and Windows. Invoice Ninja can also be hosted yourself for free.
Which invoice apps keep invoices on my Mac, not online?
Invoicewell and Cakedesk both store your data on your computer and work offline. FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Wave and Zoho Invoice keep your invoices in your online account. Invoice Ninja can run on your own server.
Which invoice app lets clients pay by card?
FreshBooks (2.9% + $0.30), QuickBooks (2.99%), Wave (2.9% + $0.60) and Invoice Ninja, through gateways such as Stripe. Invoicewell doesn’t take payments: you add bank details or your own payment link, and record payments.
Can AI make my invoices?
Yes, with more and more apps. Invoicewell and Cakedesk connect to Claude and other assistants on your own computer. QuickBooks’ official Claude and ChatGPT connectors can create invoices, Harvest and Bonsai have official MCP servers, Zoho Invoice works through Zoho MCP, and FreshBooks has a read-only Claude connector.
Do I need accounting software or just an invoice app?
If you want bookkeeping, expenses and tax reports in one place, or your accountant asks for it, use accounting software such as QuickBooks. If you only need to send invoices and quotes and know who has paid, an invoice app is simpler and cheaper.
