Billing software: what you need to know

La issuance and accounting of invoices It is a frequent task in large companies, SMEs and also for the self-employed. This task is usually not very thankful for the manager who does it, in addition to taking time to dedicate to other tasks. Therefore, billing software can be of great help to all of them.

Also, like anyone, you can be wrong on some invoice. That implies that you have to make studs, always be attentive to the numbering of the invoice to keep track, keep track of whether or not it is paid, etc. All of this can be automated or mitigated by this billing software. And everything as simple as downloading a program or app on your PC or mobile device and helping you with this heavy burden ...

What is a billing program?

Un billing software It is basically a computer program to manage and control the issuance and receipt of invoices for goods and / or services. It can be a great tool for both freelancers and companies.

All the characteristics that all billing software should have are:

• Capacity for correlative numbering of the invoices issued and management of dates.
• Invoice templates available ready to complement.
• Inclusion of logos and data company or self-employed.
• Possibility of selecting different payment methods.
• Ability to file management of customers and suppliers. With data such as name, company name, NIF / CIF, address, contact, etc.
• Editor in case you want to modify any data of a blotter of an invoice before it is approved.
• Selection of types of impuestos (Personal income tax, VAT, ...) and ability to calculate the total amount.
• Dashboard with graphs in which the balance of expenses and income.
• Grupo Ruiz's notifications in some cases.
• Function to generate invoices proforma and budgets.
• In some cases it also has a database / agenda with clients and their tax data to make the creation of the invoice easier.

Types of billing software

Within the software invoicing of stock or services you can find different types. You must know them well to know how to better choose the option that best suits you:

• Online- These are web-based billing programs that don't need to install anything. They can simply be used from any device with a compatible web browser. The advantage of these systems is that they will always be available from anywhere (as long as your server is operational) and you will not depend on a specific device for it. In addition, being in the cloud, the data will be stored permanently, without worrying about backup copies, etc.
• Location: a local billing software is one that is installed on your own PC or mobile device. Although online services have good security and are encrypted, some security freaks may want to have all customer data locally for greater confidentiality. It really is the only advantage these programs have. The rest are disadvantages compared to online, since if something happens to your device, your hard drive crashes, you are affected by ransomware, etc., and you do not have backup copies, you could lose all your fiscal data.

In addition to these categories, they could be divided into other types according to other aspects. For example, you can have free and open source billing software or proprietary source, etc. We could even separate those that are paid services or those that are totally free. Generally, none of these factors make a billing program better or worse.

That is, there is free open-source billing software It has little to envy to other paid and closed source and vice versa. Therefore, do not use these factors as a quality factor as some say that open source is worse than proprietary ... It is a huge mistake!

The best billing programs

If you would like to some recommendations About the best billing software you can find, here is a list in which you can see some of the best options that you have:

• InvoiceScripts: it offers a lot of flexibility, since it allows to install locally on the PC, use a web hosting to host this tool, and also under a SaaS model in the cloud from its own servers as a service. In this case it is a free software solution. It is powerful and does not stop growing thanks to the community and plugins that are adding new functions. In addition to managing invoices, functions can also be added to have a complete CRM or ERP.
• factusol: DelSol Software has developed this ideal billing software to take control of all the commercial management of the company, both sales and purchases made. You can even take control beyond that thanks to its functions to control inventory and product stock. Also, it does not matter the size of the company or if you are self-employed. On the other hand, it has another great advantage, and that is its integration with the MS Office suite. It is completely free, but it is only available for Windows for local installation, although it can also be used online from any system thanks to its cloud platform.
• Quipu: a very simple and intuitive billing software specially designed for freelancers and SMEs. It allows the creation of personalized invoices and budgets, reconcile secure bank transactions, generate remittances, automate the presentation of taxes, etc. It integrates OCR function to recognize text with the camera of your mobile. You also have it available for mobile devices on Google Play for Android or to use in the cloud.
• Debitor: it is one of the most popular cloud services. It is simple and allows efficient work. With customizable invoice templates, OCR technology to recognize text by the camera, reports and balances, etc. In this case, it is paid, with a basic payment plan for up to 100 annual documents of € 4 / month, an average plan of up to 800 invoices a year for € 12 / month and an unlimited plan for € 24 / month. It also has an app for mobile devices.
• simple account: web-based service to issue and manage your invoices quickly and simply. It has templates, functions to record hours, generation of graphics with records, allows integration with e-commerce managers such as Prestashop, Shopify, Woocommerce, etc. It has several online subscription plans (although it has a free limited basic plan) and an app for mobile devices.
• Anfix: another alternative to the previous ones to use in the management of your invoices for greater comfort. It has invoice templates, automation functions, generation of files to present taxes, accounting management, budgets, etc. Their pricing plans range from € 10 to € 50 approx, with an advisory service if you prefer. It has a mobile app and online service.
• sage one: Sage is one of the best known developers of business management software. In this case, they have created a good billing software tool specially designed for freelancers and SMEs. You will have everything you need to manage your invoices and to generate graphs to check the status and get an idea of ​​how the business is doing. It has an automatic banking connection for accounting of charges and expenses, as well as the possibility of managing inventories, multi-user capacity, etc. Indeed, it is not a free service. It has plans of € 7.5 and € 15 per month with its current offer (before € 10 and € 20 respectively). By the way, Sage also has mobile apps.