TLDR (Summary)
The best invoicing software for designers is Plutio ($19/month).
Standalone invoicing sends bills but doesn't track project the work. Plutio connects invoices to time tracked, milestones completed, and revisions delivered... so billing reflects actual work and clients see what they're paying for.
Designers get milestone billing, automatic invoice generation from tracked time, and multiple payment methods. Clients pay through branded portals and see billing alongside their project history.
Designers using connected invoicing get paid through automatic reminders and professional presentation.
For additional strategies, read our freelance pricing guide.
What is invoicing software for designers?
Invoicing software for designers is software that creates professional invoices, tracks payment status, sends automated reminders, accepts online payments, and connects billing directly to project work.
The distinction matters: billing software tracks what clients owe, invoicing software generates the documents and handles collection, and payment processing handles the actual money transfer. Designer-focused invoicing combines all three while connecting to project management, time tracking, and contracts.
What designer invoicing software actually does
Core functions include creating branded invoices with your logo and colors, setting up recurring billing for retainer clients, converting tracked time into line items, handling deposits and milestone payments, sending payment reminders at intervals you choose, and accepting payments through Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer. Advanced platforms add proposal-to-invoice workflows where accepted proposals automatically generate invoicing schedules.
Standalone invoicing vs integrated platforms
Standalone apps like FreshBooks, Wave, or QuickBooks handle invoicing as an isolated function. You enter client details manually, create invoices from scratch, and track payments in a separate system from your project work. Integrated platforms like Plutio connect invoicing with proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and client communication. When you finish a project, the invoicing already knows the scope, the tracked hours, and the client's payment history.
What makes designer invoicing different
Designers face unique billing scenarios that generic invoicing struggles with: milestone-based payments split across discovery, design, and delivery phases; revision tracking that affects billing; deposit collection before work begins (industry standard is 25-50% upfront); and project scope that can shift mid-engagement. Without invoicing that connects to project status, billing becomes disconnected from the work itself.
When invoicing connects to projects, contracts, and time tracking, the manual copying between apps disappears. Changes update everywhere automatically, and invoicing reflects what actually happened.
Why designers need invoicing software
Designers who grow beyond a handful of active clients face a compounding problem: every new client adds admin work that doesn't scale, and invoicing is where that admin tends to pile up.
The late payment epidemic
According to industry research, 50-70% of invoices are paid late, with the average invoice paid 20 days. For designers, this creates cash flow gaps that force uncomfortable choices: taking on rush work you'd otherwise decline, delaying payments to vendors, or dipping into savings while waiting for a $5,000 invoice to clear.
The fragmentation problem
Designers stack 4-7 disconnected tools: Figma for design work, Asana for task management, FreshBooks for invoicing, DocuSign for contracts, Calendly for scheduling, Dropbox for file delivery, and email for client communication. Each tool handles one function, but none share data automatically. Client information fragments across tools, and you become the manual integration layer.
The admin drain
According to research, 36% of professional time goes to admin tasks. For designers specifically, that means 10-15 hours per week spent on non-billable tasks: creating invoices, following up on late payments, updating project status, and reconciling payments. At $75/hour, those 10 hours represent $750/week in potential billable time.
The scaling tipping point
Designers hit a threshold around 8-12 active clients where the manual approach breaks down. At this point, you're either spending more time on admin than design, or invoices go out late, follow-ups get missed, and you start turning down work because you can't manage more complexity.
Connected invoicing software absorbs the admin work that would otherwise scale linearly with each new client. The tool handles routine invoicing, payment tracking, and follow-ups automatically, leaving designers to focus on creative work.
Invoicing features designers need
The essential invoicing features for designers connect billing with project delivery, time tracking, and client communication while handling the unique billing patterns that design work requires.
Core invoicing features
- Custom invoice templates: Add your logo, brand colors, typography, and payment terms. Create different templates for project-based work, retainers, and rush jobs
- Multiple payment methods: Accept credit cards through Stripe (2.9% + $0.30), bank transfers via ACH (typically 0.8%), or PayPal. Multiple options increase payment speed
- Automated payment reminders: Configure reminders before due date, on due date, and after. Follow-ups send automatically without you drafting emails
- Recurring invoices: Schedule monthly invoices for retainer clients that send automatically. Pair with auto-charge to collect payment without action
- Time-to-invoice conversion: Select tracked time entries and convert directly to invoice line items. No copying hours from a time tracker
- Expense passthrough: Log project expenses and add to client invoices at cost or with markup (10-15% is common)
Designer-specific billing features
- Deposit collection: Request upfront payment before work begins. Industry standard is 25-50% deposit
- Milestone billing: Split project payment across phases: deposit on signing, payment at first draft, balance on delivery
- Revision billing: When scope expands beyond contracted revisions, generate invoices for additional billable work
- Proposal-to-invoice flow: When clients accept proposals, invoicing schedules generate automatically based on payment terms
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors, and fonts. Clients never see the software vendor's name
- Unified inbox: All client messages, project comments, and payment notifications arrive in one place
- Permissions: Control who sees what. Contractors see only their assigned work. Clients see their portal and invoices
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions: send payment reminders, notify when invoices are viewed, create follow-up tasks
The deciding factor for designers is integration depth. Invoicing that connects with proposals, contracts, projects, and time tracking eliminates the duplicate data entry that eats hours every week.
Invoicing software pricing for designers
Invoicing software for designers typically costs $15-60 per month for standalone tools, with the actual cost depending on feature depth and whether you need additional tools for a complete workflow.
What designers typically pay for stacked tools
Designers piece together multiple subscriptions:
- Invoicing: FreshBooks ($17-55/month), Wave (free), QuickBooks ($30-90/month)
- Project management: Asana ($10.99-24.99/month), Monday ($12-24/user)
- Contract signing: DocuSign ($10-25/month), HelloSign ($15-25/month)
- Scheduling: Calendly ($10-16/month), Acuity ($16-45/month)
Combined, this stack costs $75-200/month before counting the time lost switching between disconnected tools.
Plutio pricing (February 2026)
- Core: $19/month - Unlimited projects, proposals, contracts, invoicing, time tracking, client portals, white-label branding
- Pro: $49/month - Unlimited clients, 30 team contributors, advanced permissions, priority support
- Max: $199/month - Unlimited team, white-label custom domain, single sign-on
The ROI calculation for designers
If you currently spend $120/month on separate tools and 10 hours/week on admin that could be automated:
- Tool savings: $120/month to $19/month = $101/month saved
- Time recovered: Even converting 2 hours into billable work at $75/hour = $600/month additional revenue
- Total impact: $701/month return from a $19 subscription
When comparing invoicing software, add up what you currently pay for all the tools you'd replace. If stacked subscriptions exceed $50/month and Spending hours on manual data transfer, combined platforms offer both cost savings and time recovery.
Why Plutio is the best invoicing software for designers
Plutio handles invoicing as part of a complete platform where proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and client communication work together rather than as separate tools.
Complete workflow integration
When a client accepts your proposal, Plutio can automatically create the project, set up the invoicing schedule based on milestone payments, and prepare the contract for signing. When they sign, setup tasks generate. When you track time on design work, those hours attach to the project. When the first milestone completes, the invoice sends. Every step connects to the next.
White-label everything
Use your own domain (clients.yourstudio.com). Upload your logo, set your brand colors and typography. Every client-facing touchpoint shows your brand: proposals, contracts, invoices, portals, emails, payment receipts. Clients never see "Plutio" or any indication you're using third-party software.
Unified inbox for all client communication
When a client messages about a project, responds to a proposal, approves a design, or asks about an invoice, the message appears in one inbox. Reply directly without opening email. Conversation history stays attached to that client's record for complete context.
Granular permissions
Control exactly who sees what. Contractors see only their assigned work and billable hours. Clients see their portal and invoices, not your internal notes, profit margins, or other client data.
No-code automations
Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement: send payment reminder 3 days before invoice due date, notify you when a client views a proposal, create follow-up task when invoice goes unpaid after 14 days, send welcome email when contract is signed. Set up once, runs continuously.
Time-to-invoice conversion
Select tracked time entries and convert directly to invoice line items. The description, duration, and rate pull from your time entries automatically. No copying hours between tools.
Milestone billing
Split project payments across phases. Deposit on signing, payment at first draft approval, balance on delivery. Each milestone triggers its own invoice when you mark that phase complete.
Rush fee application
Urgent work costs more. Rush fees add automatically to expedited projects, keeping fast turnarounds compensated appropriately.
Everything runs from one app with your branding, your terminology, and your workflow logic. Instead of switching between 5-8 tools to manage one client, you operate from a single platform.
How to set up invoicing in Plutio
Setting up invoicing in Plutio takes 30-60 minutes for initial configuration, then 5-15 minutes per client after your templates and integrations are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Set your default hourly rate, standard payment terms (Net-15, Net-30), preferred currency, and tax settings. Consider setting your deposit requirement (25-50% is standard) and late fee policy (1-1.5% monthly is common).
Step 2: Create invoice templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 templates covering your common project types:
- Brand Identity: 50% deposit, 25% at first draft, 25% on delivery
- Website Design: 30% deposit, 35% at design approval, 35% on launch
- Logo Only: 50% deposit, 50% on delivery
- Retainer: Monthly recurring with automatic invoicing
- Rush Project: Standard structure with 25-50% rate increase
Step 3: Connect payment processing (20 mins)
Link Stripe and/or PayPal to accept online payments. Consider offering ACH bank transfer for larger invoices where clients prefer lower fees. Test each payment method before using with clients.
Step 4: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook), accounting software (QuickBooks or Xero), and any other tools in your workflow.
Step 5: Test with one real project
Run through the complete workflow with an actual client. Create the proposal, convert to project, track time, generate the invoice, send it, and confirm payment receipt. Real interaction reveals friction that test scenarios miss.
Build templates for the 80% cases that cover most of projects. Handle the other 20% by customizing the closest template per situation.
Invoicing templates for designers
Different design project types require different invoicing approaches. Building templates for each common scenario lets you apply proven structures with one click.
Recommended invoice templates for designers
- Brand Identity - Full Package: For full-scope branding projects ($5,000-25,000). Structure: 50% deposit, 25% at concept presentation, 25% on delivery. Include revision limits (typically 2-3 rounds)
- Logo Only: For standalone logo projects ($500-3,000). Structure: 50% deposit, 50% on delivery. Simpler scope with defined deliverables
- Website Design: For web projects ($3,000-15,000). Structure: 30% deposit, 35% at wireframe/design approval, 35% on launch. Include page count and revision limits per phase
- Monthly Retainer: For ongoing relationships ($1,500-5,000/month). Automatic monthly invoicing. Specify included hours and scope
- Rush Project: For expedited timelines. Use appropriate base template with 25-50% rate increase
Template components to standardize
- Payment structure: Deposit percentage, milestone schedule, final payment timing
- Scope definition: What's included, what's excluded, revision limits
- Terms: Payment due dates, late fees, kill fee clause
- Deliverables: File formats, sizes, handoff method
Start with templates that cover your 80% cases. Only create new templates when you encounter genuinely new project types you expect to repeat.
Client portals for designers: share invoicing with clients
A client portal gives your design clients one branded location to view project status, access documents, approve the work, pay invoices, and communicate without emailing you for every update.
What clients see in their portal
The portal displays everything relevant to that client's engagement: active projects with current status, pending proposals, contracts requiring signature, outstanding invoices with payment buttons, completed invoices and payment receipts, shared files, and message history. Clients see only their own data.
Why portals matter for designer workflows
Designers typically manage 8-20 active projects simultaneously. Without a portal, each client emails when they have questions: "Where's the contract?", "Can you resend the invoice?", "What's the project status?". With a portal, clients answer these questions themselves. Self-service access typically reduces "where is it?" emails by 70-80%.
White-label portal branding
The portal displays your brand, not the software vendor's. Use your own domain, upload your logo, apply your brand colors. Clients experience a direct extension of your design studio rather than logging into third-party software.
Controlling client visibility
Configure exactly what clients can see: full transparency with project tasks and time tracking, document-focused showing contracts and invoices, or minimal showing only invoices. Different projects may warrant different visibility.
The portal transforms client communication from reactive (responding to requests) to proactive (providing access). Clients get what they need instantly, and you reclaim time previously spent on administrative email responses.
How to migrate invoicing to Plutio
Migration from another invoicing tool typically takes 1-2 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between projects rather than mid-delivery.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
Most invoicing software provides CSV export for client data and document archives:
- FreshBooks: Export clients and invoices from Settings and Reports sections
- Wave: Export contacts and invoices from Reports
- QuickBooks: Export customer list and invoice history from Reports
- HoneyBook/Dubsado: Export client data from Contacts, download contracts and invoices individually
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (45-60 minutes)
Use exported content as reference. Start with the invoice type you use most frequently. Recreate 2-3 core templates initially rather than migrating every document you've created.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), calendar sync (Google Calendar, Outlook), and accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero). Test each integration with a sample transaction.
Step 4: Import client data (30 mins)
Upload your client CSV to Plutio. Map fields appropriately. For active clients with ongoing projects, create their project records. For historical clients, consider whether import is necessary or if the old system archive suffices.
Step 5: Run parallel for new work
Use Plutio for all new client engagements while keeping the old system active for projects already in progress. As active projects complete, those clients transition to Plutio for future work.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all active projects on your old system complete (typically 30-60 days), cancel that subscription. Keep PDF copies of important historical documents locally.
The investment in migration pays back in time saved on every future invoice, proposal, and client interaction. Plan for a weekend of setup and a few weeks of adjustment.
