The best invoicing software for consultants in Australia is InvoiceSonic if you want to send, track and chase invoices from your phone for free, and Invoice-Generator.com.au if you only need a GST-compliant tax invoice PDF in the next two minutes. We judged eight tools on how they handle the three ways consultants bill — hourly, fixed-fee milestones and monthly retainers — plus Australian GST, payment reminders and what the free plan really includes. If you log billable hours across several clients, Harvest or FreshBooks beats both, and we say so below.
In a hurry? Send and track invoices free with InvoiceSonic invoicing software, or download a PDF now with the free consultant invoice generator.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Free plan | Time tracking | Recurring / retainer | AU GST / ABN | Sends & tracks | Payment reminders | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InvoiceSonic | Yes | No | Recurring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Fixed-fee and retainer consultants |
| Invoice-Generator.com.au | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | One-off tax invoice PDFs |
| Harvest | Yes | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hourly consultants |
| FreshBooks | No | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | Yes | Retainers with hour banks |
| Zoho Invoice | Yes | Yes | Recurring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free all-rounder |
| Bonsai | No | Yes | Both | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proposal-to-invoice workflow |
| Invoice Ninja | Yes | Yes | Recurring | Yes | Yes | Paid only | Self-hosters |
| Rounded | No | Yes | Recurring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Sole traders who want BAS done |
Hourly, milestone or retainer: match the tool to how you bill
Your billing model decides which tool fits. Each of the three needs a different invoicing feature.
- Hourly. You need a timesheet that becomes an invoice without retyping. Harvest, FreshBooks, Zoho Invoice, Bonsai and Invoice Ninja do this. InvoiceSonic and Invoice-Generator.com.au do not track time.
- Fixed-fee milestones. A $12,000 project billed 30/40/30 needs partial invoices against one quote. Any tool can do it by hand; FreshBooks and Bonsai link each invoice to the proposal.
- Monthly retainer. You need a recurring invoice each month with automatic reminders. Six of the eight tools do it; FreshBooks and Bonsai also track hours used against the retainer paid.
1. InvoiceSonic — Best overall
InvoiceSonic is free invoicing software that lets a consultant create and send a professional invoice from a phone or browser in under a minute, with no signup for the first one. It suits fixed-fee and retainer consultants who want professional invoices sent, tracked and chased for free. Clients pay by bank transfer or PayID straight from the invoice, with no gateway and a 0% InvoiceSonic transaction fee.
Pros
- Free tier includes an invoice tracker, payment reminders and recurring billing.
- Australian GST tax invoice format, plus NZ, US, UK and Canadian formats across 12 currencies.
- No watermark, iPhone app on the App Store, and a real person answers support email.
Cons
- No time tracking or timesheets; hourly consultants enter hours as line items.
- No expense tracking or BAS reporting.
Price: Free, with a Pro upgrade available. Best for: Fixed-fee and retainer consultants who want to send, track and chase invoices from a phone.
2. Invoice-Generator.com.au — Best free tool
Invoice-Generator.com.au is a 100% free, no-signup tax invoice generator that runs entirely in your browser. It suits the consultant who sends a handful of invoices a month and wants a correct Australian tax invoice PDF with nothing stored on a server. The distinguishing feature is the live ATO-compliance checklist on the Australian tax invoice generator, which flags a missing ABN before you download.
Pros
- No watermark, no ads, no signup; invoice data never leaves your browser.
- The consultant invoice template is pre-set with an ABN field, 10% GST, auto-calculated totals and logo upload.
Cons
- It generates a PDF. It does not send, track or remind — which is why InvoiceSonic ranks first.
- No client list, history, recurring invoices or time tracking.
Price: Free. Best for: Consultants who need a compliant tax invoice PDF now and nothing else.
3. Harvest — Best for hourly consultants
Harvest is time tracking software with invoicing attached — the right way round for an hourly consultant. Billable hours flow from the timesheet onto an invoice grouped by project. The distinguishing feature is a free plan with no time limit: one seat, two projects, forever.
Pros
- Cleanest timesheet-to-invoice of any tool here; you never retype hours.
- Expense tracking sits beside time, so reimbursables land on the same invoice.
- Online payments via Stripe and PayPal, reminders, recurring invoices and retainers; iOS and Android apps.
Cons
- Two free projects runs out at three clients.
- Priced in USD per seat; no BAS reporting.
Price: Free for 1 seat and 2 projects; Teams plan from US$9 per seat per month on annual billing at the time of writing. Best for: Consultants who bill by the hour across several projects.
4. FreshBooks — Best for retainers with an hour bank
FreshBooks is small business accounting software that began as an invoicing tool. It suits a consultant on retainers who wants to show the client the hours used. The distinguishing feature is the retainer module, which ties a recurring invoice to an hour bank.
Pros
- Time tracking, recurring invoices, expense tracking, payment reminders and automatic late fees on every plan.
- Retainers on Plus and above, with hours tracked against the amount paid.
Cons
- No free plan, only a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Lite caps you at 5 clients and leaves out retainers.
Price: Lite A$29, Plus A$43 and Premium A$60 per month at the time of writing, before introductory discounts. Best for: Retainer consultants who report hours against a monthly fee.
5. Zoho Invoice — Best free all-rounder
Zoho Invoice is a free invoicing app with more invoicing features than most paid tools. It suits a consultant who wants time tracking, expense tracking, recurring invoices and payment reminders without paying. Zoho states it is free in Australia; the catch is a 3-project cap and "Powered by Zoho Invoice" branding.
Pros
- Timesheets, projects, recurring invoices, automatic reminders and online payments on the free plan.
- GST tax invoices, a mobile app on iOS and Android, and 24/5 support for Australian users.
Cons
- Free plan caps at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year, with Zoho branding.
- Expect upsells to Zoho Books.
Price: Free in Australia at the time of writing. Best for: Consultants who want full invoicing features and can live with the branding.
6. Bonsai — Best for proposal-to-invoice
Bonsai is an all-in-one platform for consultants covering proposals, contracts, time tracking and invoicing. It suits a consultant who wants milestone invoices generated from the signed proposal: proposal, contract, project and invoice, all linked.
Pros
- Milestone and recurring invoices, retainers, expense tracking and a client portal from Essentials up.
- Contracts and proposals included; no other tool here has them.
Cons
- No free plan, only a 7-day trial, and the Basic plan does not include invoicing at all.
- Priced in USD per user; check the tax invoice wording for Australian clients.
Price: Essentials (the first plan with invoicing) US$25 per user per month, or US$19 on annual billing, at the time of writing. Best for: Consultants who want proposals, contracts and invoices in one system.
7. Invoice Ninja — Best for self-hosting
Invoice Ninja is open-source invoicing software you can run on their servers or your own. It suits a technical consultant who wants full control of client data, and self-hosting is the distinguishing feature.
Pros
- Free hosted plan for up to 5 clients with unlimited invoices and billable time tracking.
- Recurring invoices, expenses and online payments on every plan; native apps for every platform.
Cons
- Free hosted invoices carry "Created by Invoice Ninja" branding, and automatic late-payment reminders are Pro and above only.
- Self-hosting means you handle updates and backups.
Price: Free for 5 clients; Ninja Pro US$14 per month or US$140 per year at the time of writing. Best for: Consultants who want to own their invoicing stack.
8. Rounded — Best for sole traders who want BAS done
Rounded is Australian-built invoicing and bookkeeping software for sole traders. It suits a GST-registered consultant who wants invoicing, time tracking and a pre-filled BAS in one AUD-priced app, and that tax side is what sets it apart.
Pros
- Time tracking, recurring invoices, photo expense capture and payment reminders on both plans.
- Pro adds bank feeds, pre-filled BAS and super tracking.
Cons
- No free plan, only a 14-day trial.
- No retainer feature as such; take on staff and you will outgrow it.
Price: Starter A$23.95 and Pro A$29.95 per month at the time of writing. Best for: GST-registered sole trader consultants who want BAS handled in the same tool.
When NOT to use InvoiceSonic or a free generator
If you bill by the hour across several projects and need timesheets or retainer hour banks, Harvest, FreshBooks or Zoho Invoice will beat a generator and beat InvoiceSonic. If you run payroll or need books your accountant can log into, use Xero, QuickBooks Online or MYOB and invoice from there. If you want your BAS pre-filled, use Rounded.
What to look for in invoicing software for consultants
- A fit with your billing model. Hourly needs timesheet-to-invoice; retainers need recurring invoices; milestones need partial invoices.
- ATO tax invoice compliance. If GST-registered, every invoice must say "Tax invoice" and show your identity and ABN, the date, a description of the services, the GST amount, and the buyer's identity for sales of $1,000 or more.
- Payment reminders and late fees. Late payments are the main cash flow risk in consulting; see our guide to charging late fees on invoices in Australia before you add one.
- Clear payment terms. Print a due date, not just "Net 14"; our guide to invoice payment terms in Australia covers what is normal for consulting.
- An honest free plan. Check the client cap and whether the vendor's branding appears on your invoice templates.
Which one should you choose?
- If you send fewer than 5 invoices a month on fixed fees → Invoice-Generator.com.au. Two minutes, no account.
- If you bill monthly retainers and want reminders sent for you → InvoiceSonic. Recurring billing and reminders, free.
- If you bill by the hour across 3 or more projects → Harvest, or Zoho Invoice free.
- If clients buy hour banks → FreshBooks Plus or Bonsai Essentials.
- If you are a GST-registered sole trader who hates BAS → Rounded.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free invoicing software for consultants in Australia?
InvoiceSonic, if you need to send invoices, track payments and run automatic reminders. If you only need a GST-compliant tax invoice PDF with no account, the free consultant invoice generator on Invoice-Generator.com.au does it in your browser.
Do consultants need time tracking in their invoicing software?
Only if you bill by the hour. Hourly consultants save the most time with a timesheet-to-invoice tool like Harvest, FreshBooks or Zoho Invoice. Fixed-fee and retainer consultants can skip time tracking and use a simpler tool.
How should a consultant invoice a monthly retainer?
Set up a recurring invoice for the same amount on the same day each month, with the retainer period and what it covers in the description. Six of the tools here support recurring invoices; FreshBooks and Bonsai also track retainer hours against the amount paid.
Does a consultant invoice in Australia need to show GST?
If you are registered for GST, yes. The document must be titled Tax invoice and show your ABN, the date, a description of the services, the GST amount, and the buyer's identity for sales of $1,000 or more. If you are not registered, issue a plain invoice without GST.
Create your consultant invoice now
Free, no signup, GST-ready PDF in under a minute.
Open the consultant invoice generator