Guide
Disclosure: I sell the Freelance Client & Invoice Tracker ($19) linked on this page. The steps below work just as well if you build your own.
Search this question and many of the answers come from companies that sell invoicing software, so the answer is always "switch". Sometimes that's right. Often a spreadsheet is fine. Here's a way to decide without the sales pitch.
Want the ready-made version? The $19 tracker is here.
What each one actually does
| Job | Spreadsheet (Sheets / Excel) | Invoicing app |
|---|---|---|
| Know who owes you and what's overdue | Yes, with a status formula | Yes, built in |
| Make a professional invoice PDF | Yes, with an invoice tab | Yes, one click |
| Send the invoice by email | You attach it yourself | Sends from the app |
| Automatic payment reminders | No | Yes |
| Let clients pay by card or bank link | No | Usually (fees apply) |
| Recurring invoices | You copy last month's row | Automatic |
| Custom views (profit by client, tax set-aside) | Easy, it's your formulas | Limited to their reports |
| Monthly cost | $0 with Google Sheets | Free tiers exist; paid plans are monthly |
| Your data | A file you own | In their account; export rules vary |
The 6-question checklist
Answer yes or no:
- Do you send more than about 10 invoices a month?
- Do you have clients on recurring monthly billing?
- Do you often forget to chase late invoices?
- Do clients ask to pay by card through a link?
- Do you need several people working on invoices?
- Do you have to charge and report sales tax or VAT in a way your accountant wants from software?
0–1 yes: a spreadsheet is enough. Spend 30 minutes setting it up properly (status formulas, a weekly review) and you're done. 2–3 yes: try the hybrid below. 4 or more: use an invoicing app. The time it saves is real at that volume.
The hybrid most comparisons skip
Use a free invoicing app only for the jobs a sheet can't do (sending, reminders, payment links), and keep a spreadsheet as your overview: clients, projects, expenses, money owed, and a tax set-aside percentage. Enter each invoice in both places when you send it (one extra row), and mark it paid in the sheet when the money lands. You get automation where it matters, and a view the app doesn't give you.
Downsides of a spreadsheet
- It only knows what you type. If you skip the weekly review, it goes stale.
- No audit trail like an app's. Keep invoice PDFs in a dated folder as your record.
- Formula mistakes are possible. Test with sample data before you trust the totals.
Downsides of apps
- Monthly cost adds up over a year, and card payments carry processing fees.
- Your history lives in their system. Check how export works before you commit.
- Reports are fixed. Questions like "what did this client actually earn me after expenses?" often still end up in a spreadsheet.
If the spreadsheet route fits
You can build one from scratch with three tabs (clients, projects, invoices), a status formula and a weekly review. Or use my Freelance Client & Invoice Tracker: $19 one-time, Google Sheets or Excel 2016+, with no macros. It tracks and prints invoices but doesn't send them or take payments, which is exactly the trade-off described above.