Invoice Fly vs Invoice Simple: Choosing The Right Tool

Deciding between Invoice Fly and Invoice Simple really comes down to what happens the moment a busy month hits. Invoice Fly includes unlimited invoices under either paid plan, while Invoice Simple splits features across three tiers, so limits and tools shift as the price climbs.

A freelancer sending two invoices a month has different needs than a contractor billing weekly.

In this Invoice Fly vs Invoice Simple comparison, we’ll look at the limits, payments, templates, and mobile tools that separate the two, so you can choose with confidence.

Invoice Fly vs Invoice Simple at a Glance

If three invoices a month is all you need, Invoice Simple’s Essentials plan is hard to beat on price. Send more than that, though, and Invoice Fly starts looking like the better deal: its $98.99 yearly plan pairs unlimited documents with the time, receipt, and expense tracking you’d otherwise need a higher tier or another app for.

Create and Send Invoices with Invoice Fly

Whether you’re billing clients weekly, monthly, or per project, Invoice Fly helps you create professional invoices, track payments, and stay organized from anywhere.

Try it for free >

What Is Invoice Fly?

Invoice Fly handles the paperwork around the job: sending an estimate, getting it approved, collecting a deposit, billing for the finished work, and chasing late payments. It shows exactly where each invoice stands: sent, viewed, paid, or overdue.

Hours worked, materials bought, and receipts snapped on the go all live next to the client they belong to. Recurring billing and automatic reminders mean fewer things to remember.

Pricing is simple: $8.99 a week or $98.99 a year, and either option unlocks the same features with unlimited estimates and invoices. For anyone who just needs a one-off document without setting up an account, Invoice Fly also offers free browser-based generators for seven common business forms.

What Is Invoice Simple?

Invoice Simple is built for people who bill from their phone, often right after finishing a job. It covers estimates, invoices, and receipts, stores customer details and line items, scans paper receipts, and takes payments in person or online.

You can turn an accepted estimate into an invoice, attach photos, and send it by text or email with a read receipt. Recurring invoices are supported too, though premium designs and some approval features are locked to the top plan.

For a fuller rundown of Invoice Simple features, the Capterra overview is a good reference.

Invoice Fly vs Invoice Simple: Key Differences

In the next section, we will take a look at the biggest differences between the two platforms.

How Many Invoices Can You Send?

This is where the Invoice Simple vs Invoice Fly choice gets practical. Invoice Fly doesn’t cap invoices or estimates on either its weekly or yearly plan, so a busy month never pushes you into an upgrade.

Invoice Simple sets monthly limits. Essentials allows three invoices, Plus allows ten, and only Premium is unlimited. Estimates are unlimited on every tier.

Keep in mind that the limit counts documents, not customers. One kitchen remodel might need a deposit invoice, a progress bill or two, and a final invoice. That’s up to four invoices from a single client. Before you pick a tier, check whether Invoice Simple counts revisions, canceled invoices, and recurring bills toward your limit.

Tip: New to invoicing? This guide on what an invoice is covers the basics and what customers expect to see on one.

Estimates and Recurring Invoices

Both apps turn an accepted estimate into an invoice in one step, so you never retype customer details or line items after you win the job. Both also handle recurring invoices. Invoice Simple lets you add photos, discounts, and project details to estimates, and eligible repeat bills can be paid automatically.

The real difference is how you unlock approval features. Invoice Simple spreads them across plans: Plus adds your own signature, and Premium adds client signatures and deposits. Invoice Fly includes signatures, deposits, and reminders with either paid billing option. That makes it a good fit for businesses that quote almost every job before starting.

Tip: Automation saves time, but check recurring invoices whenever a price, tax, or service changes. Invoice Fly’s guide to invoice automation explains how to stay on top of it.

Mobile Access and Templates

Both apps are built for invoicing on the go, whether you’re at a jobsite, in your truck, or in a client’s office. Each one saves your business, customer, and service details, so you’re never starting from a blank page.

Invoice Simple advertises more than 60 pre-built templates. You can add a logo, photos, due dates, discounts, and notes, and Premium unlocks extra designs. Invoice Fly has fewer ready-made designs, but its templates connect directly to your customers, estimates, time, expenses, and payment status. You also get the full template setup on one plan.

What matters most is how easily you can build an accurate invoice on a small screen. During a free trial, create a real estimate with a few line items, tax, notes, and a deposit. Then convert it to an invoice and send it using only your phone.

Tip: A good-looking invoice still needs the right details. Run through this list of professional invoice elements before you hit send, and follow these steps on how to send an invoice.

Invoice Views, Reminders, Signatures, and Deposits

Invoice Fly marks each invoice as sent, viewed, paid, or overdue, and reminders show you who needs a nudge.

Invoice Simple includes read receipts on every plan. Plus adds due-date reminders and your signature. Premium adds client signatures, deposits, and restoring earlier invoice versions.

A read receipt only shows the customer opened the invoice. A client signature shows they approved the work, and a deposit can cover materials or hold a spot on your schedule. Just remember that contract and deposit rules vary by location, so check what applies to your business.

Online Payments

Invoice Fly lets you add payment links through providers like Stripe and PayPal. Payments show up right next to the invoice, so you can see what’s been paid at a glance.

Invoice Simple offers a longer list of payment options, including cards, US bank transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, QR codes, partial payments, and Tap to Pay. Some of these depend on your plan, device, or location.

Processing fees are separate from your app subscription. Before you connect a provider, compare rates on pages like Stripe pricing and PayPal business fees, along with payout times and refund rules.

Invoice Simple may let some users pass processing fees on to customers. Surcharging rules vary by location and card network (see Visa’s merchant rules), so check what’s allowed and always tell customers upfront.

Tip: Clear invoice payment terms spell out accepted methods, due dates, deposits, and late fees, so customers know what to expect.

Expenses, Receipts, Reports, and Time Tracking

Both apps let you log expenses, scan receipts with your phone, and run business reports.

Invoice Fly adds a built-in timer that links hours to a client or project, which is ideal if you bill by the hour. Invoice Simple doesn’t list a timer in its plans, but it does offer an optional bookkeeping service in the US and Canada.

Double-check scanned receipts and keep your originals, since the IRS says in Publication 583 that your records must support your tax return. For a fuller picture of your finances, the SBA recommends also tracking cash flow, unpaid invoices, and debts.

Invoice Fly vs Invoice Simple Pricing

Invoice Fly offers one complete plan with weekly or annual billing. Invoice Simple uses three tiers based mostly on monthly invoice volume.

Invoice Simple has the lower entry price (see Invoice Simple pricing), but its Essentials and Plus plans limit how many invoices you can send each month. Unlimited invoicing requires the Premium plan, which costs more than twice as much per year as Invoice Fly’s annual subscription.

Where Each App Works Best

Invoice Fly works best for businesses that keep a steady flow of paperwork. Picture a contractor who writes an estimate at a client’s kitchen table, takes a deposit, logs receipts from the supply store, and sends the final invoice that evening. A freelancer billing hours from a home office gets the same benefit, because the time tracker feeds straight into the invoice. For this kind of work, it’s a practical Invoice Simple alternative, since everything stays in one app with no limit on documents.

Invoice Simple fits better where invoicing is occasional and often happens face to face. A mobile detailer or handyman who finishes a job and wants to get paid on the spot can use Tap to Pay right at the customer’s door. It also suits a side business that sends only a few invoices a month and values its wide template range.

Invoice Fly vs Invoice Simple: Which Should You Choose?

Go with Invoice Fly if your paperwork piles up fast. One annual plan covers unlimited invoices, estimates, deposits, time tracking, expenses, and reports, so you never hit a limit mid-month.

Go with Invoice Simple if you send only a few invoices or want more ways to get paid. Just know that unlimited invoicing requires Premium.

Still deciding between Invoice Fly or Invoice Simple? If you’re after an Invoice Fly alternative, it’s usually for payment options. If you want an alternative to Invoice Simple, it’s usually for unlimited documents. Choose the app that can handle your busiest month.

Create and Send Invoices with Invoice Fly

Whether you’re billing clients weekly, monthly, or per project, Invoice Fly helps you create professional invoices, track payments, and stay organized from anywhere.

Try it for free >