Best Free Invoicing Software for NZ Freelancers (Honest Comparison)

If you're a freelancer in New Zealand looking for free invoicing software, the options can feel overwhelming. And most comparison articles are written by people who get paid to recommend software — so the "winner" is whoever pays the most in affiliate commission.

This comparison is different. We'll give you an honest look at the main free options, including where each one falls short.

What NZ Freelancers Actually Need

Before comparing tools, it helps to know what matters:

• NZD support — not all tools default to NZD
• GST at 15% — must handle NZ GST correctly
• PDF invoices — clients expect a proper PDF, not a web link
• Email delivery — send directly from the tool
• Simple enough to use without training
• Actually free — not a "free trial" with a paywall after 30 days

Wave — Best for Accounting + Invoicing Combined

What it does well: Wave is genuinely free and combines invoicing with bookkeeping. If you want to track expenses, reconcile bank accounts, and generate profit & loss reports alongside your invoicing, Wave is the strongest free option.

Where it falls short for NZ freelancers:

• US-centric — NZD is supported but some features default to USD
• GST support is limited compared to NZ-specific tools
• The interface is more complex than most freelancers need
• Customer support is minimal on the free plan
• Wave was acquired by H&R Block and the roadmap is less clear

Best for: Freelancers who want basic bookkeeping bundled with invoicing and don't mind a bit of setup complexity.

Zoho Invoice — Best Feature Set at Free

What it does well: Zoho Invoice is completely free (no client limit, no invoice limit) and has a surprisingly strong feature set — recurring invoices, client portal, time tracking, and more. NZD and GST are supported.

Where it falls short for NZ freelancers:

• Interface is cluttered — there's a lot to configure before you can send your first invoice
• Part of the Zoho ecosystem — if you don't use other Zoho products, the integrations don't add value
• PDF templates are less polished than some alternatives
• GST setup requires manual configuration

Best for: Freelancers who want no usage limits and don't mind spending time on initial setup.

MyBillDash — Best for Simple NZ-Focused Invoicing

What it does well: MyBillDash is built specifically for New Zealand and Australian freelancers. GST at 15% is set up by default, NZD is the default currency, and the whole experience is designed to get you from "new client" to "invoice sent" in under 2 minutes.

Features on the free plan:

• Up to 5 invoices and 5 quotes per month
• Professional PDF invoices
• GST calculation at 15% (NZ) or 10% (AU)
• Client management
• Payment tracking

Every new account gets a 2-month unlimited free trial with no credit card required.

Where it falls short:

• No built-in expense tracking or bookkeeping (it's invoicing only)
• The free plan has invoice limits (5/month) — fine for most freelancers, but if you're invoicing 20+ clients a month you'll need Premium
• Newer product — fewer integrations than Wave or Zoho

Best for: NZ and AU freelancers who want the fastest, simplest invoicing experience with proper NZ GST support built in from day one.

Xero — Not Free, But Worth Mentioning

Xero isn't free — it starts at around $35/month NZD — but it's the dominant accounting platform in New Zealand and worth understanding.

If you're handling complex accounting, have employees, need payroll, or want tight bank feed integration, Xero is excellent and worth the cost.

If you just want to send invoices and track who's paid, you're paying for a lot of features you'll never use.

The Verdict

For most NZ freelancers who just want to send professional invoices, track payments, and handle GST — MyBillDash is the fastest way to get started. The 2-month free trial gives you full access with no credit card.