OUR RECOMMENDATION

Best Invoicing Software for Canadian Small Businesses

We looked at 6 invoicing products sold to Canadian small businesses. Here is what we recommend, and when we would tell you to buy something else.

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By Joel Gathercole, Joel & Nanz Inc. · Prices and features checked October 23, 2026

For Canadian service businesses that mainly send invoices, charge GST/HST and get paid by Interac e-Transfer or pre-authorized debit, we recommend MapleInvoice, which has a free core plan priced in CAD. Zoho Invoice is a strong free alternative that also handles QST. For full bookkeeping with payroll, choose QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Full disclosure: MapleInvoice is made by Joel & Nanz Inc., the company behind this page. We built it because of the gaps we found below. No other vendor paid to appear here.

What we found

We looked at FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Wave, Zoho Invoice and Xero alongside MapleInvoice. Canadian sales tax is the dividing line.

  • Tax handling varies. Xero publishes preset Canadian sales tax rates that update automatically. Zoho Invoice's Canadian edition handles GST, HST, PST, QST and RST. FreshBooks names GST, HST and PST on invoices.
  • Introductory pricing hides the real cost. Several vendors lead with steep discounts for the first months. We list the regular price, because that is what you pay from month four or seven onward.
  • Accounting or invoicing? QuickBooks Online and Xero are full accounting systems. That is right if you want your bookkeeper in the same tool. It is more than you need if you just bill clients.

We built MapleInvoice for the owner who bills clients and wants Canadian payment methods without paying for a ledger they do not use.

Our solution for Canadian businesses

Our pick

MapleInvoice

Free core plan; paid plans $15, $29 and $49 CAD/month (plus HST)

Best for: Canadian service businesses that invoice in CAD, charge GST/HST, and want Interac e-Transfer or pre-authorized debit payments without a full accounting package.

The free plan includes unlimited invoices, estimates and clients, with GST/HST and provincial tax settings and Canadian payment methods (Interac e-Transfer, pre-authorized debit).

Honest limit: Not full double-entry accounting with bank feeds and payroll the way QuickBooks Online or Xero are; English only; automated payment workflows carry a $0.60 per transaction fee.

Plans: Free $0 CAD per month · Starter $15 CAD per month · Pro $29 CAD per month · Premium $49 CAD per month. All prices in CAD, plus HST or applicable sales taxes. Current pricing.

Pick QuickBooks Online or Xero if your accountant wants to work in your books directly, or you need payroll and bank reconciliation. Pick Zoho Invoice if you want free invoicing and need QST handled.

The alternatives we would also consider

Zoho Invoice by Zoho

Free for businesses in Canada (in CAD, plus HST or applicable sales taxes; vendor pricing, checked 2026-10-23)

Choose it if: Businesses that want free invoicing with every Canadian sales tax, including QST, configured.

Where it beats us or others: Free with Canadian tax handling including QST and RST.

Watch out for: Free invoices carry 'Powered by Zoho Invoice' branding; return filing is not part of this product.

FreshBooks by FreshBooks

Lite $26 CAD/month (5 billable clients); Plus $42 (in CAD, plus HST or applicable sales taxes; vendor pricing, checked 2026-10-23)

Choose it if: Service businesses that want polished invoices, time tracking and a Canadian-headquartered vendor.

Where it beats us or others: Toronto-headquartered with CAD pricing and GST/HST/PST on invoices.

Watch out for: Lite plan caps invoicing at 5 clients; extra team members cost $13/mo per user.

QuickBooks Online by Intuit

Lite $20 CAD/month, EasyStart $30, Plus $110 (regular prices) (in CAD, plus HST or applicable sales taxes; vendor pricing, checked 2026-10-23)

Choose it if: Businesses that want full accounting, payroll filing to CRA and Revenu Quebec, and phone support.

Where it beats us or others: Canadian edition covers CRA sales-tax filing and payroll to CRA/Revenu Quebec, with phone and chat support.

Watch out for: Regular price is high for small teams (Plus $110/mo for up to 5 users) once the 6-month promo ends; currency not labelled.

Wave by Wave Financial

Free Starter plan; Pro $25 CAD/month (in CAD, plus HST or applicable sales taxes; vendor pricing, checked 2026-10-23)

Choose it if: Sole proprietors who want free invoicing and basic bookkeeping from a Canadian company.

Where it beats us or others: Genuinely free Starter plan for invoicing, with CAD-priced Pro at $25/month.

Watch out for: Support limited to chat/email weekday business hours (no phone stated).

Xero by Xero

Starter $25 CAD/month; Standard $60 (in CAD, plus HST or applicable sales taxes; vendor pricing, checked 2026-10-23)

Choose it if: Businesses that want full accounting with automatic Canadian sales tax rates and an accountant in the same file.

Where it beats us or others: Prices stated in CAD and Canadian sales tax rates preset and auto-updated.

Watch out for: Expense claims and projects cost extra (add-ons from $5/$10 per month).

See the scores

This page is our editorial opinion. If you want the numbers, our consulting arm scores every product above against a published rubric (price, Canadian data residency, Canadian billing and sales tax, French, setup effort and support) at Maple AI Consultants' invoicing ratings, where you can also vote and suggest companies we missed.

Sources

Prices change. Always confirm on the vendor's own site before you buy. Found something out of date? Tell us.

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