Best Free Quoting Software: Top 12 Tools for 2025

For any freelancer or small business owner, a price quote is far more than a simple administrative document; it’s the first formal business interaction with a potential client. A clear, professional, and error-free quote inspires confidence and can be the deciding factor for a prospect. In 2025, with over 75% of small businesses accelerating their digital transformation, relying on high-performance tools has become a necessity. The global business management software market is projected to grow by more than 9% this year, a clear sign of this widespread shift. The era of tedious quotes created in spreadsheets, for which there are many great free alternatives, is over. Today, powerful software solutions, many of them free, automate this process, saving time and boosting professionalism. This comprehensive guide presents the 12 best free quoting software options and gives you the keys to choosing the one that will propel your business forward.

Why Dedicated Software Beats Spreadsheets

While familiar, spreadsheet programs like Excel were not designed for invoicing and quoting, and they introduce significant risks. The primary danger is human error. An incorrect formula or a mistyped cell can lead to a costly miscalculation. Furthermore, ensuring legal compliance—including mandatory information and sequential numbering—is a manual and cumbersome task. Dedicated quoting software, even a free version, automates these critical aspects. It guarantees flawless chronological numbering, integrates up-to-date legal disclaimers, and applies correct tax rates automatically. Beyond security, your professional image is at stake. Dedicated tools offer customizable, branded templates that reinforce your credibility far more effectively than a standard spreadsheet. Finally, they provide tracking features impossible to replicate in a spreadsheet, such as one-click conversion of a quote to an invoice and automated follow-up reminders.

Key Criteria for Choosing Your Free Quoting Software

The word “free” can hide many different realities. To select the most suitable tool, it’s essential to analyze several factors beyond just the price tag. A thorough evaluation will prevent you from having to switch systems after just a few months, a process that can be disruptive and time-consuming.

Scope of the Free Plan’s Features

Carefully examine what the free plan includes. Is there a monthly limit on the number of clients, quotes, or invoices? Does the tool allow you to customize documents with your logo and brand colors? Some advanced features, like managing a catalog of products or services, might be reserved for paid plans. Ensure the free tier covers your current operational needs without creating bottlenecks.

Legal Compliance and Data Security

Your software must comply with local business regulations regarding quoting and invoicing. For instance, it should easily handle different tax scenarios, like VAT exemptions for small businesses. The security of your data and your clients’ information is also paramount. Prioritize providers that are transparent about their security policies and data hosting practices, preferably within your legal jurisdiction (e.g., GDPR compliant for Europe).

User Experience and Ease of Use

A good tool should save you time, not waste it. The interface must be intuitive, and creating a quote should be a smooth and rapid process. Most solutions offer free trials or demos. Take advantage of these to test the user-friendliness of the platform before committing your business data to it.

Scalability and Future Growth

Your business is going to grow, and the software you choose should be able to grow with it. Does the provider offer affordable paid plans when your needs expand? Is exporting your data straightforward if you decide to migrate to another solution? Thinking about the future from the start is a strategic move that ensures long-term efficiency.

2025 Comparison of the Top 12 Free Quoting Software

The market is filled with high-performing solutions for freelancers and small businesses. We have selected 12 tools that stand out for their robust free offerings, user-friendly design, and feature sets tailored for a global audience.

1. Wave

Best for: Freelancers and solo entrepreneurs seeking a completely free, all-in-one solution.
Wave offers a truly free suite of accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning tools. There are no limits on quotes, invoices, or clients. You can create professional, customized estimates and easily convert them to invoices once approved. Its business model is based on optional paid services like payment processing and payroll, another key area detailed in our guide on gross to net salary.

2. Zoho Invoice

Best for: Small businesses needing a feature-rich and scalable platform.
Zoho Invoice is a powerful tool that is completely free for life. It allows for extensive customization, multi-currency support, automated payment reminders, and even a client portal where customers can view and accept quotes. It integrates seamlessly with the wider Zoho ecosystem, offering a clear path for growth.

3. Square Invoices

Best for: Businesses that process payments both online and in person.
While known for its payment terminals, Square offers a robust and free invoicing and quoting app. You can send unlimited estimates from any device and track their status in real-time. It’s particularly powerful if you use Square for payment processing, as it creates a seamless quote-to-payment workflow.

4. PayPal Invoicing

Best for: Freelancers and businesses already heavily using the PayPal ecosystem.
If you receive most of your payments via PayPal, its built-in invoicing tool is a simple and effective choice. You can create and send quotes and invoices directly from your PayPal account. While customization is basic, its convenience is unmatched for existing users.

5. Invoice Ninja

Best for: Users who value open-source technology and flexibility.
Invoice Ninja offers a generous free plan that includes up to 20 clients and unlimited quotes and invoices. It features robust capabilities like project tracking and integration with over 40 payment gateways. For tech-savvy users, it can even be self-hosted for maximum control.

6. Odoo

Best for: Businesses looking for a free tool that is part of a larger ERP system.
Odoo is a comprehensive suite of business management apps. Its Invoicing app is free to use on its own, without needing other applications. You can create professional quotes, manage customer contacts, and process payments. It’s an excellent entry point into a full-scale ERP system as your business grows.

7. Tiime

Best for: European freelancers wanting to link invoicing directly to their bank account.
Tiime offers a suite of tools for freelancers, including a well-designed free invoicing module. It allows you to create compliant quotes and invoices, track payments, and simplify document transmission to your accountant. Its mobile app is particularly effective for managing business on the go.

8. Indy

Best for: Freelancers needing an all-in-one platform for contracts, proposals, and invoices.
Indy’s free plan lets you send up to two invoices and proposals per month. While limited, it’s a great way to access a platform that also handles contracts, project management, and time tracking. It positions itself as a complete freelance business management tool.

9. Zervant

Best for: Service-based businesses in Europe with a moderate client volume.
Zervant’s free plan allows you to manage up to 5 clients, and within that limit, you can send an unlimited number of quotes and invoices. The tool also includes time tracking, a handy feature for service providers who bill by the hour.

10. Akaunting

Best for: Businesses that want a free, open-source, and self-hostable accounting solution.
Akaunting is a free and open-source accounting software designed for small businesses. Its core functionalities include creating quotes, customizing invoices, managing clients, and tracking payments. Being open-source, it offers great flexibility for those with the technical know-how to customize it.

11. Invoicely

Best for: Micro-businesses needing a simple, straightforward quoting solution.
Invoicely’s free plan is a solid starting point, allowing you to send up to five invoices per month to one client. While the free version is limited, its clean interface makes it incredibly easy to create professional-looking quotes and invoices with minimal effort.

12. Business Banking Tools

Best for: Entrepreneurs who prioritize centralizing their financial and administrative tasks.
Many modern business bank accounts and neobanks (such as Revolut Business, Novo, or Mercury) integrate quoting and invoicing tools directly into their platforms. Although the bank account itself may have a fee, this feature is often included at no extra cost, providing a highly convenient, integrated solution.

The global push toward mandatory e-invoicing makes adopting a dedicated quoting and invoicing software more critical than ever. These tools are no longer just a convenience but a strategic investment in the professionalism and longevity of any independent business. By choosing one of the free solutions from this list, you are laying a solid foundation for streamlined and efficient administrative management, freeing up valuable time to focus on what matters most: serving your clients.