What free invoice generator are you using before sending data to HubSpot or your accounting software

Smart CRM & Sales Hub Sales Hub Tools
1

Hi everyone,

I’m curious how other small businesses and freelancers handle invoice creation before everything gets recorded in HubSpot or their accounting software.

I’ve tried creating invoices in spreadsheets before, but it became difficult to keep everything consistent, especially when sending invoices to multiple clients.

Recently, I started using FreeBillKit for creating invoices because it’s quick, doesn’t require an account, and keeps the formatting consistent. I still use HubSpot for CRM, but having a simple invoice tool first has made my workflow a bit smoother.

I’m wondering what everyone else is using.

  • Do you create invoices directly inside your CRM?
  • Do you use a dedicated invoice generator first?
  • If so, which one has worked best for you and why?
  • Any tips for keeping the process simple without paying for another subscription?

I’d love to hear how others are managing this.

Thanks!

2

Hi @RobertGudz, HubSpot’s native invoicing available on Sales Hub Starter and above is worth a look since you’re already using HubSpot for CRM, a few reasons it beats a separate free tool + manual re-entry:

  • Invoices are created directly off deals/contacts, so line items, client details, and amounts pull from records you already have, no re-typing what’s already in the CRM.
  • Once sent and paid, the payment status updates automatically on the deal/contact timeline, so your CRM stays the single source of truth instead of syncing two systems.
  • You can set up automatic reminders for overdue invoices without extra tooling.
  • It connects to HubSpot payments or you can just track manually paid invoices, so reconciliation is one less spreadsheet to maintain.

The tradeoff is that it requires Sales Hub Starter (not free), and customization of invoice templates is more limited than a dedicated invoicing tool like FreeBillKit or Wave so if branding/template flexibility matters more to you than CRM-sync, staying with a standalone tool and manually logging the deal in HubSpot afterward is still reasonable.

If you’re trying to stay free: Wave has more mature free invoicing than most alternatives and supports basic client/invoice tracking, but you’d still be manually copying data into HubSpot afterward same tradeoff you have now with FreeBillKit, just a different tool.

4

Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I completely agree that HubSpot’s native invoicing makes the most sense once a prospect is already part of the CRM and you want everything in one place.

My use case is a bit earlier in the process, where someone just needs a quick estimate before they become a qualified lead. That’s where I’ve found a lightweight tool easier than creating a full CRM record straight away.

I appreciate you mentioning the trade-offs it really comes down to where each business is in its workflow.

5

Thanks, that’s very close to how I’ve been approaching it as well.

Right now I’m intentionally keeping it fairly manual because the number of these requests isn’t high enough to justify building a more complex workflow. Once a prospect becomes a real opportunity, that’s when I move everything into HubSpot so the CRM stays as the main source of truth.

If these early-stage requests keep increasing, I’ll probably start looking at ways to automate the handoff. I’d be interested to hear if anyone here has already built a workflow like that.