PayPal Invoicing is free to send, but you pay on every payment, about 3.49% plus 49 cents on a typical PayPal payment. It is a payment tool, not a full invoicing workflow. Billbooks is a flat price with the whole workflow.
PayPal Invoicing is free to create and send, which is hard to argue with at low volume. You pay when the invoice is paid: about 3.49% plus 49 cents on a typical PayPal payment. It is a payment tool, not a full invoicing workflow, so reconciliation, scheduling, and e-signatures are not part of it. Billbooks is a flat $7.95 with the full workflow and your own gateway.
| Billbooks | PayPal Invoicing | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $7.95/mo flat | Free |
| Fee when an invoice is paidTypical PayPal or Venmo payment | Your own gateway rate | About 3.49% + 49c |
| Bank reconciliation | Included on Basic | Not offered |
| Appointment scheduler | Not offered | |
| Digital signatures | Not offered | |
| Automatic payment reminders | ||
| QR code to pay | ||
| Multi-currency invoicing | ||
| Recurring invoices |
PayPal Invoicing has no subscription or monthly fee; you pay standard transaction fees when an invoice is paid, about 3.49% + 49c on a typical PayPal or Venmo payment, or 2.99% + 49c on debit and credit cards, with lower ACH rates and higher international rates. Per PayPal documentation (August 2026), PayPal Invoicing does not offer bank reconciliation, an appointment scheduler, or client e-signatures; it does support invoice reminders, QR codes, multi-currency, and recurring invoices. Billbooks connects your own gateway, so your rate depends on that provider. Sources: paypal.com invoicing, PayPal fees, billbooks.com/pricing.
Flat cost instead of a fee on each payment
A predictable $7.95 a month with your own gateway, rather than about 3.49% plus 49 cents taken from every paid invoice.
A full invoicing workflow
Quotes, expenses, reconciliation, a scheduler, and reports, not just a pay-me link. PayPal Invoicing is a payment tool, not a back office.
Your gateway, your customer
Connect your own payment gateway and keep the client relationship, instead of routing every payer through PayPal checkout.
To be straight with you: PayPal Invoicing costs nothing to start, with no subscription at all, so for very low volume it is hard to beat. And PayPal checkout is instant and trusted, buyers pay in seconds with an account they already have, tapping a huge consumer base. Billbooks is for people who want the full invoicing workflow, predictable flat pricing, and their own choice of gateway.
A flat monthly price instead of a fee on every payment.
A plan built for high-volume transactions or business models that do not fit the mold.
Contact SalesReal reviews from people who send their own invoices
★★★★★
“I used to hate sending invoices and payment reminders. I never imagined a boring, cumbersome task could be this intuitive and fun.”
★★★★★
“I used to waste hours on invoicing. With Billbooks it is all done before my coffee gets cold, so I focus on growing my store.”
★★★★★
“We are always on the move, and Billbooks keeps our billing just as fast and reliable. No training needed, just invoices out and money in.”
An app so good you will want to get tasks done instead of putting them off. Stay on track and keep your cashflow going.
Not always, and it depends on volume. PayPal Invoicing has no monthly fee at all, charging about 3.49% plus 49c when an invoice is paid. Billbooks costs $7.95 a month. Below roughly $230 of monthly invoicing, PayPal is cheaper.
PayPal Invoicing is free to use with no subscription, and it collects payment inside the same system that sends the invoice. If you invoice occasionally and are content with PayPal fees, there is no monthly cost to avoid.
Switch to Billbooks once PayPal transaction fees exceed $7.95 a month, or when you need recurring invoices, quotes and estimates, bank reconciliation, an appointment scheduler or e-signatures, none of which PayPal Invoicing provides.
Billbooks is the better choice once invoicing is routine rather than occasional: it adds quotes, recurring billing, reminders and reconciliation, and it leaves you free to choose a payment gateway rather than paying PayPal rates on every invoice.
About 3.49% plus 49c on a typical PayPal or Venmo payment, 2.99% plus 49c on debit and credit cards, with lower ACH rates and higher international rates. On $2,000 of monthly invoicing that is roughly $70, against $7.95 for Billbooks plus your own gateway rate.
No. PayPal Invoicing has no bank reconciliation, no appointment scheduler and no digital signatures. It sends and collects on individual invoices. Billbooks includes all of those on the $7.95 Basic plan.
Yes. Billbooks connects your own payment gateway, so you can keep taking PayPal while sending the invoice from Billbooks. You pay PayPal's processing rate either way; the difference is what the invoice itself can do.
PayPal charges no subscription but takes about 3.49% plus 49 cents on a typical paid invoice. On even modest volume that outweighs a flat $7.95 a month. Billbooks also gives you the full workflow, quotes, reconciliation, scheduler, and reports, that bare PayPal invoicing does not.
PayPal takes roughly 3.49% plus 49 cents on a typical PayPal or Venmo payment, and 2.99% plus 49 cents on cards, with international surcharges. Billbooks connects your own payment gateway, so your rate is whatever you negotiate with that provider.
And more on workflow. Both send invoices, reminders, recurring invoices, QR codes, and multi-currency. Billbooks adds quotes, reconciliation, a scheduler, and e-signatures. PayPal is stronger purely on instant, trusted checkout reach.
Yes. Connect a supported gateway and clients pay from the invoice, including by QR code. You are not limited to PayPal checkout.
Yes. Set up clients and start invoicing in minutes, with a 30-day free trial and no credit card. You keep your own gateway rather than PayPal processing.
A little kit of calculators and generators, on the house.
Comparing your options? Billbooks keeps pricing flat and transparent. Popular with freelancers and small businesses. New to it? Try the free invoice generator first.
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