Settle is an invoice app for freelancers on Mac and iPhone. It keeps clients, estimates, invoices, time and expenses together, produces PDF invoices on your device, and can add a Stripe payment link so clients pay by card. Data syncs through your own iCloud with no account to create. Core invoicing is free; Settle Pro adds drafting from a description, receipt scanning and recurring invoices.
What a freelancer's invoicing tool has to do
- Make a correct invoice fast. Client details saved, line items, tax, a due date, a number that follows the last one.
- Show who owes you. Outstanding and overdue at a glance, without opening a spreadsheet.
- Make paying easy. A link the client can click beats bank details in a PDF.
- Turn quotes into invoices. An accepted estimate should convert without retyping.
- Keep expenses with the work. So billable costs get billed and the rest are ready for your tax return.
Everything beyond that, such as payroll, inventory and full double-entry accounts, is what makes business accounting packages heavy. Most sole freelancers do not need it day to day; their accountant does that part once a year.
What different freelancers need most
| Work | Usual billing | What matters in an invoice app |
|---|---|---|
| Designers and video editors | Fixed project fee, often with a deposit | Estimates that convert to invoices; deposits and part-payments |
| Writers and social media freelancers | Per piece, per word or monthly retainer | Recurring invoices for retainers; quick repeat line items |
| Consultants | Day rate plus expenses | Time tracking, expenses attached to a client, clear tax handling |
| Photographers | Booking deposit, then balance | Deposits, card payment links, receipts for kit and travel |
| Tutors and personal trainers | Per session or block of sessions | Fast invoices from a phone, recurring billing, reminders |
| Virtual assistants | Hourly, billed monthly | Timers and a monthly invoice per client |
| Freelancers with overseas clients | In the client's currency | Multi-currency invoices and correct tax treatment for your situation |
Settle covers each of these: estimates that convert, deposits and retainers, recurring invoices, timers, expenses, and invoices in other currencies with exchange rates that update. Tax rules for cross-border work vary, so confirm the treatment with your accountant.
From quote to paid, in Settle
- Add the client once. Their details are reused on every document.
- Send an estimate if the job needs one. When it is accepted, convert it to an invoice with the line items intact.
- Create the invoice. Add line items, tax, any discount and a due date. With Pro you can type "web work for Acme, three days at £500" and get a draft to check.
- Send the PDF. It is generated on your device.
- Add a payment link. Connect your Stripe account and the client can pay by card.
- Follow up. The dashboard shows what is overdue; a reminder goes from Mail.
Step-by-step versions are in creating an invoice on iPhone and the Mac guide. Chasing payment has its own guide: tracking unpaid invoices.
Where your data lives
Settle stores invoices, clients and expenses in your private iCloud, synced between your Mac and iPhone. There is no Settle account and the developer cannot see your client list or figures. PDFs are created on the device. Payment links are the exception by nature: they run through your own Stripe account.
What Settle is not
- Not full accounting software. No payroll, inventory or bank feeds.
- Apple only. Mac and iPhone. There is no Windows, Android or web version.
- Not tax advice. It applies the tax rate you set. What you should charge is for you and your accountant.
If you need those things, see the comparison with FreshBooks, Wave, QuickBooks and others.
Free version and Settle Pro
| Free | Settle Pro |
|---|---|
| Invoices and PDF export | Invoice and reminder drafts from a plain-language description |
| Clients, estimates and expenses | Receipt and business-card scanning |
| Mac and iPhone, synced through your iCloud | Recurring invoices, deposits and retainers |
| No account to create | Widgets, Shortcuts and Siri |
One Settle Pro subscription covers both Mac and iPhone, and the yearly plan has a free trial. Apple shows current prices, and any lifetime option, at purchase.
Common questions
Is Settle free?
Core invoicing, clients, estimates, expenses and PDF export are free. Settle Pro is a subscription that adds drafting, scanning, recurring invoices and more.
Do I need an account?
No. Your data is stored in your own iCloud.
Can clients pay by card?
Yes, through a Stripe payment link created from the invoice. You need a Stripe account; your client does not.
Does it work on Mac and iPhone?
Yes, and the two stay in sync through iCloud.
Can I just make one invoice without installing anything?
Yes. There is a free online invoice generator on this site, and a freelancer invoice checklist.
Settle is an invoicing tool. It does not give tax, legal or accounting advice. Check requirements for your country with an accountant or the tax authority.
Send your next invoice in a few minutes: Get Settle free.