Best Invoice Apps for Tradies in Australia 2026

If you’re a tradie in Australia, you’ve probably tried invoicing from a spreadsheet, a Word template, or just texting your bank details. None of it works well. Customers forget. Payments are slow. You end up chasing money instead of doing jobs.

The right invoice app changes all of that. This guide compares the best options for Australian tradies in 2026 — with honest notes on what each one actually does well.

What Australian tradies need from an invoice app

Before looking at specific apps, here’s what actually matters for Australian tradespeople:

• GST calculation — Australia’s 10% GST needs to be correct on every invoice. Doing this manually is error-prone.
• ABN display — your ABN must appear on every tax invoice over $82.50. The app should handle this automatically.
• WhatsApp sharing — Australian tradies communicate on WhatsApp. An app that only emails PDFs misses the mark.
• Card payment collection — customers increasingly expect to pay by card. A payment link on every invoice removes the “I’ll transfer it later” problem.
• Works from your phone — you’re on the job, not at a desk. Mobile-first is non-negotiable.

1. Spanner — Best for mechanics and tradies

Price: Free (up to 5 invoices) · Pro $9.99/month

Spanner is built specifically for Australian tradies and mechanics. It handles GST, ABN, WhatsApp sharing, and Stripe card payments out of the box. For mechanics, it adds vehicle-specific fields: rego, make, model, and year — all tracked automatically per customer.

What it does well:

• 10% GST calculated automatically with toggle on/off per job
• ABN displayed on every invoice — set once, appears everywhere
• Share via WhatsApp, email, or PDF in one tap
• Stripe payment link on every invoice — customer pays by card from their phone
• Booking system — let customers book online via a QR code or shared link
• Maintenance recommendations — add “Check brake pads in 6 months” to invoices so customers remember

What it doesn’t do:

• Not a full accounting system — no bank feeds, no P&L reporting
• No Xero/MYOB integration (yet)

Who it’s for: Mechanics, plumbers, electricians, builders, and any tradie who wants to create and send invoices fast without learning accounting software.

2. Invoice2go — Established option

Price: From $7.99/month

Invoice2go has been around for over a decade and has a large user base. It covers GST, ABN, and basic invoice creation. It supports multiple invoice templates and has an expense tracking feature.

What it does well:

• Wide range of invoice templates
• Expense tracking built in
• Accepts payments via Stripe or PayPal

What it doesn’t do as well:

• More expensive than newer alternatives
• Interface feels dated compared to mobile-first apps
• No WhatsApp sharing
• No trade-specific fields (no rego, make, model for mechanics)

3. Xero — Best for established businesses needing accounting

Price: From $32/month

Xero is a full accounting platform, not just an invoice app. It’s overkill for most sole-trader tradies but makes sense if you have an accountant, multiple employees, or need bank reconciliation and payroll.

What it does well:

• Full accounting: bank feeds, BAS preparation, payroll
• Xero Go mobile app for basic invoicing
• Accountant-friendly

What it doesn’t do well:

• Expensive for a sole trader just sending invoices
• Complex to set up
• Mobile invoicing experience is secondary to the desktop product

Who it’s for: Established trade businesses with an accountant and real accounting needs — not sole traders who just need to get paid.

Which invoice app should you use?

	Spanner	Invoice2go	Xero
Free plan	✅ 5 invoices	❌	❌
GST auto-calc	✅	✅	✅
ABN on invoice	✅	✅	✅
WhatsApp sharing	✅	❌	❌
Card payments	✅ Stripe	✅ Stripe/PayPal	✅
Mechanic fields	✅	❌	❌
Booking system	✅	❌	❌
Accounting	❌	Basic	✅ Full
Price	Free / $9.99/mo	$7.99/mo+	$32/mo+

For most Australian tradies, Spanner is the right choice — it’s the only one built specifically for how tradies work. Free to start, no credit card needed.

If you need accounting (BAS, payroll, bank feeds), pair Spanner for invoicing with Xero for accounting, or move to Xero Go once the business grows.

Bottom line

The best invoice app for Australian tradies in 2026 is one that handles GST automatically, shows your ABN, lets you share by WhatsApp, and gets customers paying by card the same day. Spanner does all of this — free to download, no time limit on the free plan.

Download Spanner on the App Store or Google Play.