Invoicing without the payments platform

Q: Do you process payments?

No. You can add your own Stripe payment link or your bank account and routing numbers to an invoice, but the money moves directly between your client and you. MonkeeTools never handles it.

Use Square if you want Square to process your payments. Use MonkeeTools if you just need to send the invoice.

The verdictJust need to send invoices?MonkeeTools. Free, no account, no platform cut.

The verdictNeed to process card payments?Square. That is what its platform is for.

The verdictNeed both?Use both. Plenty of freelancers do.

Square Invoices vs MonkeeTools, honestly

Square's pricing and feature pages, checked September 14, 2026. Where Square wins, we say so. That is the deal.

	Square Invoices	MonkeeTools
Price to start	$0/month, unlimited invoices	$0. Free forever.
Card payments	3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment	No processing, no cut. Attach your own Stripe link or bank details.
Invoice templates	Logo and accent color free; custom templates need a paid Square plan	Three designs. Included free, no paid plan needed.
Signup required	Yes, account plus ID verification	None. No account to verify, freeze, or close.
Funds custody	Square processes your payments and may apply payout holds or reserves under its terms.	Never touches it. MonkeeTools never handles your money.

More differences: client data, recurring invoices, reminders

	Square Invoices	MonkeeTools
Client data	Stored on Square's servers	Local by default. Invoice editing and PDF generation run in your browser. Optional short links send the full invoice URL to our service.
Recurring invoices	Automatically scheduled and sent	One-click regeneration. Local recurring templates.
Payment reminders	Automatic reminders	One click. A prewritten reminder from your email.

Sources. Competitor details taken from Square's public pages, last checked Sep 15, 2026. Spot something out of date? Email monkeetools@proton.me and we will correct it.

Real invoices, three designs

Rendered by MonkeeTools itself, not mockups. Choose once and the app remembers your pick.

Classic invoice design rendered by MonkeeTools — **Classic.** The familiar one. Clean header, quiet rules.

When Square is the better choice

Choose Square when you need an integrated payment-processing platform. Plainly, and without a wink:

Your clients pay by card through the invoice. Square's one-click pay link plus automatic next-day deposit gets freelancers paid in 24 to 48 hours. That loop is the product, and a document-only tool cannot match it.
You take card deposits or run card-on-file retainers. That is payments infrastructure, not invoicing, and Square does it well.
Your clients expect a Pay button. It is the single biggest payment-speed feature in invoicing. Don't fight it.

If any of that is you, stay with Square. Seriously. We would rather lose you honestly than keep you with spin.

When MonkeeTools wins

Choose MonkeeTools when you primarily need to create, manage, and send professional invoices without an account, with invoice records saved in your browser when you enable saving.

Your clients pay by bank transfer, Zelle, check, or cash. Square's payment loop does nothing for you then. Print your bank account and routing numbers right on the invoice, or attach your own Stripe payment link and take cards on your own terms.
You want local invoice editing and PDF generation. MonkeeTools keeps remembered invoice records in your browser. Sharing is optional; choosing a short link sends the full invoice URL to our short-link service.
You want professional designs without a paid Square plan. Three invoice designs included free, and the app remembers your pick.
You're done paying the platform for the invoice. When Square raised its online card rate from 2.9% to 3.3% in January 2026, card-paid Square invoices got more expensive overnight. MonkeeTools invoices carry no platform fee, so there is no cut to raise, ever.

No account. Still remembers you.

The convenience of an invoicing app without needing an invoicing account. MonkeeTools can remember your business details, client list, and invoice history locally in your browser when you enable saving. Your chosen invoice design is also remembered here. Duplicate a past invoice instead of retyping it, generate the next one from a recurring template in one click, send a client their invoice link, import line items from CSV, back up and restore everything, and export a CSV at tax time.

Questions Square users ask us

Is it really free?

Yes. Creating invoices and downloading PDFs is free forever. No trial, no pricing page, no catch.

How is MonkeeTools funded?

Core invoicing, PDF downloads and your own business logo are free forever. Optional supporter payments help fund the project. The $19 Brand Pack removes the MonkeeTools footer and unlocks the email finder. Payments are handled by Stripe; we never see your card details.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no account system at all, which also means there is no account that can be frozen or closed.

Can I switch from Square?

There is nothing to migrate. Start making invoices here today and keep your Square account for anything card-related. Many freelancers end up using both: Square for card payments, MonkeeTools for everything else.

Do you process payments?

No. You can attach your own Stripe payment link or your bank account and routing numbers to any invoice, but the money moves directly between your client and you. We never touch it.

Is my client data uploaded anywhere?

Invoice editing and PDF generation run in your browser. Remembered business details, clients, and invoice history are stored in this browser. Sharing a client link shares the invoice data in that link; optional shortening sends the full invoice URL, including its invoice data, to our short-link service. Finder lookups use our service. See our privacy page for sharing, storage, and other network activity.

Just need the invoice?
Skip the platform.

Free forever. No account. PDFs created in your browser. Optional short links use our service.

Create my free invoice

The invoice is free. The platform is the price.