SwiftBill vs 17hats:
Free invoicing vs $45/mo business suite
17hats is a well-built platform for photographers and creative businesses who need lead management, contracts, and scheduling alongside invoicing. At $45/month. If invoicing is what you actually need, SwiftBill does it better, faster, and free.
$0
SwiftBill — free forever
Invoicing, clients, PDF, public links
$45
17hats Starting plan
Full business management suite
Why freelancers choose SwiftBill
- Free forever — not a trial leading to $45/month
- Invoice ready in 60 seconds — no workflow setup required
- Try the live demo without creating an account first
- Invoicing is the entire product — not one tab in a business suite
When 17hats earns its $45/month
- →You shoot weddings or events with high per-client admin work
- →Every new client goes through questionnaires, contracts, and an onboarding flow
- →You want automated email sequences and booking calendar in one system
- →You run a photography studio or creative agency with multiple staff
Frequently asked questions
What does 17hats do that SwiftBill doesn't?
17hats is a full small business management platform popular with photographers, event planners, and creative entrepreneurs. It includes lead management, client questionnaires, contract e-signing, automated workflows, scheduling/booking, and invoicing — all in one system. At $45/month, it's built for businesses running a high volume of client projects end-to-end. If invoicing is the piece you need, SwiftBill covers it completely free.
Is 17hats worth $45/month just for invoicing?
No. 17hats earns its $45/month when you're actively using the lead forms, questionnaires, automated workflows, and contract signing — not just the invoicing tab. Freelancers who only open 17hats to send invoices are paying $540/year for a feature that costs nothing on SwiftBill.
Who is 17hats best for?
Photographers, wedding vendors, and event-based businesses that need to manage the full client lifecycle: lead capture → questionnaire → contract → invoice → review. If your business has that specific flow and volume, 17hats is well-designed for it. If you're a freelancer who just needs to bill clients, it's overkill.
Can I use SwiftBill alongside 17hats?
You could, but it's unusual — most freelancers either use 17hats for everything or switch to a simpler tool. The more common path: use 17hats if you need the full workflow suite, use SwiftBill if you just need invoicing without the overhead.
Does SwiftBill have a free trial?
No trial needed — the free plan is genuinely free forever. 5 invoices/month, 3 saved clients, PDF download, shareable links. No card required. Try the live demo at swiftbill.dev/demo without creating an account.
Save $540/year — SwiftBill is free
Professional invoicing without the business suite overhead. No card, no setup, 60 seconds.