Most “invoice tracking software” creates invoices and shows you a dashboard. What it doesn'tdo is follow up when clients don't pay. Here's what actually works.
🐕 TL;DR
For pure invoice tracking + automated follow-up, Chaser is built specifically for that job. For full invoicing + tracking, FreshBooks or Wave are solid but won't chase automatically. For a free tracker, a spreadsheet still beats most tools.
You search for “invoice tracking software” and find tools like FreshBooks, Wave, QuickBooks, and HoneyBook. They're excellent at creating professional invoices and showing you a tidy “overdue” status. But that status is just a column in a database.
None of them send the second, third, or fourth follow-up email for you. You still have to copy the client email, draft a message, try to strike the right tone (firm but not aggressive), remember to send it again in a week, and track who replied.
For most freelancers, “invoice tracking” really means “invoice chasing.” The tracking is easy. The chasing is hard. Here's how the main tools compare on both fronts.
| Tool | Invoice creation | Overdue tracking | Auto follow-up | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaser 🐕 | Invoice entry | ✅ Yes | ✅ 4-stage escalation | Free / $15/mo |
| FreshBooks | Full invoicing | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Basic reminders | $19–$55/mo |
| Wave | Full invoicing | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ One reminder | Free |
| QuickBooks | Full accounting | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Manual only | $30–$90/mo |
| HoneyBook | Full CRM | ✅ Yes | ❌ No auto-follow-up | $16–$66/mo |
| Invoice Ninja | Full invoicing | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Reminders (manual config) | Free / $14/mo |
| Spreadsheet | Manual | ⚠️ Manual tracking | ❌ None | Free |
Every tool on this list shows you which invoices are overdue. Look for sortable columns (by amount, by days overdue), a clear status indicator, and the ability to filter by client. FreshBooks and Wave both do this well. Even a simple spreadsheet with a due date column technically counts.
This is where most tools fall over. “Automated reminders” often means one email that fires 7 days after due date. Real invoice chasing requires an escalating sequence: a friendly nudge at day 3, a firmer reminder at day 7, a formal notice at day 14, and a final demand at day 30. Only Chaser does this automatically out of the box.
The emails that go to your clients reflect your brand. Look for tools that let you add a custom sender name, adjust the tone, and add a P.S. note. Generic “Your invoice #1234 is overdue” emails are ignored. Personalised ones get responses.
The best follow-up emails include a payment link so the client can pay instantly without replying to ask for bank details. Chaser lets you attach a Stripe or PayPal link to each invoice so every reminder email includes a direct pay button.
If you need full accounting (expenses, VAT, payroll), pay for FreshBooks or QuickBooks. If you just need invoice creation + follow-up, that's overkill. Chaser is purpose-built for the follow-up problem at $15/month — a fraction of the cost of all-in-one tools.
Chaser is built for one thing: following up on overdue invoices automatically. You add an invoice, set the due date, and Chaser sends escalating emails at day 3, 7, 14, and 30 — each with a progressively firmer tone. You get notified every time a follow-up fires, and you can mark invoices paid from your dashboard.
It's not an invoicing tool — it doesn't create invoices from scratch. But for freelancers who already use Wave, Stripe, or just send PDFs, it's the missing layer that actually recovers the money.
FreshBooks is a polished invoicing and accounting platform. Its invoice tracking is excellent — you can see real-time opens, payment status, and outstanding totals. For reminders, FreshBooks can send automatic emails before and after due dates, but the follow-up logic is basic: one reminder template, no escalating tone.
Starts at $19/month. Worth it if you need full invoicing. For pure chasing, overkill.
Wave is genuinely free and excellent for creating and tracking invoices. Its overdue dashboard is clean. Automated reminders exist but are limited — one email at a configurable interval. There's no multi-stage escalation. Good enough for freelancers with mostly reliable clients; not enough for chronic late-payers.
Excellent accounting, good invoice tracking, minimal automated chasing. At $30–$90/month it's priced for businesses with real bookkeeping needs. If you're a freelancer who just wants to track and chase invoices, QuickBooks is expensive for what you're using it for.
Tracking shows you the problem. Chasing solves it. The average freelancer spends 4–6 hours per month manually following up on late invoices — writing emails, deciding on the tone, remembering to follow up again, feeling awkward about asking for money again.
Automated invoice tracking software that also chases turns those 4–6 hours into zero. You get notified when a follow-up fires, you see when invoices get paid, and you never have to write a chase email again.
Studies on accounts receivable consistently show that invoices followed up within 3 days of the due date are paid 2x faster than those chased after 30 days. The software that automates that 3-day follow-up is the one that actually moves the needle.
Add an overdue invoice and Chaser automatically follows up at day 3, 7, 14, and 30 — escalating tone, professional templates, zero effort from you.
Try free — up to 3 invoices →Free forever · No credit card needed