Chargd
Invoicing software for freelancers and tradespeople that you buy once and own forever.
About Chargd
What it does
Chargd is a native Mac desktop application that handles the full billing workflow from first contact through to payment. Users can create a quote, send it to a client, and convert the accepted quote into an invoice in a single action without re-entering line items. Invoices support line items, tax, and custom branding including a logo. Recurring invoices can be scheduled on weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly cadences and are dispatched automatically.
The Pro tier adds credit memos, revenue and tax summary reports, bulk PDF export, and a sales pipeline kanban board. Pro reports include monthly revenue trends, top-client breakdowns, period-over-period comparisons, and quarterly tax summaries exportable as PDF or CSV. The free tier covers core invoicing and quoting and exports PDFs, though those PDFs carry a Chargd watermark, and is capped at five clients.
Who it suits
Chargd is designed for freelancers, independent tradespeople, and small service businesses who need a straightforward, offline-first invoicing tool without the recurring cost of a subscription. The site specifically names electricians, plumbers, photographers, web developers, consultants, and builders among its target users — particularly those who work in locations with unreliable or absent internet connectivity.
Anyone needing shared access among employees, multi-device sync across more than three personal machines, or integration with accounting packages is not catered for. The five-client cap on the free tier may also be restrictive for anyone with a growing client base who is not yet ready to purchase Pro.
Setup and integrations
The application runs entirely on the user's local machine with no login required after initial license activation. Client records, invoices, payment data, and quote history are stored in a local database rather than on a remote server, so the software functions completely offline.
A Pro license costs a one-time payment of $49 and activates on up to three Macs simultaneously, with no expiry date and all updates within the current major version included at no additional charge. Machine slots can be reassigned via a customer portal without contacting support. Chargd does not appear to integrate with accounting packages such as Xero, QuickBooks, or FreshBooks, and no AI-powered features are mentioned anywhere on the site.
Where it falls short
Chargd is Mac-only; there is no Windows, Linux, browser-based, or mobile version. Because all data is stored locally, there is no built-in cloud backup, multi-device sync, or team collaboration. A sole trader working across more than three personal machines would exhaust the license.
Users who need journal entries or bank reconciliation must handle that separately, as the platform does not integrate with accounting packages. The company notes that a future major version (v2.0 or above) may be offered as a separate paid upgrade, though existing licenses continue to work with the version purchased. A 30-day no-questions-asked refund policy applies to Pro purchases.
Best for
Solo freelancers and independent tradespeople who bill clients on a Mac and want a permanent, offline-capable invoicing tool with no monthly subscription.
Key Features
- Quote-to-invoice conversion in a single tap, with no re-entry of line items
- Fully offline operation with all data stored in a local Mac database
- Automated recurring invoices on weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly schedules
- 11 Pro document templates with custom branding, colors, and typography
- Revenue and tax summary reports exportable as PDF or CSV
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A single $49 payment grants a permanent Pro license covering up to three Macs with no recurring fees, renewal notices, or subscription price increases.
- The app runs entirely offline on the user's local machine, making it fully usable in locations without internet access such as job sites or vehicles.
- Accepted quotes convert into invoices in one step without re-entering line items, eliminating double-entry for quote-to-invoice workflows.
- A genuinely unlimited free tier with no time limit is available, covering core invoicing, quoting, and PDF export for up to five clients.
Cons
- Chargd is Mac-only; users on Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, or any browser are not supported.
- All data is stored locally with no cloud sync or multi-device collaboration, so teams or businesses needing shared access to the same client and invoice records cannot use it effectively.
- No stated integrations with accounting platforms (e.g., Xero, QuickBooks) mean users must manually transfer data for bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, or payroll purposes.
- The free tier is capped at five clients, which may quickly become a hard limit for freelancers with even a modest ongoing client base.
- A future major version (v2.0+) may require a separate paid upgrade, so the current one-time payment does not guarantee perpetual access to all future feature releases.