TechRadar Verdict
With a stack of great features NCH Express Invoice is an ideal pick for businesses that want a quick and easy solution for dealing with everyday administration tasks such as invoicing.
Pros
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Lots of functionality
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Easy to use
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Multi-platform
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Affordable
Cons
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Not cloud-based
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A few rough edges
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NCH Express Invoice is just one of a portfolio of products from the NCH Software brand that has been in existence since 1993. This is a package that’s aimed at all levels of user, from individuals and small businesses through to medium-sized companies who need a quick and efficient means of processing invoices, making it especially useful during the coronavirus pandemic.
Alongside being able to dispatch bills the software is also a practical solution for managing accounts more widely, allowing you to produce not only invoices but generate reports of business activity too. All in all, it’s useful for joining up the dots for a lot of everyday financial tasks encountered while running a business. Similar products include FreshBooks, Zoho Invoice, Simplybill, Invoicera, Paypal Invoicing and Invoice Expert.
- Want to try NCH Express Invoice? Check out the website here
Pricing
Much like the software itself, NCH Express Invoice likes to keep things simple. It’s available as a free version, which allows you to trial it for nothing. Alongside that there is also a paid edition, which currently has a one-time cost of $59.95.
While the free edition will enable you to experience the full range of NCH Express Invoice features, it is worth noting that the paid-for edition does allow you to access phone support, which is always a bonus especially if you tend to have more complicated business issues to solve.
NCH Express Invoice is available as downloadable software too, which means you always have a copy saved locally on your own machine.
Features
The list of features and functions found inside NCH Express Invoice is extensive to say the least. As you’d expect, the central theme is dominated by the ability to generate invoices, quotes and orders. But you can also customize these and add in your own company identity to give things an added air of professionalism.
Added to that it’s possible to save or send invoices as PDF files, schedule recurring invoices and use the software across multiple businesses. There is detailed reporting functionality too, which is a practical way of managing accounts and keeping tabs on payments for invoices that might not be up to date.
Adding to the appeal is that NCH Express Invoice will support multiple tax rates and there’s automatic VAT calculation included for good measure, which makes it most useful to UK-based business owners.
Performance
NCH Express Invoice is impressive in terms of overall performance, with the added benefit of web access allowing other authorised users to tap into its potential, for example within an office network. The company has also usefully engineered the software so that it can be integrated with Inventoria, which is another NCH product that can take care of managing inventory.
Usefully, performance is additionally boosted by being able to sync the software between devices. So, that means it should work seamlessly if you jump between desktop and mobile devices. This also allows you to manage invoices on the go on a tablet, using either iOS or Android.
NCH Express Invoice has the capacity for letting you email or fax directly from within the application. Although faxing is used infrequently, this is a handy feature if you’re dealing with any businesses who haven't embraced more up-to-date technology.
Ease of use
If you’re at all daunted by using billing and invoicing software then NCH Express Invoice should do a decent job in calming any jittery nerves. Once you’ve installed it the software is very nicely designed and engineered, with a streamlined interface that doesn't throw up too much in the way of surprises.
In fact, it appears to have been honed carefully as a result works well on different platforms, so if you download the version for your Mac then you’ll find that it ticks over just as well as it does on the Windows platform. Even more impressive is the way that NCH Express Invoice is also available for the iPad or iPhone, Android and even Kindle devices.
Support
Although NCH Express Invoice is generally very straightforward to use there might be a possibility that you’ll have some questions along the way. In that respect the best place to head are the support pages on the main NCH Express Invoice website. Listed down the page are many different topics, which cover many if not all of the functionality topics you might have.
It’s a comprehensive overview that covers the complete innermost workings of NCH Express Invoice. However, over on the right-hand side of the page there are also links to the NCH Software blog and also the Express Invoice Forum, both of which are worth bookmarking so you can get additional tips and tricks if needed.
There is a premium support line, with variations on the theme for different geographic regions, although reasonably enough this is only available to paid customers. Otherwise, the company advises contacting them via email.
Final verdict
NCH Express Invoice is a great package and even more appealing if you still prefer to have a downloadable software product that you can store on a local machine.
The feature set is comprehensive, the program runs on a variety of platforms, including Windows and Mac while learning it is simplicity itself. NCH should be commended for developing such a powerful package of software, but keeping the price low too.
The budget aspect of NCH Express Invoice does occasionally take the sheen off its appeal and there are one or two rough edges, but overall if you're looking for invoicing and billing software then you should certainly check it out, especially as the trial costs nothing at all.
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