Quick comparison table
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Accounting software needed | Key strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChaseAI | Freelancers, small agencies, no-code setup | $9/mo (14-day trial) | ❌ No - works from PDF | AI writes the emails |
| Paidnice | Xero/QB users needing late fee automation | $39/mo | ✅ Xero or QB required | Rules engine + late fees |
| Chaser | SMB/mid-market finance teams | $49/mo | ✅ Xero, QB, or Sage | Full AR workflow + credit checks |
| Satago | UK businesses needing credit + finance | £83/mo (~$105) | ✅ 300+ integrations | Experian credit data + invoice finance |
| Manual + templates | Fewer than 3-4 invoices/month | $0 | ❌ N/A | Full control, no cost |
Detailed criteria comparison
Prices and features change; unverifiable items are marked "check current vendor pricing" and every vendor is linked in the sources section at the bottom.
| Criteria | ChaseAI | Paidnice | Chaser | Satago | Manual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing (entry) | $9/mo | ~$39/mo | $49/mo | £83/mo | $0 |
| Free trial | ✅ 14 days | ✅ Trial | ✅ Trial | ⚠️ Limited free plan | - |
| Accounting software required | ❌ No | ✅ Xero/QB | ✅ Xero/QB/Sage | ✅ Yes (300+ options) | ❌ No |
| Reminder automation | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ Manual |
| AI writing support | ✅ Writes from your invoice | ⚠️ Template-first | ⚠️ Templates + AI optimization | ⚠️ Template-based | ❌ You write it |
| Custom sequences | ✅ Yes | ✅ Rules engine | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ DIY |
| Payment links / portal | ⚠️ Links in emails | ✅ Portal + plans | ✅ Payment portal | ✅ Portal | ⚠️ DIY |
| Reporting | ⚠️ Basic tracking | ✅ Yes | ✅ AR dashboards + forecasting | ✅ Credit insights | ❌ None |
| Ease of setup | ~5 minutes | Configuration required | 30-60 minutes | Integration setup | None |
| Best-fit customer | Freelancers, small agencies | Xero/QB SMBs | Finance teams, 100+ invoices | UK credit control | <3-4 invoices/month |
Try ChaseAI free for 14 days - no accounting software required
Generate your first invoice chasing sequence in under 5 minutes, or start from templates.
1. ChaseAI - Best for freelancers and small businesses
Who it's for: Freelancers, consultants, small agencies, and service businesses that don't use Xero or QuickBooks, or don't want to connect accounting software.
How it works: Upload invoice PDF → AI extracts key details → generates a 5-7 step sequence → you review and approve.
Pricing:
- Starter: $9/month with a 14-day free trial (unlimited invoices, 50 sequence generations/month)
- Pro: $19/month (unlimited everything)
Pros:
- No Xero/QuickBooks required
- Choose AI-generated sequences or start from ready-made templates
- 14-day free trial on Starter
- Setup in ~5 minutes
- Lowest entry cost in this category
Cons:
- No Xero/QuickBooks sync
- No credit checks or bureau risk scoring
- No late fee enforcement automation
- No client payment portal
- No SMS or phone follow-up
Verdict: Best fit for small-volume users who want something that works immediately without integration overhead.
2. Paidnice - Best for Xero/QuickBooks users needing late fee automation
Who it's for: SMBs on Xero or QuickBooks Online that want rules-driven AR automation and automatic fee enforcement.
Pricing: Free trial, Essentials (~$39/month), Pro (~$69/month).
Pros:
- 2026 Xero Global Small Business App of the Year
- Strong late fee and compounding interest automation
- Rules engine by client type
- Payment plans and client portal support
Cons:
- Requires Xero or QuickBooks Online
- Template-first writing approach
- Configuration learning curve
Verdict: Best choice when late-fee automation is your top requirement and you're already on Xero/QB. See the full ChaseAI vs Paidnice comparison.
3. Chaser - Best for mid-market finance teams and accounting integrations
Who it's for: SMB and mid-market teams with higher invoice volume, dedicated AR staff, and existing accounting integrations.
Pricing: $49/month (50 invoices), $129/month (150), $369/month (400).
Pros:
- Deepest end-to-end AR feature set in this list
- Debtor prioritization and payment prediction
- Credit checks, auto-call, payment portal, forecasting
Cons:
- Significantly higher cost at volume
- Requires accounting software integration
- Often overkill for freelancers
Verdict: Strong enterprise-leaning AR platform; expensive but justified for larger finance operations. See the full Chaser pricing comparison.
4. Satago - Best for UK businesses needing credit data + financing
Who it's for: UK businesses that want chasing, Experian credit checks, and invoice finance in one workflow.
Pricing: Standard free (limited), Desktop £83/month annually or £99/month monthly.
Pros:
- Experian checks + Days Beyond Terms insights
- Built-in invoice finance (UK only)
- Wide integration support
Cons:
- Best features are UK-specific
- Higher pricing for pure reminder use cases
- Template-based communication flow
Verdict: Purpose-built for UK credit control teams; less compelling outside the UK. See the full ChaseAI vs Satago comparison.
5. Manual process + free templates - Still valid for very low volumes
Who it's for: Businesses with fewer than 3-4 invoices/month and mostly on-time clients.
Cost: Free in software spend, but often 1.5-3 hours per overdue invoice in time value.
Pros: No subscription, no setup, full control.
Cons: Inconsistent follow-up, no tracking, time-heavy execution.
Resources if you stay manual:
- Free invoice follow-up email templates
- Payment reminder subject lines
- Overdue Invoice Sequence Generator (free)
Invoice chasing, payment chasing, AR reminders: same job, different names
You'll see this category under several names - invoice chasing software, automated invoice chasing software, payment chasing software, accounts-receivable reminder software, and tools for chasing unpaid invoices. They all describe the same core job: automatically sending escalating payment follow-ups until an invoice is paid, instead of you remembering to do it. The meaningful differences between products are the ones in the tables above - whether accounting software is required, whether the tool writes the emails for you (AI invoice chasing tools like ChaseAI generate the wording from your actual invoice; template-first tools like Paidnice and Chaser start from a library), and how far beyond reminders the platform goes into credit checks, portals and forecasting.
How to choose - decision flowchart
Do you use Xero or QuickBooks Online?
YES → Need automated late fees and interest? YES → Paidnice. NO → UK business needing credit checks + invoice finance? YES → Satago. NO → 100+ invoices/month and finance team? YES → Chaser. NO → ChaseAI or Paidnice.
NO → Fewer than 3-4 invoices/month with no late-payment issue? YES → Manual + templates. NO → ChaseAI.
FAQ
What is the best free invoice chasing software?
ChaseAI’s Starter plan includes a 14-day free trial so you can test full product workflows before paying. Satago has a limited free plan. Paidnice and Chaser offer trials rather than permanent free tiers. For a free tool with no account, try ChaseAI’s public sequence generator.
Do I need accounting software to use invoice chasing software?
For Chaser, Paidnice, and Satago, yes. ChaseAI is the notable standalone option and works from PDF upload with no accounting integration.
What's the cheapest invoice chasing software?
ChaseAI starts at $9/month with a 14-day free trial. Paidnice starts around $39/month, Chaser at $49/month, Satago at £83/month. Check current vendor pricing before deciding - see the sources at the bottom of this page.
Which invoice chasing software is best for freelancers?
ChaseAI is generally the best fit for freelancers: no required integrations, AI or template sequence starts, and lower pricing for low volume.
Can invoice chasing software really get invoices paid faster?
Yes. Consistent reminders outperform ad-hoc follow-up. Chaser reports average faster payment outcomes, and Paidnice reports DSO reduction. ChaseAI's main lift comes from removing manual inconsistency.
Related tools and guides
- Late Payment Cost Calculator
- DSO Calculator
- Invoice Late Fee Calculator
- Invoice Follow-Up Email Generator
- Client Payment Risk Scorer
- How to Chase Unpaid Invoices
- Invoice Chasing Software for Freelancers
External references
- Capterra: Chaser listing
- G2: Paidnice reviews
- GetApp UK: Satago listing
- QuickBooks Late Payments Report 2026
Written by Pasko Djonovic, Founder at ChaseAI
Disclosure: ChaseAI is one of the tools reviewed on this page. The goal is to help you pick the right tool for your setup, even if that tool is not ours.