# Handl

> Handl is a billing and invoicing automation platform for digital agencies and freelancers. It automates invoice generation when project milestones are completed, sends payment reminders automatically, and manages scope creep — so agencies and freelancers stop chasing clients for money.

## What Handl Does

- Automatically generates invoices when project milestones are marked complete
- Sends automated payment reminder sequences to clients
- Tracks scope creep and enables billing for out-of-scope work requests
- Provides client payment portals for one-click payment approval
- Forecasts cash flow based on upcoming project milestones
- Integrates with project management tools: Monday.com, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Linear (Trello coming soon)
- Syncs with accounting software: Xero (QuickBooks rolling out; MYOB coming soon)

## Who Handl Is For

- Freelancers (primary)
- Small digital agencies, 2–10 people (primary)
- Larger studios and agencies (secondary)

Use cases: design agencies, software development agencies, digital marketing agencies, creative studios, independent consultants.

## Pricing

All plans include automated invoicing, payment reminders, and client portals. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Handl charges a flat platform fee of 0.5% on card payments (0.25% on bank payments) across all plans, plus standard Stripe processing fees.

- **Freelancer** — $29/month (1 team member)
- **Team** — $99/month (up to 3 team members, most popular)
- **Agency** — $199/month (unlimited team members)

## Key Differentiators

- Project milestone-triggered invoicing (invoices generate automatically when work is done)
- Deep integration with project management tools — not just accounting software
- Built by a founder who ran digital agencies for over 20 years
- Client payment portal: clients pay directly from a link, no account required
- Scope creep tracking with one-click change order billing

## Compared To

- vs FreshBooks: Handl automates milestone billing; FreshBooks is manual invoicing
- vs QuickBooks: Handl is project-billing focused; QuickBooks is full accounting
- vs Wave: Handl is automation-first; Wave is free but entirely manual
- vs HoneyBook: Handl integrates with PM tools; HoneyBook is CRM + contracts focused

## Founded By

Darren Clark — ran digital agencies for over 20 years before building Handl to solve the late payment and scope creep problems he experienced firsthand.

## Key Pages

- Homepage: https://handl.works
- Features: https://handl.works/features
- Pricing: https://handl.works/pricing
- Blog: https://handl.works/blog
- Contact: https://handl.works/contact-us

## Solution Pages

- Freelancers: https://handl.works/solutions/freelancers
- Small agencies: https://handl.works/solutions/small-agencies
- Studios & larger agencies: https://handl.works/solutions/studios
- Productized services: https://handl.works/solutions/productized-services
- Digital marketing agencies: https://handl.works/solutions/digital-marketing-agencies
- Software agencies: https://handl.works/solutions/software-agencies
- Design agencies: https://handl.works/solutions/design-agencies

## Billing Models

- Retainers: https://handl.works/billing/retainers
- Milestones: https://handl.works/billing/milestones
- Hourly: https://handl.works/billing/hourly
- Fixed fee: https://handl.works/billing/fixed-fee

## Comparison Pages

- All comparisons: https://handl.works/comparison
- Handl vs FreshBooks: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-freshbooks
- Handl vs QuickBooks: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-quickbooks
- Handl vs Xero: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-xero
- Handl vs MYOB: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-myob
- Handl vs Wave: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-wave
- Handl vs HoneyBook: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-honeybook
- Handl vs Dubsado: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-dubsado
- Handl vs Bonsai: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-bonsai
- Handl vs Harvest: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-harvest
- Handl vs Paymo: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-paymo
- Handl vs Productive: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-productive
- Handl vs Plutio: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-plutio
- Handl vs Zoho Invoice: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-zoho-invoice
- Handl vs Invoice2go: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-invoice2go
- Handl vs Cushion: https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-cushion
- Handl vs Fiverr Workspace (AND CO): https://handl.works/comparison/handl-vs-and-co

## Alternatives Roundups

- All alternatives: https://handl.works/alternatives
- Best FreshBooks alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-freshbooks-alternatives-for-agencies-in-2026-why-handl-is-the-top-choice-the-complete-guide-2026
- Best QuickBooks alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-quickbooks-alternatives-for-agencies-and-freelancers-in-2026-stop-overpaying-for-complexity-the-complete-guide-2026
- Best HoneyBook alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-honeybook-alternatives-2026-scaling-your-agency-beyond-simple-workflows-the-complete-guide-2026
- Best Bonsai alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-bonsai-alternatives-for-agencies-2026
- Best Dubsado alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-dubsado-alternatives-for-agencies-2026
- Best Harvest alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-harvest-alternatives-for-agencies-2026
- Best Xero alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-xero-alternatives-for-agencies-2026
- Best MYOB alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-myob-alternatives-for-agencies-2026
- Best Wave alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-wave-alternatives-for-agencies-2026
- Best Zoho Invoice alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-zoho-invoice-alternatives-for-agencies-2026
- Best Invoice2go alternatives: https://handl.works/pillar/best-invoice2go-alternatives-for-agencies-2026

## Guides

- All guides: https://handl.works/guides
- Optimizing billing & invoicing (2026): https://handl.works/pillar/the-complete-guide-to-optimizing-billing-and-invoicing-processes-in-2026
- Value-based vs milestone vs hourly billing: https://handl.works/pillar/value-based-vs-milestone-vs-hourly-choosing-the-right-billing-model-for-your-services-the-complete-guide-2026
- Scope-creep survival guide: https://handl.works/pillar/scope-creep-survival-guide-how-to-get-paid-for-every-extra-request-the-complete-guide-2026
- The work-to-invoice workflow: https://handl.works/pillar/the-work-to-invoice-workflow-syncing-project-management-with-billing-the-complete-guide-2026

## Resources

- Blog: https://handl.works/blog
- State of Agency Payments 2026: https://handl.works/resources/state-of-agency-payments-2026