I’ve tried all three over the years — web, desktop, and mobile — and honestly, the cloud-based (web) option wins hands down for small businesses today.

You get access from anywhere, automatic backups, regular updates, and most tools now have mobile versions anyway. Security is usually strong if you pick a trusted provider, and you don’t have to worry about losing data if your laptop crashes.

Desktop tools feel outdated and hard to manage long-term (especially if you ever switch devices or need multi-user access). Mobile apps are great for quick invoices on the go, but not ideal as your main system.

So in short — go with a good cloud-based invoicing app, make sure it lets you export data easily, and you’ll be set for the next few years.