Why are so many freelancers still using spreadsheets to track invoices in 2026?

Over the last few days I've been talking with freelance developers, WordPress consultants, Shopify experts, and small agency owners.

I expected most people to be using dedicated invoicing or accounting software.

Instead, I kept hearing variations of the same workflow:

• Create invoices manually or with a payment tool
• Track payments in Excel or Google Sheets
• Send reminders through WhatsApp or email
• Keep client information scattered across multiple places

What's interesting is that many of them aren't unhappy enough to switch, but they also admit the process becomes messy as client numbers grow.

I'm currently building in this space, so I'm curious:

1. How do you currently manage invoices and payment tracking?

2. What's the most frustrating part of your workflow?

3. If you could remove one manual step, what would it be?

I'd love to hear how other founders, freelancers, and agency owners are handling this today.