Invoicing is an essential component of any business. Be it for the goods sold or paying your employees, invoices help you track payments and acknowledge transactions that have taken place in a given place.
Typically, a professional invoice contains company details, product descriptions, payment instructions, payee information, and invoice number. As businesses start to grow, creating invoices manually can be difficult and time-consuming. This is where online invoice generator software comes in.
With an online invoice generator, you can create an invoice instantly without manually inputting company information, along with a host of other functions.
In this blog, we will learn all about invoice generators online, their functionalities and advantages, and how to choose the best online invoice generator software for your business.
Looking for Billing and Invoicing Software? Check out SoftwareSuggest’s list of the best Billing and Invoicing Software solutions.
What is Invoice Generator?
Invoice generator is software that enables organizations to make and send payment invoices quickly. They can either be free or paid, depending on the number of users and the tools provided by the software.
By using an online invoice maker, you can create standardized invoices and credit notes and keep track of all transactions, calculate taxes, and interact with vendors and other stakeholders in a more efficient way. Moreover, you can even send or accept payments in multiple currencies using advanced invoicing software.
This invoice generator software helps create a professional impression by offering a free invoice template that can be customized with just a few clicks.
Why Use A Free Invoice Generator?
Studies have shown that employees spend a whooping 69 work days only on administrative tasks. By automating administrative activities such as invoice creation, companies can save up to $2 trillion in annual wages as almost 45% of the work can be performed faster and cheaper using different software.
Often, freelancers and small business owners hesitate to use online invoice generators owing to the high price and difficulty in adopting new software. However, with the emergence of free online invoice generator platforms, individuals and small-scale organizations can automate invoicing and make the payment process more efficient.
You can create a custom template or choose the free invoice templates provided by the vendor. Other additional benefits of using free invoice generators include less paperwork, safe online data storage, real-time collaboration, and automatic matching and tracking of bills.
You can save the blank template in a pdf file or any other format and schedule a recurring invoice in just a few clicks. Lastly, it ensures you enter all the required information without error.
Here’s what a finished invoice looks like.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Free Invoice Generator?
Here are some of the benefits of using an invoice generator.
Helps Accept Payments In Your Preferred Mode
An Invoice generator online is also capable of processing payments. Thus, while sending your invoice, you can even choose your preferred payment mode, such as bank transfers, UPI, or any other payment software, and share the invoice directly with your client.
Helps Track Payments
It can be complicated and time-consuming to reconcile financial statements and keep a tab on each payment. While generating an invoice online, you can mention the due date, and the software automatically sends out reminders before and after the due date has passed.
Accounting and Bookkeeping Accuracy
Most online invoice generators have tools that help track revenue and taxation at periodic intervals. Besides, it ensures accurate calculation of sales tax or any other taxes involved, avoiding any calculation mistakes. This helps accountants and bookkeepers access accurate financial data instantly, helping to prepare transparent and error-free statements.
It Can Be Used as a Receipt
Although an increasing number of people are moving to digital modes of payment, using a free invoice creator helps you accept cash and treat the invoice as a receipt. Moreover, you can track inventory sold and update the payment status immediately.
Saves Time in Generating Invoice
One significant advantage of using an invoice generator is that it comes equipped with sample invoices for different professions and usage, including a timesheet invoice, commercial invoice, construction invoice, etc. It ensures you include all important details, including the company logo, business information, services rendered, pricing details, tax rate, discounts, etc.
How to Find the Perfect Free Invoice Generator Software for Your Needs
Gone are the days of using Microsoft Excel to generate and keep track of your invoice. Access to an online invoice generator can streamline your entire process of making and receiving payments.
But with so many options in the market, here is a checklist that will help you pick the right software for your business.
Pricing
If you are looking for an online invoice maker that boasts advanced functionalities and is ideal for a large number of users, it is best to use software that has paid pricing plans. However, if you are a freelancer or a small business and only want an online invoice generator that provides basic invoice creation tools, free invoice tools are a better option.
Ease of Use
One of the most important factors to remember before adopting an online invoice generator software is its ease of use. Choose a platform that is easy to navigate, does not require too much time to set up, and requires basic developer skills for use.
Availability of Templates
Before buying an invoice maker, you should check the range of templates offered by the platform. The software should provide professionally designed templates and customization options that can be added per your business requirements.
Payments
If you have clients or vendors living in different parts of the world, your invoice should also be able to calculate the amount due in different currencies. Hence, when choosing an invoice generator online, check whether it allows you to create invoices in multiple currencies.
Mobile App
In case you work remotely or are always on the go, check whether the invoice generator has a mobile app version. This helps you track payments from anywhere and create and send invoices from your smartphone itself.
Automation Tools
Before choosing a free online invoice generator, you should know what automation tools are included in it. The automation tools should be such that they save time and do not require retyping information repeatedly while creating invoices.
15 Best Free Invoice Generator for Your Business
Below is a list of some of the best free online invoice generator software you should know about.
| Software Name | Pricing | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Contact customer support | Allows you to track all the invoices created to date, including the estimated amount to be charged based on past conversations with customers. | |
| Contact customer support | With Refrens, you can add multiple users to a single account to create and manage multiple invoices. | |
| Contact customer support | The Free Invoice Builder helps you customize and change invoice templates according to your preferences and add or remove information. | |
| Contact customer support | With Wave, you can access all your client information from a single centralized database that automatically enters all the details as you create an invoice. | |
| Small: $6.50 per month | Helps estimate the amount due and taxation within minutes to help customers understand how much they are expected to pay. | |
| Contact customer support | Shopify provides over 100+ modes of payment, including credit cards, debit cards, IOUs, etc. | |
| Basic: $16 per month | With Hiveage, you can quickly calculate and estimate the amount and tax to be charged from your customers for particular transactions. | |
| Monthly Plan: $14 per month | This tool provides instant notifications as and when a payment is made and sends payment reminders to clients. | |
| Contact customer support | Invoice Simple provides a variety of built-in invoice templates customized to different businesses. | |
| Basic: $7.99 per month | With Invoicely, you can create and send invoices of multiple businesses at a time. | |
| Contact customer support | This tool provides instant notifications on payment status and sends reminders. | |
| Contact customer support | PayPal helps you access the platform from anywhere, be it your smartphone or desktop, allowing you to create and send invoices on the go. | |
| Contact customer support | Be it for one-time payments or recurring bills, Stripe enables you to create automated invoices for all types of use cases. | |
| Plus: $20 per month | Square enables you to send the same invoice in bulk to many customers at once, saving time and boosting efficiency. | |
| Contact customer support | With Invoice At Once, you can create invoices in many currencies, helping you accept payments from around the world. |
1. Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice is an all-rounder accounting software that makes the whole process of record keeping and all other financial undertakings of your organization swift and untroublesome. It helps you generate beautiful invoices and send payment reminders when the due date is near.
Features
- Invoice Scheduling: It helps you set a date and time to send invoices automatically to your customers or vendors.
- Customizable Templates: Zoho allows you to use free invoice templates or create custom templates per your business needs.
- Multi-Currency Option: Based on where your customers or vendors are based, you can generate invoices in the local currency of that region.
- Estimate History Tracking: This feature allows you to track all the invoices created to date, including the estimated amount to be charged based on past conversations with customers.
- Digital Signature: With the Zoho Sign integration tool, you can get all your invoices electronically signed by your customers, ensuring the security of transactions.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- It helps users automate the creation and scheduling of recurring invoices.
- It accepts various modes of payment and boasts integrations for automating invoice deliveries.
Cons
- Sometimes, clients face issues logging into the portal and making payments.
- The platform cannot identify duplicate accounts of clients, making it difficult to manage their accounts.
2. Refrens
Refrens is the fastest-growing free invoice creator, ideal for freelancers and service agencies. This software lets you create standardized invoices and make and share the final invoice in just three simple steps. This online invoice generator equips an enterprise-grade secure architecture, eliminating any third-party breach during payment. It automates repetitive tasks of invoice generation, saving plenty of constructive hours. Taxes tend to confuse people, but the learning curve ability preferred by Refrens takes care of the entire taxation process.
Features
- Multiple Users: With Refrens, you can add multiple users to a single account to create and manage multiple invoices.
- Report Generation: This tool allows you to create and generate reports within seconds based on payments, TDS, GST, etc. You can create reports either date-wise or client-wise.
- Easy Customization: Refrens allows you to customize invoice templates by adding multiple currencies or payment methods.
- Invoice Tracking: It helps you track the status of your invoices in real-time and get paid faster by sending payment reminders to customers.
- Client Management: Refrens stores all your past customer details, so you don’t have to manually input their information while generating recurring invoices.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- Refrens boasts excellent invoicing and accounting features that help generate reports instantly and streamline daily business processes.
Cons
- Certain aspects, such as customization options, reporting tools, and requirement submission, can be improved.
3. Free Invoice Builder
This Free Invoice Builder is an intuitive billing software for retail shops. It helps you create and send pdf invoices to your customers or clients. Whether you have an online store or you are working offline, this online invoice generator software will definitely turn out to be a boon to you. It takes care of VAT, shipping costs, and other charges efficiently.
Features
- Unlimited Invoices: This feature helps you create an unlimited number of invoices and download them as PDFs without paying anything.
- Customizable Templates: The Free Invoice Builder helps you customize and change invoice templates according to your preferences and add or remove information.
- Business Logo: The platform allows you to upload your logo and company name, and add invoice numbers and the client name to every invoice created.
- Payment Tracking: With this tool, you can save, track, and manage all invoices created from a single dashboard.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- Free Invoice Builder makes it easy to manage your old invoices.
Cons
- Can be glitchy sometimes
4. Wave
Wave helps you simplify the process of online invoice generation. It helps to create customized invoices from scratch within seconds. Using this, you can send estimates to your customers, and as soon as your customers approve it, this bill generator software automatically converts it to an invoice. It also sends automatic reminders to your customers for any outstanding payments.
Features
- Centralized Customer Database: With Wave, you can access all your client information from a single centralized database that automatically enters all the details as you create an invoice.
- Client History: It helps you record and track all past payments and client conversations.
- Real-Time Notifications: This tool provides instant alerts on when an invoice is due, sending payment reminders to clients, or when a payment is received.
- Online Payments: Using this feature, you can add a ‘Pay Now’ button on your invoices to direct users to the payment gateway and make payments instantly.
- Mobile App: Wave’s mobile app helps you create and send invoices on the go.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- Businesses can instantly create invoices from their phones and send them to customers.
Cons
- At times, it can be difficult to set up payment gateways.
5. OnlineInvoices
If you’re looking for an online invoice generator to create professional invoices, OnlineInvoices will definitely be helpful to you. It understands that sending invoices on time with the required specifications is of utmost importance for any business to keep running and prosper.
Features
- Estimate Calculation: Helps estimate the amount due and taxation within minutes to help customers understand how much they are expected to pay.
- 24/7 Availability: OnlineInvoices servers are available all the time, 365 days a year, ensuring that you get instant customer support whenever needed.
- Customizable Templates: You can create a custom invoice template by selecting the brand logo, colors, and font.
- Free Updates: You can create a free account with the OnlineInvoices platform; any upgrades will always be free of cost.
Pricing
Besides a forever-free plan, OnlineInvoices has four plan categories.
- Small: $6.50 per month
- Silver: $9.95 per month.
- Gold: $19.95 per month.
- Platinum: $39.95 per month
Pros
- Using OnlineInvoices, users can generate invoices and send them to clients right from the dashboard.
Cons
- More sample invoice templates could be added to the platform.
6. Shopify
Whether you have a Shopify store online or not, Shopify bill generator software will help you create and send beautiful invoices. It integrates with your and your customer’s bank accounts and allows them to pay online easily through the phone. This free online invoice generator provides you with the option of fixing shipping rates as free, fixed-price, tiered pricing, weight-based, location-based, and so on.
Features
- Multiple Payment Gateways: Shopify provides over 100+ modes of payment, including credit cards, debit cards, IOUs, etc.
- Automatic Taxation: Depending on your state or region, Shopify automatically calculates the tax rate to be levied.
- Various Modes for Single Payment: You can use multiple payment modes for a single payment and divide it into smaller amounts.
- Secure Payment: Shopify provides secure payment processing services that ensure privacy and prevent client data from being compromised.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- Shopify is easy to use and can be integrated with any software.
- It has an extremely secure payment gateway and 24/7 customer support.
Cons
- One of the major drawbacks of Shopify is limited customization and increased costs with the rise in the number of users.
7. Hiveage
Hiveage, an interactive online invoice generator, helps you to generate and send modern online invoices. It can be used to send estimates with expiry dates and reminders about their expiry. This invoice software benefits you by auto-billing your customers by sending them subscription fee updates manually or automatically.
Features
- Estimate Creation: With Hiveage, you can quickly calculate and estimate the amount and tax to be charged from your customers for particular transactions.
- Recurring Billing: This helps you create recurring bills and subscription payment invoices automatically on fixed dates.
- Reporting: It allows you to generate real-time reports on income and expenses, invoice payments, and accounts.
- Accessible from Anywhere: Being a cloud-based software, Hiveage can be accessed from your smartphone or desktop anywhere and anytime.
Pricing
Hiveage has four pricing models – Free, Basic, Pro, and Plus.
- Free: Free
- Basic: $16 per month
- Pro: $25 per month.
- Plus: $42 per month
Pros
- Hiveage has a simple and user-friendly interface, helping users navigate the platform easily.
Cons
- At times, entire invoices and information can get deleted.
8. Invoicequick
Invoicequick is a free innovative online invoice generator that empowers small businesses to create, optimize, send, and track invoices efficiently. Its sample invoice template includes all necessary information, from business information to client name, invoice numbers, services provided, line item, unit price, phone number, and personalized message. It allows your customers to make payments through various gateways, such as credit cards, PayPal, etc.
Features
- Automated Billing: It helps you automatically create and send recurring invoices at fixed intervals.
- Real-Time Updates: This tool provides instant notifications as and when a payment is made and sends payment reminders to clients.
- Pre-Built Templates: Over 28+ templates that can be customized and are free of cost.
- Customer Manager: With this feature, you can track all customer-related conversations and payments on a single dashboard.
Pricing
- Monthly Plan: $14 per month
- Yearly Plan: $127 per month
Pros
- Invoicequick helps businesses track invoices easily and integrate the platform with a wide range of apps.
Cons
- The free version is only limited to three users.
9. Invoice Simple
Invoice Simple is a free online invoice generator suite. Using this software, you can easily follow up with your clients, payment due dates, charge late fees, etc. It helps you upload your logo and photo, enter contact details and personalized messages, signatures, discount amount, payment terms, etc., attached to them. It helps you track whether the customer has viewed the invoice, sending you a notification when it is viewed.
Features
- Pre-Built Templates: Invoice Simple provides a variety of built-in invoice templates customized to different businesses.
- Invoicing on the Go: It helps you create and send invoices from a mobile device, making the dashboard accessible from anywhere.
- Multiple Payment Modes: The platform accepts debit and credit cards, along with various other online payment modes.
- One-Click Estimation: With just a single click, you can estimate the amount customers will be charged.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- Invoice Simple is easy to use since one can email invoices to clients right from the platform itself.
Cons
- At times, when you change the default currency, all the invoices in the database change to the same currency, which can cause problems in accounting.
10. Invoicely
Invoicely is a web-based bill generator software that allows you to send unlimited bills to an unlimited number of customers. You can send these invoices through your mobile device or laptop. It has templates that can be easily downloaded, printed, and fully customized. You can be assured of the security of your data using this bill generator software.
Features
- Multiple Businesses: With Invoicely, you can create and send invoices of multiple businesses at a time.
- Multi-Currency Support: This tool allows you to create invoices in various currencies and multiple languages.
- Online Payment Modes: Using Invoicely, online payment can be made through various methods, including debit and credit cards, PayPal, WePay, Stripe, etc.
- Quick Invoice Generation: Invoices can be created automatically through time tracking, miles earned, expenses, etc.
Pricing
Invoicely has four pricing models – Free, Basic, Professional, and Enterprise.
- Free: Free
- Basic: $7.99 per month
- Professional: $15.99 per month
- Enterprise Plan: $23.99 per month
Pros
- With Invoicely, invoices can be created and shared anywhere and anytime.
- You can add signatures digitally to invoices.
Cons
- At times, the Invoicely mobile app can be slow to function.
11. QuickBooks
QuickBooks, the invoice generator software, helps invoice your customers/ clients within seconds. The best part is you do not need to have an account with Quickbooks to use it; it comes absolutely free of cost. You can securely access this free online invoice generator from any device, anywhere. It has pre-built reporting features that track your monthly income, taxes to be paid, etc.
Features
- Billable Hours: It helps you automatically add billable hours to invoices by syncing from Google Calendar.
- Real-Time Alerts: This tool provides instant notifications on payment status and sends reminders.
- Recurring Invoices: You can send recurring bills at regular intervals for frequent payments.
- Automated Estimation: It allows you to automatically estimate the amount owed, how much has been paid, and how much is due.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- QuickBooks is known for its ease of use since it has all the necessary tools to prepare financial documents.
Cons
- Often, when there are issues with the platform, it can be difficult to reach out to customer support since they are usually unresponsive.
12. PayPal
PayPal is one of the most well-known free online invoice generator software currently. Whether you are a freelancer or a big business, PayPal lets you shop and pay across millions of brands globally, link all your credit or debit cards, and choose any one of them to check out safely and securely.
Features
- Remote Access: PayPal helps you access the platform from anywhere, be it your smartphone or desktop, allowing you to create and send invoices on the go.
- Invoice Tracking: This tool allows you to track the status of your invoices, including sending payment reminders and paid or unpaid bills.
- Centralized Dashboard: Using PayPal, your customers can accept estimates or request changes, all on a single platform.
- Easy Conversions: PayPal lets you calculate estimates and automatically add them to the invoice in the preferred currency.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- PayPal Invoicing can be integrated with any platform, and the information can be copied and pasted onto existing invoices or new ones.
Cons
- Sometimes, it can take a lot of time to process and receive funds from vendors who are new to the platform.
13. Stripe
Stripe is another free invoice maker platform that helps you receive payments within 24 hours. You can access the Stripe platform across multiple devices, add multiple digital payment methods, and enable clients to self-manage their invoices using a secure, built-in customer portal.
Features
- Faster Payments: Almost 70% of all payments through Stripe are made within 24 hours since the platform is optimized for use on various devices such as smartphones, laptops, desktops, and tablets.
- Easy Configuration: Be it for one-time payments or recurring bills, Stripe enables you to create automated invoices for all types of use cases.
- Customized Email Domain: Stripe provides a customized email domain to send and receive invoices and communicate with clients, ensuring transparency and security of payments.
- Integrations: Stripe is integrated with many well-known applications such as Slack, Typeform, Figma, Retool, Ghost, Assembled, etc.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- Stripe is popular among businesses since it is easily integrated with various CRM platforms and does not charge any monthly fees.
Cons
- The time taken to process international payments should be reduced.
14. Square
If you are looking for an online invoice generator platform that helps you prepare accurate accounting and financial reports, then Square is an excellent option. It is a free online invoice maker software that enables you to accept payments instantly, keep track across multiple devices, and secure your invoices using electronic signatures.
Features
- Batch Invoicing: Square enables you to send the same invoice in bulk to many customers at once, saving time and boosting efficiency.
- Custom Invoices: Using Square, you can customize pre-existing templates by choosing from a wide range of colors and layouts and adding or removing invoice fields.
- Centralized Contacts: The platform stores all your contacts in one place, allowing you to access or update them from a single dashboard.
- Overview Page: Square’s dashboard summarizes all relevant information regarding estimates, invoices, payment status, and overall cash flow.
Pricing
Square has two pricing plans – Free and Plus.
- Free: Free
- Plus: $20 per month
Pros
- Square helps companies save all customer information, which will be entered automatically while creating new invoices. This saves time, particularly in cases of batch invoicing.
Cons
- The dashboard could be streamlined since it can be difficult for users to navigate and find information instantly.
15. Invoice At Once
Ideal for freelancers, Invoice At Once is an online free invoice maker platform that allows you to create invoices directly from the website homepage. All you need to do is use the existing invoice template to enter the details, and your invoice is ready for use.
Features
- User-Friendly Interface: The platform has a simple interface that includes all the functionalities on the homepage required for creating an invoice.
- Brand Logo: You can add your company’s logo and name to the invoice template, ensuring consistency and professionally-designed bills.
- Multi-Currency: With Invoice At Once, you can create invoices in many currencies, helping you accept payments from around the world.
- Easy Customization: The existing invoice template layout can be customized by changing the colors and font size.
Pricing
- Contact customer support for pricing information.
Pros
- Invoice At Once is popular among users owing to its simple and easy-to-use interface.
Cons
- More fonts and colors could be added to the platform.
Conclusion
Whether you are a large organization or a growing business, a free invoice generator is useful for everyone. Besides being completely free of cost, these platforms boast a variety of functionalities that automate invoice creation, including payment tracking, multi-currency options, and data reporting. However, before choosing a free online invoice maker, ensure that it consists of all the tools needed to make your business operations more efficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, there are certain free online invoice generator platforms that are completely free of cost.
There are several free invoice generator platforms that are ideal for freelancers, owing to the range of tools provided and zero cost. Some of them include Zoho Invoice, Referens, Quickbooks, Shopify, Wave, Free Invoice Builder, etc.
Yes, many online invoice generators offer users the option to change or customize the invoice as per their needs.
Amaey Anand is a certified accountant with over 10 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked with various organizations to streamline their petty cash management processes and reduce inefficiencies. He has also written several articles on financial management for leading publications such as Zensuggest and The Wall Street Journal.
