Best Invoice Generator for Freelancers (2026): 7 Free Tools Tested

The best invoice generator for freelancers in 2026 is InvoiceSonic, because it sends, tracks and chases invoices for free with no transaction fee. The best free invoice generator with no account at all is Invoice-Generator.com.au, which builds a clean PDF in your browser. We judged all seven on what freelancers with overseas clients actually hit: currencies, how the client can pay, and what the free plan caps.

Quick comparison

1. InvoiceSonic — Best overall

InvoiceSonic is free invoicing software that lets a freelancer create and send an invoice from a phone or browser in under a minute. It suits people who bill a handful of clients and want to know who has paid. What sets it apart is payment: clients pay by bank transfer, PayID, Venmo, Zelle or Cash App with no payment gateway setup and a 0% InvoiceSonic transaction fee.

Pros

• No signup for the first invoice, no watermark, and your details and logo are saved for next time.
• Tax formats for Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK and Canada across 12 currencies.
• Invoice tracker, automatic payment reminders and recurring billing on the free tier.
• Built and supported by the founder. A real person answers email.

Cons

• No card payments. A US client pays by Zelle, Venmo or bank transfer, not credit card.
• No expense tracking or time tracking. It is an invoicing app, not an accounting app.

Price: free tier with a Pro upgrade. Best for: freelancers who want sending, tracking and reminders without paying a percentage of each invoice.

2. Invoice-Generator.com.au — Best free tool

Invoice-Generator.com.au is a 100% free invoice generator that builds a PDF in your browser with no signup, no watermark and no ads. It suits freelancers who send a few invoices a month, and your invoice data never leaves your browser.

Pros

• Pick AUD, USD, EUR, GBP, NZD and more, and rename the tax label to VAT or Sales Tax to match your client's country.
• The freelancer invoice template pre-fills an ABN field and 10% GST, with a live ATO-compliance checklist.
• Logo upload, auto-calculated totals and instant PDF download.

Cons

• It does not send, track or remind. You email the PDF yourself and watch your bank account.
• No client portal or payment button. Clients pay by whatever details you type on the invoice.

Price: free, no account. Best for: a fast PDF invoice with no strings attached.

3. Zoho Invoice — Free all-in-one with a client portal

Zoho Invoice is a full invoicing app that Zoho made free to pull small businesses into its wider suite. It suits freelancers who want a client portal, timesheets and expense tracking in one place without a monthly fee.

Pros

• Client portal, time tracking, expense tracking, recurring invoices and reminders, all free.
• Over 10 payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square and Braintree, so clients can pay by card in their own currency.
• Multi-currency billing for international clients.

Cons

• The free plan caps you at 500 invoices per year, 2 users and 3 projects.
• The interface is built for a business, not a one-person shop. Expect a setup afternoon.

Price: free (Zoho states no cost, no contracts). Best for: freelancers who want expense and time tracking bundled with invoicing.

4. Invoice Ninja — Best for technical freelancers

Invoice Ninja is an open-source invoicing platform with a hosted free plan and a self-hosted option. It suits developers and designers who want control over templates, an API and their own data.

Pros

• Free forever with unlimited invoices, a client portal and payments through Stripe, PayPal, Square and GoCardless.
• Multi-currency support, time tracking and expense tracking on every plan.

Cons

• The free plan stops at 5 clients and 4 invoice templates. Unlimited clients need Ninja Pro.
• Self-hosting means you handle updates, backups and security yourself.

Price: free up to 5 clients; Ninja Pro is US$14 per month or US$140 per year at the time of writing. Best for: freelancers with fewer than 5 clients, or anyone happy to self-host.

5. Wave — Best free option for US and Canadian freelancers

Wave is free accounting and invoicing software backed by H&R Block. Its Starter plan gives you unlimited invoices and bookkeeping at no cost. The catch: the full app is only available to businesses in the United States and Canada.

Pros

• Unlimited invoices with a Pay Now button for card, bank (ACH/EFT) and Apple Pay.
• Wave's separate free invoice generator works from anywhere and emails you the PDF without an account.

Cons

• Wave went US-and-Canada-only in 2020. Users outside those countries can no longer send invoices or reminders through Wave.
• Card payments cost 2.9% plus US$0.60 per transaction on Starter.
• We could not verify which invoice currencies the free plan supports.

Price: Starter is free; Pro is US$19 per month at the time of writing. Best for: freelancers based in the US or Canada.

6. Rounded — Best Australian paid option

Rounded is invoicing and bookkeeping software built in Australia for freelancers and sole traders. It suits GST-registered freelancers who want invoices, expenses and a BAS estimate in the same app; Pro adds bank feeds and GST/BAS automation.

Pros

• Bill in any currency, with card, Google Pay and Apple Pay payments straight from the invoice.
• Expense tracking, receipt capture, time logging and accountant access on both plans.

Cons

• No free plan. After the 14-day trial you pay every month.

Price: Starter A$23.95 per month, Pro A$29.95 per month at the time of writing. Best for: Australian sole traders who want BAS handled alongside invoicing.

7. FreshBooks — Best for hourly billing

FreshBooks is paid invoicing and accounting software for service businesses. It suits freelancers who bill by the hour and want the timer, the invoice and the client portal joined up.

Pros

• Unlimited time tracking and expense tracking, plus a client account portal, on all plans.
• Clients pay by credit and debit card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Multi-currency billing is supported.

Cons

• No free version, only a 30-day trial.
• The Lite plan caps you at 5 billable clients. Plus allows 50.

Price: Lite US$23, Plus US$43, Premium US$70 per month at the time of writing. Best for: freelancers who track time and want it to become an invoice automatically.

What to look for in an invoice generator for freelancers

• Multi-currency and tax labels. A client in Singapore or the US should see their currency and no GST line; services supplied overseas are usually GST-free.
• Payment methods your clients use. Australians pay by bank transfer or PayID; US clients expect a card button or Zelle. Check card fees.
• The real free-tier cap. "Free plan" can mean 5 clients, 500 invoices a year or unlimited invoices. Read it before you move your client list in.
• ATO tax invoice requirements. If GST-registered, your invoice must say "Tax invoice" and show your identity and ABN, the date, a description of what you supplied, the GST amount, and the buyer's identity or ABN on sales of $1,000 or more.
• Sequential invoice numbers. Every tool assigns an invoice number automatically; keep the series unbroken if you switch. See how to number invoices.
• Clear payment terms. The invoice should print a due date, not just "Net 14". See invoice payment terms in Australia for what to write.

Which one should you choose?

• If you send fewer than 5 invoices a month and want no account → use the freelancer invoice template on this site and download the PDF.
• If you want sending, tracking and reminders for free → InvoiceSonic is the free invoice generator for freelancers that does all three with no transaction fee.
• If overseas clients insist on paying by card → Zoho Invoice or Invoice Ninja, both free, both wired to Stripe and PayPal.
• If you bill by the hour → FreshBooks, or Zoho Invoice for free.
• If you are GST-registered and dread BAS → Rounded, built for Australian sole traders.

When not to use InvoiceSonic or a free generator. If you employ staff and need payroll and double-entry accounting, go to Xero or MYOB. If you are a tradie scheduling jobs, Tradify or ServiceM8 will serve you better. Invoice generators are for billing, not for running the whole business.

Frequently asked questions