“Free invoice generator” covers very different tools: one-page PDF makers, mobile apps with free tiers, full invoicing systems and payment platforms that make money on transaction fees. The best one depends on what you need beyond a PDF — sending, payment collection, reminders, accounting. This roundup compares six popular options fairly, including our own.
Disclosure: BillKit is our product. We’ve tried to describe every tool accurately and to say plainly when another one is the better choice. Features, limits and prices change often; this reflects our understanding as of October 2026 — check each provider’s site before deciding. We don’t quote usage statistics we can’t verify.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Type | Account needed? | Free tier in short | Online payments | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice-Generator.com | Web PDF generator | No (optional to save) | Create and download invoices | No (it’s a generator) | Quick one-off invoices |
| Invoice Simple | Mobile + web invoicing app | Yes | Limited free use; paid plans for ongoing use | Yes (paid feature/fees) | Tradespeople invoicing from a phone |
| Zoho Invoice | Full invoicing system | Yes | Free plan with usage limits | Yes, via gateways (fees) | Growing businesses wanting automation for free |
| Wave | Accounting + invoicing | Yes | Free starter plan; paid tier available | Yes (fees; strongest in US/Canada) | Small businesses wanting free bookkeeping |
| PayPal invoicing | Payment-platform invoices | PayPal business account | Free to send; fees when paid | Yes — core feature | Clients who already pay via PayPal |
| BillKit | In-browser generator (invoices, quotes, receipts) | No | Unlimited PDFs, 3 templates, small branding footer | No | Private, no-sign-up PDFs in many languages/currencies |
Invoice-Generator.com
A long-running, single-page invoice generator operated by Invoiced, an accounts-receivable software company. You fill in a form and download a PDF, without creating an account.
Strengths
- Very fast for a one-off invoice; familiar, simple layout
- No sign-up required to download
- Optional account to save invoices; a route into the company’s paid AR software if you outgrow it
Limits
- Primarily invoices, with a single basic design
- No payment collection, reminders or client management in the free generator itself
Choose it if you need one simple invoice right now and don’t care about design or extra document types. See BillKit vs Invoice-Generator.com.
Invoice Simple
A mobile-first invoicing app (iOS, Android and web) aimed at small businesses and tradespeople.
Strengths
- Excellent on a phone — create and send invoices and estimates on site
- Sends invoices by email or text, with notifications when clients view them
- Optional card payments, reports and client lists
Limits
- Ongoing use requires a paid subscription after free/trial use (check their current plans)
- Requires an account; data is stored in their cloud
Choose it if you invoice from your phone daily and want sending, tracking and payments in one app. See BillKit vs Invoice Simple.
Zoho Invoice
A full-featured invoicing system from Zoho, offered free with usage limits.
Strengths
- Recurring invoices, automated payment reminders, a client portal and online payments via integrated gateways
- Quotes, expenses, time tracking and projects
- Multi-currency and multi-language templates; mobile apps
- Upgrade path to Zoho’s accounting software
Limits
- Requires an account and setup; more to learn than a simple generator
- Free plan has usage limits (check current limits)
- Your data lives in Zoho’s cloud — a plus for sync, a minus if you want nothing stored online
Choose it if you want automation (recurring billing, reminders, payments) without paying a subscription. See BillKit vs Zoho Invoice.
Wave
Accounting software with invoicing, popular with small businesses in North America.
Strengths
- Invoicing connected to bookkeeping — payments flow into your accounts
- Recurring invoices and automatic reminders
- Online card and bank payments (with fees), most fully featured in the US and Canada
Limits
- Requires an account; best experience in the US/Canada
- Some features sit in a paid plan; payment processing has fees
Choose it if you want invoicing and basic accounting in one place and you’re in a supported country.
PayPal invoicing
PayPal lets business accounts create and send invoices that customers can pay by PayPal or card.
Strengths
- Getting paid online is the whole point — customers click and pay
- Free to create and send; reminders and partial payments available
- Familiar and trusted for many international buyers
Limits
- Transaction fees apply when you’re paid, which can be significant on larger invoices or with currency conversion
- Basic design and limited invoice customisation compared with dedicated tools
- Tied to a PayPal business account
Choose it if most of your clients will pay through PayPal or by card anyway.
BillKit
Our free, in-browser generator for invoices, quotes and receipts.
Strengths
- No sign-up; documents are created in your browser and not uploaded to our servers
- Invoices, quotes and receipts with unlimited PDF downloads
- 150+ currencies, tax/VAT with an optional second tax, discounts, shipping, deposits/amount paid, signature, logo, A4 or Letter
- Interface available in 11 languages; country templates and guides explain local requirements
- Optional Pro (monthly or one-time) removes the “Made with BillKit” footer and adds all templates, saved clients/items, full history and CSV export
Limits
- It’s a document generator, not an invoicing system: no emailing from the app, no online payment collection, no automated reminders or recurring billing, no accounting
- Saved documents live in your browser — no cloud sync between devices
- Free tier: 3 templates, small branding footer, history shows your 3 most recent documents
- Produces PDFs, not structured e-invoices — where e-invoicing is mandatory (e.g. domestic B2B in Italy or Poland), you’ll need a compliant system (what is an e-invoice)
Choose it if you want a clean PDF quickly, privately and without an account — or you need quotes and receipts as well as invoices.
How to choose
| If you need… | Consider |
|---|---|
| A one-off PDF, no account | BillKit or Invoice-Generator.com |
| Quotes and receipts too, no account | BillKit |
| Invoicing from your phone on job sites | Invoice Simple |
| Recurring invoices and automatic reminders for free | Zoho Invoice or Wave |
| Invoicing plus bookkeeping | Wave (or Zoho’s accounting products) |
| Card/PayPal payment on every invoice | PayPal invoicing, or a tool with integrated payments |
| Data kept off third-party servers | BillKit |
| Mandatory e-invoicing compliance | A certified e-invoicing provider in your country |
Whatever you choose, the invoice itself still needs the right content — see what to include on an invoice and how to get paid faster.