How to generate an invoice in three ways.

The three ways to create an invoice

None of these is wrong. The question is how much of the work after the invoice you want to keep doing by hand.

Way 1: Word or a spreadsheet

Many people start here. You download or build a template, overwrite the old client's name, change the numbers and save a copy. It costs nothing and you control every pixel.

The trouble shows up over time. You have to type the totals correctly, copy the previous file to start the next one, and rename it by hand. Old client details linger in forgotten cells. Nothing tells you which invoices are unpaid, and a Word file can reflow when it is opened on another computer. We cover what a well-laid-out invoice looks like in how to format an invoice.

Way 2: A free online invoice generator

A generator is a web page with a form. The page does the layout and the maths, and you get a finished PDF. The free invoice generator on this site needs no account, so you can use it the moment you need an invoice.

It suits freelancers who bill occasionally, or anyone who wants to try invoicing before they commit to a tool. You still keep track of who has paid yourself, but the document itself is clean and consistent every time.

Step by step: generating an invoice with the free generator

1. Open the free invoice generator.
2. Add your business name, address and contact details. If you have a logo, upload it.
3. Add your client's name and billing address.
4. Enter the invoice number, the issue date and the due date. If this is not your first invoice, see invoice numbering for how to continue your sequence.
5. Add the line items: a description, a quantity and a rate for each. The amounts and the total update as you type.
6. Add sales tax or a discount if they apply. Check your state's rules, or ask your accountant, if you are not sure whether to charge tax.
7. Write your payment details and terms, such as bank transfer or ACH and Net 30.
8. Check the preview, then download the PDF and email it to your client.

Way 3: An invoicing app

An app keeps your clients and items saved, so the next invoice takes seconds. It numbers invoices for you, keeps a record of what is sent, paid and overdue, and can do the chasing.

With the Jiffy app, the free plan covers three invoices a month, and estimates with e-signature are on every plan. A payment link where your client pays by card or Apple Pay, and automatic payment reminders, come with the Pro plan; recurring invoices come with Ultra. See pricing for the current details, or compare other tools in the best invoice apps.

What you lose with a Word file

• Accuracy. One typo in a formula or a total typed by hand, and the client is billed the wrong amount.
• Consistency. Each copy drifts: a different font here, an old address there.
• A paper trail. Nothing records when the invoice was sent or whether it was opened.
• Numbering. You have to remember the last number and make sure none repeats.
• Follow-up. You must remember to chase every late invoice yourself.
• Safety. An editable file can be changed by anyone who receives it. Always send a PDF.
• Time. Saving, renaming and attaching files adds a few minutes to every invoice, and it adds up.

Which method should you pick?

Send fewer than three invoices a month and don't mind tracking payments yourself? The free generator is enough. Send more, or often wait on payments? An app earns its place by saving the time you would spend chasing. If you are not sure, start with the generator and move to an app when the admin starts to annoy you.

Whichever you choose, the content is the same. If you are unsure what to put on the page, read what to include on an invoice first.

A generated invoice, so you know what to expect