Free invoice generator for freelancers and contractors

1. Add your business and client details. Start with your name or business name, your address, and an email your client can reach you at. Then do the same for your client. Give the invoice a due date, an issue date, and a number, and keep the numbering sequential (001, 002, 003) so you're not hunting through old emails once tax season rolls around.

2. Add line items. List what you actually did: a short description, the quantity (hours worked or units delivered), and your rate. The generator multiplies those out automatically. The vaguer your line items, the more likely a client is to question the total, so skip generic labels like "services rendered" and write what you did instead.

3. Set tax, discount, and currency. Apply sales tax or a discount if either applies, and pick your currency from the dropdown if you're billing a client outside the US. Switching currencies updates every line item and the total instantly, so you can build the invoice in whatever currency your client actually pays in.

4. Choose which payment methods to display. Tell the client how you want to get paid, whether that's bank transfer, PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. Listing the specific account or handle here, rather than making the client ask for it separately, is one of the simplest ways to get paid faster.

5. Add your logo and brand colors. Upload a logo and set a brand color if you have one. It's a small touch, but a branded invoice reads as more established than a plain template, and that matters more than people expect when you're trying to land repeat work.

6. Add a personal note or thank-you message. Leave a short note at the bottom: a thank you, a reminder, whatever's relevant. This is also the spot to spell out your late payment policy in plain terms, so there's no ambiguity if a payment runs late.

7. Preview, then download your invoice. Check the document over before it goes out. Once it looks right, download the finished PDF and send it to your client however you normally do. You can also export your full invoice history to CSV at any time, so you keep a record even if you clear your browser.

Watch the running quarterly total update as you add line items. Every line item you add increases your gross revenue for the quarter, and Solvent's tool keeps a running total as you go. You can see where you stand without opening a spreadsheet or doing the math by hand.

See your estimated tax set-aside calculated automatically from that total. Self-employment tax is 15.3% on net earnings over $400.¹Solvent uses that rate as a baseline and shows you roughly what to hold back from each invoice. Treat it as a floor, not a full tax bill: your actual liability also depends on your income tax bracket, so for a precise number, run your totals through the self-employment tax explained guide and the quarterly estimated tax calculator.

Follow the link to the quarterly estimated tax calculator to confirm the current 1040-ES due date. The IRS wants four payments a year, not one lump sum at tax time. The first 2026 payment, covering income from January through March, is due April 15, 2026.²The calculator link updates as each deadline passes, so you're always looking at the next one due, not the last one you already paid.

Download your invoice history as a CSV at tax time for Schedule C. Browser-based tools lose everything if you clear your cache, which is a real risk if this is the only record you're keeping. Export your invoice history as a CSV whenever you want, and keep it somewhere safe for when you sit down with the Schedule C guide for 1099 filers. Worth running your expenses through the home office deduction calculator while you're at it.

Invoice vs. quote. A quote is what you send before the work starts, an estimate the client uses to decide whether to hire you. An invoice comes after, and it's a request for payment, not a proposal.

Invoice vs. receipt. An invoice asks for money. A receipt confirms it already showed up. You send one before the client pays and issue the other right after.

Invoice vs. credit note. A credit note runs the other direction: it reduces what a client owes, usually because of an overpayment or a canceled order. Think of it as a partial reversal of an invoice you already sent.