Free invoice generator for freelancers and contractors

1. Add your business and client details: Enter your name or business name, your address, and an email the client can reach you at, then do the same for the client. Then add an issue date, a due date, and an invoice number, and keep those numbers running in order (001, 002, 003) so you're not digging through old email threads next April.

2. Add line items: Write down what you did, with the quantity (hours worked or units delivered) and your rate next to it. 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 such as "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. Switch the currency and every line item and total updates on the spot, so you can bill in whatever your client pays in.

4. Choose which payment methods to display: Bank transfer, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle: pick whichever ones you'll accept. Put the specific account or handle right there on the invoice. If a client has to email you to ask how to pay, your payment can be delayed by a week.

5. Add your logo and brand colors: Upload a logo and set a brand color if you have one. A branded invoice reads as a real business in a way a plain template doesn't, and that impression sticks with the person approving your next project.

6. Add a personal note or thank-you message: Leave a line at the bottom: a thank you, a nudge about next steps, whatever fits. It's also where your late payment policy belongs, written plainly enough that nobody can claim they didn't see it.

7. Preview, then download your invoice: Check the document over before it goes out. When it looks right, download the PDF and send it the way you normally send things. You can also export your whole invoice history to CSV whenever you want, which is what saves you 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% of net earnings once they reach $400 for the year.¹ Solvent 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, 2026.² The quarterly calculator lists every due date with a countdown, so you're always looking at the payment that's coming, not the last one you already paid.

Download your invoice history as a CSV at tax time for Schedule C: The generator keeps your invoice history in your browser, so clearing your browser data erases it, which is a real risk if this is the only record you're keeping. Export the history as a CSV whenever you want, and keep it somewhere safe for when you fill out Schedule C.

Invoice vs. quote: A quote is a fixed price you send before the work starts, and the client uses it 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.