Top 9 Free Invoice Templates for Freelancers (2023)
Getting paid is one of the most important parts of freelancing. The key to making sure you get paid regularly and on-time is having a proper invoice system.
In this article I share with you the top 10 best freelance invoice templates. You can download them immediately. There are a variety of formats and styles to suit your preferences. I share DOC, PDF, Excel, software generators, and a few others that suit your needs best.
Regardless of what type of freelancer you are — web developer, content writer, graphic designer, etc. — there is one thing that unites us all: we need to get paid. Having a go-to, well-designed template is very helpful in that regard. But, as I discuss below, there are other benefits to having a proper invoice template for your freelancing business.
Without further ado, let’s get to the list of free invoice templates that every freelancer can use to look professional and organized.
Top 9 Invoice Templates For Freelancers (Free)
- Hello Bonsai
- Fiverr Workspace
- Invoice Simple
- Invoicetemplate.co
- Invoiceto.me
- Jotform Freelance Invoice Template
- PandaDoc Invoice Template
- PayPal Professional Invoice
- Shawn Forno’s Invoice
1. Hello Bonsai
Hello Bonsai offers a completely free freelance invoice template for you. You’ll notice several options to download the invoice in different formats such as Excel, Word, PDF, Google Sheets or Google Docs, and from there you’ll be able to download the template without registering for the service if you prefer. But, I highly recommend you do sign up for Hello Bonsai if you get the chance. They offer so much more than just excellent invoice templates. They also have a huge library of free prebuilt and fully customizable templates for Contracts that are legally vetted, Proposals, Agreements, Client Forms and more, and you can tailor each to your brand. Additionally, they offer a full product suite for freelancers to manage their whole freelancing business and finances.
For this free template specifically, you may add your company name, change colors to match your website, card, or social media profile. These features help clients better recognize your business.
You can also change fonts if you wish and edit information such as your name, contact information, name and contact of the customer, invoice number and date, explanations, dates, and terms of payment, and currency due.
As an added bonus, Hello Bonsai has already done much of the work for a whole bunch of different freelancing niches. They have a variety of invoice templates for writers, designers, developers, social media managers (and influencers!), photographers, consultants and others. This way, you can start with a more tailored template — again, for free, and without signing up for the service.
You can send your preferred invoice file directly to your client. If you do decide to sign up for Hello Bonsai though, they will definitely take care of a bunch of stuff for you like automatic reminders, recurring invoicing, income & expense tracking, contract & proposal creation, your finances and many other niceties.
If you’re interested in learning more and you can spare a few minutes I’ve written an entire article reviewing Hello Bonsai specifically for freelancers.
Give it a read, or a scan, if you can.
Give it a read, or scan, if you can.
Alright, Hello Bonsai’s free invoice template gets spot #1 on our list. Because Hello Bonsai is so specifically focused on freelancers and small businesses as a company I thought they deserved spot #1. I also personally really like the company. (Hello Bonsai is an affiliate: we may make a small commission if you sign up through these links without any cost to you).
Okay, what’s next?
2. Fiverr Workspace (formerly And.com)
Fiverr Workspace offers a well-designed invoice template in Word, Excel, and PDF format.
Word and PDF provide a clean, straightforward design, while Excel invoice templates have the benefit of a built-in calculator so you can automatically add your totals and tax. Each template is easily printable and free, so the one you choose will depend on your business needs.
Fiverr Workspace free invoice template layouts are perfect for freelance or contract staff, allowing you to create a professional and personalized invoice for your customers in minutes.
This source of templates gets the #2 on our list because it’s offered by Fiverr, a company focused on contractors. They understand invoicing and getting paid as a freelancer.
There’s also a FAQ on the page that lets you download the freelance invoice template. I suggest that you visit the page and scroll down to read those if you’re curious.
Click here to go there and download the invoice template.
3. Invoice Simple
Most of their invoice templates are made for trade businesses. As a freelancer, you might have specific requirements for your invoices that must be considered. They have created invoice templates designed specifically for freelancers that help you make sure the invoice includes everything you need yet still has a clean, uncluttered look. You can download, edit and use the way you like.
Invoice Simple’s invoice templates are suitable for your needs if you’re looking for something more basic. Completely free invoice template PDF ready to send to clients.
It contains all the essential invoice elements, it’s a printable invoice, and also fully customizable. You can download the Invoice Simple template by clicking here.
Alright, next…
4. Invoicetemplate.co
This one is different than the ones we’ve recommended so far. It’s a free invoice template generation software that allows you to create your own invoice.
It allows you to put in the most necessary information. You can’t add details to each line of the information in the invoice, but there’s a section for notes near the bottom.
You can also add the customer’s name and contact, invoice number and date, explanations, dates, payment terms, and currency due. After filling in all the information, you can send the invoice via email directly from their website.
5. Invoiceto.me
Invoiceto.me is similar to invoicetemplate.co. It’s a free invoice generator software. It differs in that it’s a bit more minimal. You get to put in the minimal amount of information that you need and then that’s it.
You can add all the information in the layout present on the website. Once you put all your data, download your invoice’s PDF document and send it to your client.
It does not give you the ability to send it as an email directly to the client, and instead you can just download the PDF.
This is good software if you’re looking for something barebones and gets the job done as quickly as possible.
6. Jotform Freelance Invoice Template
You can easily modify your design using the JotForm PDF editor. Drag and drop the shape elements, add your sticker, and change the fonts and colors for a totally unique look.
No matter what kind of freelance work you do, you can use this freelance invoice template to organize your records. It’ll save you time, helping you get paid faster, and impressing clients with your professional standards.
It’s minimal in its approach. It gives you a barebones, but colorful, template that you can use to list out the items that you worked on for the client and the price that needs to be paid.
JotForm also offers a variety of other styles. If this one isn’t your cup of tea then there are other styles available to download as well.
7. PandaDoc Invoice Template
PandaDoc is a company that focuses on document signing. They provide a variety of free templates to download, and this freelance invoice template is one that they provide. You’ll have to sign up to use it, but then afterwards you’ll get to download the PDF file.
You can create invoices based on your design layouts, set up recurring invoices, send automated payment reminders and late charges using these VAT invoice templates. Quickly update these free blank invoice template to reflect your business and what service or product you provide.
If you can it might be good to keep your account here at PandaDoc because besides invoices they provide a variety of files that can be used to help you in your freelancing. These include contract templates, proposal templates, and more.
8. PayPal Professional Invoice
PayPal is how many freelancers choose to get paid. Fortunately, PayPal provides invoicing and invoice templates for you. The one they provide for you is a free professional invoice template.
With PayPal Invoicing, you can save any of your invoice details onto an invoice template. This includes everything from your logo and business information to item details, notes, and terms and conditions. This makes it easy to send out your next invoice in just a few minutes.
PayPal invoices are paid on average in under three days. Nearly 80% of invoice payments arrive within one day of sending the invoice. And, after your customer pays, your money is generally in your PayPal account within minutes.
This is good one to use simply because of the brand. PayPal is such a well-known and respected brand that many freelancers are already using.
Using the PayPal invoice template allows your client to pay you directly with PayPal. It’s good to use if you’re already using PayPal as your payment provide of choice. It allows you to include a payment button which is very convenient.
9. Shawn Forno’s Invoice Template
This invoice template is so flexible that it could be used to charge all your clients, no matter what services you provide. Just add sections to define all the particulars. You can depend on this customizable invoice template to capture all the information you need on your invoices to receive the results you’re looking for.
This template is created by another fellow Medium writer, Shawn Forno.
This is the invoice template that Shawn has been using for the past 6 years and recommends it if you’re looking for something professional and something more advanced than a basic word document.
Now that you have a bunch of free invoicing templates to choose from for your freelance business, I’d like to answer some of the more common questions that freelancers have about invoicing their clients.
Why do I need an invoice?
It’s possible you’ve already been using an invoice template and you’re looking for a new one. Or, you haven’t used invoices at all and have been getting paid just by asking your client to send money.
One reason to have an invoice is professionalism. An invoice gives you an opportunity to clearly show the client what you accomplished and what they’re going to pay you for. It’s good for your records and also for their records.
Another reason you need an invoice is for your own records. Yes, payment records but also for yourself to clearly remember the details of what you worked on and why you worked on it. Depending on the template you choose for your invoice, you’ll get the opportunity to write out more details for each of your items. You can write out your reasoning for what you accomplished. It’ll be good for your future self in case the client asks for it and also if you need a reminder for yourself.
What information should I include in my invoice?
The invoice is an opportunity for you to describe what you accomplished to the client. Now depending on your needs, and also the template you choose, the information is laid out differently. Some templates will only let you choose to display a single line of information, hours spent, and the total amount of money worth for that.
Other templates, which I prefer, allow to write more information regarding the work you did. The initial line can be the header and below you get an opportunity to write out information regarding that work. This is good for you and the client.
When is the best time to send my invoice to the client?
The suitable time to send your invoice may differ from customer to customer or from project to project. Usually, you would like to send your invoice when you know that the client is happy with your work.
Many freelancers like to adopt a scheme across the board for every client to simplify things. Just bear in mind that there will be some kind of experimentation involved in determining what actually works for you when you start.
Invoicing at the beginning of the interaction may not be well received by all customers, particularly if you do not yet have a relationship. However, in the case of a new client or a large project, it is not unfair to demand partial payment before your job is completed.
The invoice upon the end of the work is popular in freelance work and promotes trust between you and the client. As your partnership with clients develops, your invoicing system may also be adjusted.
Other questions?
If you have other questions related to getting paid as a freelancer or invoicing, please leave it as a response or comment on this Medium article. Everyone could benefit from your question.
Conclusion
The bottom line? Having a proper invoice template that suits your needs for your clients is extremely important to the success of your freelancing. We’ve chosen 9 of the best ones here for this article. Choose the one that best suits your needs. Download the template, customize it, send your client a professional invoice template, and get paid as a freelancer.
Thank you for reading this article. Additionally, if you have more comments or questions feel free to leave them as a comment in the article below.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I wish you the best in your freelancing journey.
