How We Tested
There are dozens of websites calling themselves "free invoice generators" out there. We picked the 7 most popular ones and went through the full process with each: registered an account, actually generated invoices, and exported PDFs. Our evaluation criteria include: free tier limits, ease of use, template quality, export format, Chinese language support, and mobile experience.
Below they're ranked by recommendation, starting with the one we recommend most. Each tool has its pros and cons clearly marked so you can choose based on your needs.
1 Invoice Generator (invoice-generator.com)
This is our top recommendation and the most hassle-free option. Open the website and start filling in — no registration, no login required. Fill in your info, click generate PDF, and you're done. From opening the page to having your invoice file ready, it takes under two minutes if you're experienced.
The template design is clean and professional with several color scheme options. Supports adding company logos and custom invoice numbering rules. Line items can be added one by one, and tax is auto-calculated. The export format is standard PDF — clean layout, prints beautifully.
There are downsides: functionality is relatively basic — no client management, no reports, no automatic reminders. But for most sole proprietors and freelancers, you wouldn't need those features anyway.
✅ Pros
- Completely free, no limits
- No sign-up, use and go
- Clean, professional templates
- Supports Chinese text input
- Works on mobile too
❌ Cons
- Basic functionality, no client management
- No automatic reminders
- No multi-currency support
- Can't save invoice history
2 Zoho Invoice
Zoho Invoice is the most feature-complete free solution, bar none. As long as your annual revenue stays under $50,000 (more than enough for the vast majority of sole proprietors), you get full access to all features for free, forever.
Its features include but are not limited to: invoice creation and management, client management, project time tracking, expense management, multi-currency support, automatic payment reminders, online payment integration, invoice template customization... basically every invoicing-related feature you can think of, it has.
However, more features also mean a steeper learning curve. The backend might feel overwhelming the first time you open it — it takes some time to explore. Plus, it requires registration, so it's overkill if you only need to create an occasional invoice. But if you're issuing multiple invoices per month and need to track payment statuses, Zoho is absolutely the best choice.
✅ Pros
- Most feature-complete, enterprise-grade
- Free tier covers the vast majority of users
- Automatic payment reminders are super practical
- Multi-currency, multi-language support
- Has a mobile app
❌ Cons
- Requires registration and learning
- Interface is somewhat complex
- Occasionally nudges paid upgrades
- Servers are overseas, speed is average
3 Canva Invoice Templates
If you care about how your invoice looks — for example if you're a designer, photographer, or brand consultant whose image matters — then Canva's invoice templates are the best choice. Canva is fundamentally a design tool, and it has a huge library of invoice templates, many of them free.
The workflow is different from other invoice tools: you edit directly in Canva's editor, modifying colors, fonts, layout, and adding your logo — the degree of freedom is extremely high. When you're done, export as PDF. Not ideal for batch generation, but the results for individual invoices are outstanding.
Note that some templates and assets in Canva's free tier are paid (marked with a crown icon) — keep an eye out when browsing. The number of free templates is more than sufficient; you generally won't need to pay.
✅ Pros
- Best-looking designs, strong branding
- Extremely high customization
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editing
- Free templates are sufficient
❌ Cons
- Can't auto-calculate tax
- No invoice number management
- Not suitable for batch invoicing
- PDF export may have watermark risk (check template type)
4 Wave Invoicing
Wave is a completely free financial tool suite — invoicing is just one part of it. It also includes bookkeeping, receipt scanning, and more, making it a one-stop solution for small business owners. The invoicing feature itself is free; Wave makes money from payment processing fees and paid advisory services.
Template design is good, and it supports automatic reminders and online payments (Stripe and credit cards). But the biggest issue is limited Chinese support — the interface is in English, and while you can fill in invoice fields in Chinese, the overall experience isn't as smooth as the tools above. If you do cross-border e-commerce or have international clients, Wave actually becomes the better fit.
✅ Pros
- Completely free, no hidden charges
- Includes bookkeeping features
- Automatic payment reminders
- Great for cross-border e-commerce
❌ Cons
- Interface is entirely in English
- Chinese typography is average
- Requires account registration
- May load slowly in some regions
5 Free Invoice Builder (freeinvoicebuilder.com)
This tool's standout feature is its step-by-step guided workflow: Step 1 — fill in your company info, Step 2 — client info, Step 3 — invoice items... Very beginner-friendly for first-time invoice creators — you won't be left wondering what to fill in.
Drawbacks: the interface looks a bit dated, template options are limited, and it's entirely in English. If you don't mind an English interface, it works fine. Free, no registration needed.
At-a-Glance Comparison
| Tool | Free Tier | Sign-Up Required | Chinese Support | Auto Calculate | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice Generator | Unlimited | No | ✓ | ✓ | 9.2 |
| Zoho Invoice | Revenue <$50K/yr | Yes | ✓ | ✓ | 8.8 |
| Canva | Free templates limited | Yes | ✓ | No | 8.5 |
| Wave | Unlimited | Yes | Weak | ✓ | 8.2 |
| FreeInvoiceBuilder | Unlimited | No | No | ✓ | 7.5 |
So Which One Should You Pick?
Our recommendation is simple:
- Occasional single invoice: Use Invoice Generator — open the site, fill it in, done. The most hassle-free option.
- Multiple invoices every month: Use Zoho Invoice — client management, automatic reminders, invoice tracking, all free.
- Brand image and design matter to you: Use Canva — the invoices look beautiful and leave a great impression on clients.
- Cross-border e-commerce or international trade: Use Wave — English environment, multi-currency, online payments, all in one.
If this is your first time using such tools, we recommend starting with Invoice Generator — it's the simplest to use. If you later find you need more features, switch to Zoho — both are free anyway. Not sure how to get started? Check out our invoicing tutorial for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Want to Browse Template Styles Too?
Different industries have different invoicing needs. We've organized template solutions for various scenarios in our invoice templates guide.
Explore Templates →