Free invoice template in Excel, Word or PDF

Which format suits an invoice: Excel with live formulas, editable Word or PDF. Fill it in online, no download needed, with a worked example and a checklist.

Which format should a free invoice template come in?

Excel, Word and PDF suit different moments. Excel suits an invoice whose figures change, because the totals follow the numbers. Word suits an invoice you want to reword freely. PDF suits the copy you send, because it looks the same on every screen. Many people need all three: a spreadsheet for the bookkeeper, a Word file for the wording and a PDF for the customer.

QuoteBill makes all three from one document, so you do not keep three templates in step. Fill the invoice in once, then choose the format.

What each format contains in QuoteBill

Excel and Word files are built in your browser when you click, and your figures are not uploaded to make them. The design, the logo, your colour and the document language carry into all three formats.

  • Excel (.xlsx): the layout with live formulas. Each line is quantity × unit price less any discount, rounded to the currency; the subtotal is a sum, tax comes from a rate cell and the total follows.
  • Word (.docx): the same layout, colours, logo, parties, table and totals as editable text. The totals are typed numbers, not formulas.
  • PDF: choose "Print / PDF", then save as PDF in your browser’s print window. The browser makes the file, so look at the page breaks.

Fill the invoice online, with no download

You do not have to download anything to finish an invoice, but filling one in needs a free account. The steps are:

  • Open a template, such as the free invoice generator. You can look at it and print the blank form as a PDF without an account.
  • To fill it in, create a free account with Google or an email address, then enter your details, the customer, the lines, the country and the currency.
  • Choose "Save to cloud" to open the invoice on any device. Until then it is a draft on this device only.
  • Use "Print / PDF" for the PDF, or the "Download" menu for "Excel (.xlsx)" or "Word (.docx)".

Worked example: check the arithmetic in Excel

An illustrative invoice has three lines: logo design, 1 × 400 = 400; brand guide pages, 8 × 45 = 360; print files, 1 × 200 with a 10% discount = 180. The subtotal is 940. At an example tax rate of 10%, the tax is 94 and the total 1,034.

In the Excel file, change the brand guide pages from 8 to 10. That line becomes 450, the subtotal 1,030, the tax 103 and the total 1,133, with no other edit. In the Word file the same change means retyping the line amount, subtotal, tax and total yourself. The figures and the rate are only an example, not a recommended price or tax advice.

Check before you send

A free template saves typing, not checking. Before the file leaves your hands:

  • Is the invoice number new, and are the issue date and due date right?
  • Do the country, currency and tax setting match this sale? The tax calculation is a helper, not tax advice.
  • Open the file in the program your customer will use, and read the last page as well as the first.
  • Compare the PDF, Word and Excel files with the preview; fonts and page breaks can differ between programs.
  • Keep the version you sent and a note of when you sent it.

Limits to know before you start

Saving, editing and the Word and Excel downloads need a free account; a guest can look at templates and print the blank form. QuoteBill does not send the invoice, collect the payment or chase it when it is overdue, and a document is a printable copy, not a registered e-invoice or an accounting system. Check what your country requires on an invoice before you rely on any template.

Where to start

Open the free invoice generator or another invoice template from the templates page, or choose "Create an invoice" below. The guides on invoice numbering and on following up an unpaid invoice cover what comes after the file is made.

225 Free Invoice, Quote & Receipt Templates

  • Free invoice generator

    Download the invoice as Excel or Word with the formulas working, or edit it online with your logo and tax settings and save a PDF. Free with a QuoteBill account.

  • Blank invoice template

    Invoice for Item or service.

  • Free PDF invoice generator

    Download the invoice as Excel or Word, or edit it online, check the page breaks in the preview and save a PDF from your browser. Free with a QuoteBill account.