Invoice Template

Get started with the free customizable invoice template to create detailed invoices in minutes. Add branding, send invoices to clients, and get paid online.

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What is an Invoice Template and Who Should Use it?

Try our Online Invoice Generator for an easy way to create professional invoices.

Downloadable Free Invoice Templates

Want to create detailed invoices for your business? Now you can—with Bonsai’s free, downloadable invoice templates. Design, customize, edit, send, and share invoices with clients to get paid right away.

The Blank Invoice Template is customizable and is available in multiple formats (e.g., Word, Excel). This makes it easy to design invoices in the file ​​format that works best for you and your customers.

This Custom Invoice Template has a professional design that can be used for any business. Simply add your own branding, logo, fonts, and colors, finalize your invoice, export the invoice as a PDF (or send via email), and get paid by clients right away. 

Prefer printed invoices? The Printable Invoice Template is perfect for customers who need a physical copy of their invoice. Simply add your business details and payment information, business branding, and pricing, then save the invoice as a PDF. You can then print the completed invoice to hand off to your client to send to them via standard mail.

Word Invoice Template

Microsoft Word is one of the easiest platforms for creating bills and invoices. Invoice clients for a project, services, or products with the Word Invoice Template. The template is fillable, can be saved as a PDF, has a section for payment terms, and is suitable for freelancers and businesses alike.

Google Docs Invoice Template

The Google Docs Invoice Template provides fields for client details, comes with a date and due date section, and is ready to send via email, PDF, or direct link. Add pricing, amount owed, service line items, and other details to get paid for your work.

PDF Invoice Template

Need an invoice that can be emailed directly to clients? If so, try out the PDF Invoice Template. This template can be downloaded as a PDF and even has a section for notes or special instructions.

Excel Invoice Template

Microsoft Excel is another fan favorite when it comes to invoicing templates. The Excel Invoice Template allows for logo insertion, custom branding, and even includes tax calculation formulas. Make invoicing easy with Bonsai invoice templates for Excel.

Contractor Invoice Template

Whether you’re a WordPress developer, copywriter, YouTube video editor, or digital nomad, any contractor can use the Contractor Invoice Template to send detailed invoices to clients. Simply save the invoice template in the format of your choice, fill out your business information, calculate the amount due, and send to your client.

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Freelance Invoice Template

Design and send professional invoices right from your laptop with the help of the Invoice Template for Freelancers. Bill clients for materials, blog services, logos and website design, freelance writing, and more with the simple freelance invoice template.

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Consulting Invoice Template

Send professional invoices for your consulting services with the free Consulting Invoice Template. Whether you consult people or entire businesses, it’s important to get paid for your services. Download, customize, and send invoices today.

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Downloadable Free Invoice Templates

What are the Benefits of Using a Great Invoice Template?

There are many benefits to using invoice templates for your business. Forget about designing your own invoices from scratch. The free, downloadable templates from Bonsai empower you to create professional invoices in just a few clicks.

Lasting Impression on Clients

Generate detailed invoices with your own custom branding to leave a lasting impression on clients. Professional templates help you put your best foot forward and get paid faster. 

Increased Likelihood of Referrals

Meticulously designed invoice templates allow you to show up as a true professional. This builds trust with your clients, making it more likely that they’ll send new business your way.

Importance of Professionalism

Detailed invoices are important for accurate accounting and tax management. Use professional invoice templates to bill your clients, add sales tax, track payments, and organize your business financials.

Tracking when Clients View the Invoice

Track when clients open and view the invoice so you know when to start the project or send a reminder for payment. This helps drive positive cash flow and on-time payments. However, this feature is only available via the Bonsai app.

Setting up Online Payments

Give clients access to multiple payment options with professional invoices. You can adjust the payment details based on your preferences, accept ACH and credit card payments, allow clients to preview invoices, and distribute invoices via PDF, email, or direct link.

Time Saved Creating an Invoice

Creating an invoice from scratch can be time consuming, especially if you have multiples clients.
With Bonsai's invoicing solution, you can invoice clients in minutes. Auto-everything, from creating, sending and reminding.

How to Choose the Right Template Format

There are many types of businesses and there are many types of invoicing solutions. When deciding on an invoice template, consider the needs of your unique business and customers. Here are a few tips on how to decide on the right template format for you.

Word Template: Pros and Cons

Microsoft Word is a well-known document creation tool due to its simplicity and user interface. However, there are both pros and cons to using Microsoft Word invoice templates for your business. Here are a few factors to consider:

Pros

  • Simplicity and Speed: Word templates are easy to use and set up, especially for those already familiar with Microsoft Word. This allows businesses to quickly generate invoices without much of a learning curve.
  • Cost-effective: If you already own Microsoft Word, you won't incur additional expenses to create invoices. You can simply use the free Word Invoice Template.
  • Customizable: Templates in Word can be customized according to your business's branding. You can change colors, fonts, layouts, and add your business logo.

Cons

  • Error-prone: Manual creation of invoices can lead to mistakes. There's no built-in error checking to ensure you haven’t missed any important details.
  • Limited Features: Word is a document creation software, not a dedicated invoicing tool. That means it lacks many advanced features that invoicing software offers, such as automated tracking, reminders, and integration with accounting tools.
  • No Automation: Unlike dedicated invoicing software, Word won’t send invoices automatically. It also can’t remind you about due dates, nor can it update your financial records automatically.
  • No Built-in Analytics: Specialized invoicing tools often come with analytics and reports, providing insights into your revenue, pending invoices, etc. With Word, you would have to set this up separately.

Excel Template: Benefits and Limitations

Microsoft Excel invoice templates are another popular option amongst business owners and freelancers. They are simple, easy to use, and completely free. Even so, there are both benefits and limitations to using Excel templates for invoicing.

Benefits

  • Simple Formulas: Excel is built for calculations, so it's much easier to calculate totals, taxes, discounts, etc. automatically versus manually.
  • Customizable: Like Word, Excel templates are highly customizable. You can easily adjust the layout, colors, and fonts to match your branding.
  • Integration with other Microsoft Products: Microsoft Excel documents integrate easily with other Microsoft Office products, such as charts or tables from Word or PowerPoint.
  • Filtering and Sorting: You can easily sort and filter invoices based on various criteria, such as date, client name, amount due, etc.

Limitations

  • Limited Features: While Excel offers more functionality than Word for invoices, it's still not a dedicated invoicing tool. Invoicing software offers better features, like automated invoicing, payment tracking, and integration with e-payment systems.
  • Error-prone: Manual data entry can lead to mistakes, especially with complex formulas. A wrong formula can lead to incorrect invoice amounts.
  • Compatibility Issues: Sharing the Excel file with someone who doesn't have the same version can disrupt the template's functionality. This means your Excel invoices might not be accessible for every customer.
  • No Automated Invoicing: Excel doesn’t allow you to send payment reminders or update clients about due payments. You will have to do this manually, which is time consuming.

Why are Tools and Software Important for Designing Invoices?

There are many perks to using free invoice templates for your business—they’re free, easy to use, and make invoicing straightforward. However, there are many limitations as well. Basic templates are harder to scale, don’t offer any automated features (like recurring invoices, payment tracking, or reminders), and don’t offer full-scale customization.

With that, it’s worth considering using tools and software specifically designed for invoicing, especially if you are invoicing customers at scale. Invoicing software allows you to track payments, monitor your business revenue, organize your business financials, and integrates with account tools, which makes running your business a breeze.

Limitations

  • Format Customizability: Most invoicing software offers a range of customizable templates. This allows you to tailor the look and feel of your invoices to match your branding.
  • Fields and Design: Dedicated software includes specialized design tools that allow you to add, remove, or rearrange fields as needed, ensuring your invoices have all necessary details.
  • Purpose-Driven Features: Automated invoicing tools are built specifically for billing and accounting purposes. They are made to make business invoicing more efficient, accurate, and trackable.
  • Enhanced Usability: Invoicing software helps streamline the invoicing process. Even if you are a new business owner, you can send invoices like a pro with the help of guided setups, built-in tutorials, and convenient automations.
  • Language Options: Most invoicing platforms offer multi-language support, allowing businesses to generate invoices in English, Spanish, and a multitude of other languages.
  • Currency Adaptability: For businesses that operate internationally, automated software can support multiple currencies, often with real-time exchange rate calculations.
  • Tax Calculation Features: No need to manually calculate taxes. Invoicing software can automatically compute and apply various tax rates, ensuring your business is compliant with local tax regulations.
  • Discounts and Adjustments Section: Many invoicing tools come with built-in sections to apply discounts, promotions, or other adjustments that benefit your customers.
  • Embedded Payment Options: Some invoicing software integrates with payment gateways, allowing customers to pay directly from the invoice itself. This streamlines the payment process and can lead to faster payments.
  • Notes or Comments Section: An added section for notes allows you to add specific instructions, terms, or any other relevant information to ensure clarity between you and your clients.
  • Automated Tracking and Reminders: Unlike static templates, automated software tracks invoice statuses (sent, viewed, paid) and can send reminders for overdue payments, reducing the time spent on follow-ups.

Other Options: Photoshop, in Design, Acrobat Editable PDFs, Google Docs, and Google Sheets

Beyond downloadable invoice templates or cloud-based invoicing software, there are a few more invoicing solutions available to business owners. While less popular, these methods can be used to create and send invoices:

Photoshop: Photoshop is a graphics editing software that allows businesses to create visually appealing graphics, including invoices. However, it lacks native features for automatic calculations, automated invoicing, or dynamic data entry.

InDesign:
InDesign also offers robust layout and typography tools to design detailed and well-structured invoices. This makes it suitable for businesses wanting a polished look with more design flexibility than typical invoicing software.

Acrobat Editable PDFs: Adobe Acrobat's editable PDFs let businesses create interactive invoices from scratch. However, the completed invoices may not be as dynamic or automated as those created with specialized invoicing software.

Google Docs: Google Docs is a document management and creation tool that allows users to design articles, PDFs, and even invoices. Download the free template for Google Docs to create client invoices, fast.

Google Sheets: Google Sheets is similar to Microsoft Excel in that it includes formulas that make it easy to calculate totals, add tax rates, and more. The free invoice template is available for Google Sheets, and can be sent to clients as an emai, link, or PDF.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the limitations of Word and Excel for invoicing?

Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel invoice templates share many of the same limitations when it comes to invoicing. For one, neither platform works as a dedicated invoicing tool, so they lack the advanced features like automated invoicing, payment tracking, scheduled reminders, etc. They are also error-prone, given that business owners need to input the data manually. This can lead to incorrect invoice amounts. Word and Excel also do not offer analytics tools to track business revenue, payment completions, or taxes. This can make it difficult to organize a business’s financial information, forecast revenue, and file accurate taxes.

Why use specialized invoicing software?

Specialized invoicing software allows for accurate, professional invoicing, integration with leading payment platforms, reporting and analytics, customer management, and so much more. A cloud-based invoicing and accounting solution provides a secure portal to collect client payments, send online reminders, schedule recurring invoices, accept ACH payments, and even track business revenue. These features are far superior to what can be accomplished with simple invoice templates and manual invoicing.

How much does invoicing software cost?

Invoicing software costs vary depending on the specific software, level of functionality required, and size of the business. At Bonsai, we offer three plan options, plus next level add-ons. Our Starter plan is $25 USD per month and includes all templates, Invoicing and Payments features, Proposals and Contracts, a Client CRM, and other helpful features. Our Professional plan is $39 per month and also includes Workflow Automations, a Branded Client Portal, and a range of third-party integrations. Our Business plan is $79 per month and includes everything in the Professional plan, plus Hiring Agreement Templates, Subcontractor Management, and Unlimited Subcontractors. However, by selecting an annual plan, you get 2 months for free off your subscription.

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