best free gst invoice generators india 2026

If you're a freelancer or small business owner in India, you need to send GST invoices regularly. The question is: what's the best tool to generate them — without paying for expensive accounting software or wasting time in Excel?

We tested the most popular free GST invoice generators available in India in 2025 and ranked them honestly. Here's what we found.

What to Look for in a GST Invoice Generator

Before diving into the list, here's what actually matters when choosing a GST invoice tool:

GST compliance — does it include all mandatory fields (GSTIN, HSN/SAC, IGST/CGST/SGST split, place of supply)?
Auto tax calculation — does it auto-calculate IGST vs CGST+SGST based on state?
PDF quality — is the output professional enough to send to enterprise clients?
Speed — how long does it actually take to create an invoice?
Free tier limits — how many invoices can you create for free?
No login required — can you generate an invoice without creating an account?

1. Invoqo — Best for Indian Freelancers Overall

Website: invoqo.in Free invoices: Unlimited Signup required: No

Invoqo is built specifically for the Indian freelance ecosystem. It handles the full GST invoice format including automatic IGST vs CGST/SGST detection based on your state and your client's state — which is the most common source of errors in manually created invoices.

What makes it stand out:

Unlimited free GST invoices with PDF download
Auto-calculates CGST+SGST or IGST based on place of supply
SAC code support for service providers
Also includes a freelancer invoice (non-GST) for unregistered freelancers
Contract builder included on the same platform
No account needed for your first invoice

Best for: Freelancers, consultants, designers, developers, and any service provider registered under GST.

2. Zoho Invoice — Best for Growing Businesses

Website: zoho.com/invoice Free invoices: Unlimited (free plan) Signup required: Yes

Zoho Invoice is a full-featured invoicing platform that has a generous free plan. It supports GST, multiple currencies, client portals, and payment integrations. The downside is the learning curve — it's built for businesses, not individual freelancers, and setting it up takes significant time.

Best for: Small businesses with multiple employees and complex invoicing needs.

3. Refrens — Best Free Alternative with CRM Features

Website: refrens.com Free invoices: 25/year on free plan Signup required: Yes

Refrens is popular among Indian freelancers and offers GST invoicing, quotations, expense tracking, and a basic CRM. The free plan is limited to 25 documents per year, which is not enough for active freelancers.

Best for: Freelancers who want a CRM + invoicing combo and don't bill heavily.

4. vyapar — Best for Goods-Based Businesses

Website: vyapar.in Free invoices: Limited free trial Signup required: Yes

Vyapar is a GST billing and accounting app designed primarily for retail and product-based businesses. It has strong inventory management features but is overkill for service-based freelancers. The desktop app is free; the mobile app requires a subscription.

Best for: Shopkeepers, retailers, and product-based small businesses.

5. ClearTax Invoice — Best for Tax Filing Integration

Website: cleartax.in Free invoices: Available Signup required: Yes

ClearTax offers a free GST invoice generator as part of its broader tax filing ecosystem. If you're already using ClearTax for GST returns, the integration is convenient. Standalone, it's functional but not the most streamlined experience.

Best for: Users already on ClearTax for GST filing who want invoicing in the same platform.

6. Excel / Google Sheets Template — Most Flexible, Most Error-Prone

Website: Free via Google or Microsoft Free invoices: Unlimited Signup required: No

Nearly every Indian freelancer starts here. Download a GST invoice template, modify it, save as PDF. It works, but:

Manual GST calculation means frequent errors
No auto-detection of IGST vs CGST/SGST
No invoice number tracking
No professional PDF output without additional formatting work
Version control issues when updating templates

Best for: Freelancers who only send 1–2 invoices per year and have time to double-check every number manually.

7. Word / Google Docs Template — Most Basic Option

Similar to Excel but with even less structure. Fine for one-off invoices, not scalable. GST calculations are fully manual and highly error-prone.

Best for: Nobody, really — Excel is better in every way.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Tool	Free Invoices	Auto GST Calc	No Signup	Contract Builder	PDF Quality
Invoqo	Unlimited	Yes	Yes	Yes	Excellent
Zoho Invoice	Unlimited	Yes	No	No	Excellent
Refrens	25/year	Yes	No	No	Good
Vyapar	Limited	Yes	No	No	Good
ClearTax	Available	Yes	No	No	Good
Excel Template	Unlimited	No	No	No	Variable
Word Template	Unlimited	No	No	No	Variable

Which GST Invoice Generator Should You Use?

If you're a freelancer or consultant: Use Invoqo. It's the only tool on this list built specifically for individual service providers in India, with unlimited free invoices, no signup required, and auto GST calculation.

If you run a small business with a team: Zoho Invoice's free plan is comprehensive and scales well.

If you're product-based: Vyapar handles inventory and GST billing together.

If you file GST returns on ClearTax: Their invoice tool integrates cleanly with your existing workflow.

The Real Cost of Getting GST Invoices Wrong

It's worth understanding why using the right tool matters beyond just convenience. A non-compliant GST invoice can:

Block your client's ITC claim — clients will come back to you demanding a corrected invoice
Attract GST department scrutiny — mismatched GSTIN or wrong tax type can trigger notices
Delay payments — enterprise clients often have strict invoice validation before processing payments
Create reconciliation issues — wrong invoice numbers or missing fields cause problems during GST return filing

A free, automated tool eliminates all of these risks in under 2 minutes.

Create Your Free GST Invoice Right Now

No account. No credit card. No Excel.

Generate a GST Invoice Free at Invoqo →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to use an online GST invoice generator? Yes. There is no requirement under GST law to use any specific software. As long as your invoice contains all mandatory fields and is accurate, it is legally valid regardless of what tool generated it.

Can I customise the invoice with my logo? On Invoqo's free plan, standard professional formatting is included. Custom branding (your logo, colors) is available on the Pro plan at ₹299/month.

Do I need to store GST invoices? Yes. Under GST law, you are required to maintain invoice records for 72 months (6 years) from the due date of the annual return. Store PDFs in a cloud folder organised by financial year.

What if my client asks for an e-invoice? E-invoicing (through the IRP portal) is mandatory only for businesses with turnover above ₹5 crore. Most freelancers are below this threshold and are not required to generate e-invoices.

Can I send the invoice directly from the tool? On Invoqo, you download the PDF and send it via your preferred channel — email, WhatsApp, or any other method. Direct sending from the platform is on the Pro roadmap.