Best Free Invoice Apps Australia (2026): Limits & GST

Which free invoice app should Australians choose?

Shortlist InvoiceSonic for occasional service invoices, Zoho Invoice for a larger free saved-account allowance, Square for payment collection and Bookipi for low-volume mobile documents. The right answer depends on how many documents you create and whether you need only invoicing or a full bookkeeping system.

Do not choose from an overseas “free apps” list without checking local availability. AUD, ABN details, GST settings and Australian payment terms matter. A free trial is also different from a plan you can keep using without a subscription.

Updated 5 September 2026. We publish InvoiceSonic, one of the products discussed. These recommendations use published product documentation and our own product configuration, not a timed hands-on test of every competitor. Plan terms can change; check the linked vendor pages before subscribing.

Try the Australian invoice generator with a sample job. Start without an account; the first free PDF asks for an email.

Four free invoice apps available to consider in Australia

These are four focused choices, not ten interchangeable recommendations. We have not counted paid trials as permanent free plans, or Wave as a suitable new Australian account. Always check your own eligibility and the current checkout terms.

1. InvoiceSonic: occasional invoices for sole traders and contractors

InvoiceSonic gives you an Australian starting point for a service invoice, with ABN and GST fields and room for payment instructions. The app adds reusable services, quotes, deposit and progress invoices, and partial-payment recording for repeat work.

The browser tool lets you start without an account and includes one free PDF download; an email address is requested for that download. A free web account saves 3 invoices per calendar month and includes 1 tracked send and 1 automatic reminder per month. Pro has a 7-day trial; see current pricing and plan terms. Standard web Pro pricing is A$19 monthly or A$168 annually. Annual billing is an upfront commitment, not a A$14 month-to-month plan.

Choose it if you want to move from preparing a document to keeping track of a few clients and balances. Do not choose it as a substitute for BAS lodgement, payroll or full accounting. Read the contractor invoicing guide for the job-to-payment workflow.

2. Zoho Invoice: more capacity without a subscription

Zoho currently lists 500 invoices per year, two users and three projects on its free Invoice product, with its branding. That is more capacity than a three-invoice monthly allowance, but it is not unlimited. Verify Zoho’s current limits.

Count your busiest periods. Forty invoices each month would total 480 a year, leaving little room for seasonal growth. Check the Australian edition and a representative PDF before moving your invoice history.

3. Square Invoices: free software with payment costs

Square’s Australian Free plan advertises unlimited invoices at A$0 per month plus processing fees. Its Plus plan adds capabilities such as milestone payment schedules and custom fields. See Square’s Australian plan comparison.

This is worth considering if customers want a payment link or you already use Square. Look at the Australian fee schedule for the actual method; do not use a US card rate or assume an in-person rate applies online.

4. Bookipi: low-volume mobile documents

Bookipi’s free plan permits three document creations per month. Its mobile FAQ describes a shared allowance that can include invoices, estimates, credit notes and other documents, plus free-plan branding. Read the current conditions.

It may fit a side business with occasional documents. For a tradie who quotes several jobs but wins only some of them, count quotes as well as completed-job invoices when comparing the allowance.

ABN and GST: check the invoice, not the app’s promise

No app can decide your GST registration or the correct treatment of every sale just from a template choice. The ATO’s tax-invoice guidance covers seller identity and ABN, date, description and price, GST information and the extent to which sales are taxable. Tax invoices for A$1,000 or more also need the buyer’s identity or ABN. Read the ATO requirements.

If you are not registered for GST, use a standard invoice rather than describing it as a tax invoice, and do not add GST as though you were registered. See the ATO’s invoicing guidance. The ABN invoice template is a starting point; you remain responsible for the information supplied. This is general information, not individual tax advice.

Australian invoice example: GST-inclusive vs exclusive

For this arithmetic example, assume a GST-registered business makes a wholly taxable sale at 10% GST and quotes A$800 before GST.

If the agreed price was already A$880 including GST, do not add another A$88. In this simple example the included GST is A$880 ÷ 11 = A$80. The correct price entry depends on whether the agreement and app use inclusive or exclusive amounts.

For a business not registered for GST, this example’s tax treatment does not apply. For mixed taxable and GST-free items, discounts or complex transactions, check the relevant treatment with your accountant instead of copying a single percentage across everything.

Three practical tests before choosing an app

1. One-off job: create a sample labour-and-materials invoice. Inspect ABN, currency, dates and tax output on a phone.
2. Deposit and final payment: use a fictional A$1,100 total with A$330 received. Check that the outstanding amount is A$770 and that the deposit is not billed twice. This is a balance check, not advice on deposit tax timing.
3. Repeat client: create another sample for the same client. Find the first invoice, its due date and recorded payment without searching through email.

For a contractor, saving five minutes on repeat administration may matter more than having fifty template designs. For an occasional seller, a reliable downloadable document may be enough. Test the work you actually do.

Bank transfer, PayID or card: compare the whole cost

A payment instruction on a PDF is not the same thing as a processed online payment. When a customer transfers money directly, check the receiving account and mark the invoice paid after confirming receipt. When a platform processes the payment, check its fees, settlement terms and supported methods.

For illustration only, A$10,000 of payments at a hypothetical 2% costs A$200 before any fixed fees. That is not a Square quote. Use your own provider’s terms in the payment fee calculator. InvoiceSonic does not take a percentage for displaying direct-payment instructions; external banking or provider charges can still apply.

When free invoicing is not enough

Upgrade because you exceed a documented limit or need a recurring workflow, not because “free” sounds unprofessional. Write down monthly documents, reminders, users and payment methods first. A quote-plus-invoice workflow may consume capacity faster than an invoice-only count suggests.

If your real problem is reconciling bank transactions, preparing accounts or managing payroll, compare accounting software for Australian sole traders. An invoice app and accounting software serve different purposes, even when their menus overlap.

Why Wave is not on the Australian shortlist

Wave’s supported market is the US and Canada. Its notice discusses limited ongoing access for existing overseas users, which is different from recommending it to a new Australian business. Read Wave’s regional guidance or our Wave review.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free invoice app for an Australian sole trader?
Choose by volume and workflow. Compare InvoiceSonic for occasional service invoices, Zoho for more free account capacity, Square for payment collection and Bookipi for occasional mobile documents.

Can I invoice with an ABN if I am not registered for GST?
Use a standard invoice with accurate business details and do not treat yourself as GST-registered. Check the ATO guidance above for your circumstances.

Does a free invoice app guarantee an ATO-compliant invoice?
No. The final document and your tax treatment matter. Check the required details, your registration and the transaction rather than relying on a marketing label.

Can I make an Australian invoice without opening an account?
You can start with our Australian browser generator. One PDF is free and an email is requested at download.

Where can I compare paid invoice apps too?
Our eight-app comparison includes paid options. For a standalone PDF rather than an app, see the free generator comparison.