Invoice Templates for Excel: Free Downloads, Formats & When to Use Them

Tired of formatting the same invoice again and again — or chasing payments? Whether you’re a freelancer, shop owner, or contractor, invoicing shouldn’t eat up your day.

In this guide, you’ll get free invoice templates for Excel, tips on when to use each format, and a simple step-by-step to help you send invoices faster. We’ll also show when it makes sense to switch to a smarter tool like Kladana.

Why Use Excel Invoice Templates?

Excel templates help you create invoices quickly. They are easy to use and don’t cost anything. They’re especially helpful for freelancers, small business owners, and teams that want to avoid extra software costs.

Here’s why many small businesses prefer Excel:

• Free to use — no need to pay for software
• Easy to change — add your logo, edit fields, and set tax rates
• Built-in formulas — totals and taxes are calculated for you
• Works for any business — useful for retail, services, manufacturing, and more

You don’t need to hire the designer or buy dedicated software to create clear, professional invoices that match your brand. If you send a few invoices each month, Excel might be all you need.

What is an Excel Invoice Template?

An Excel invoice template is a document that facilitates the rapid creation of invoices. It contains pre-made sections for every piece of information you need to send to a client. There is no need to start from scratch; you simply fill in the blanks.

A business receipt is similar to an invoice. It displays the item or service sold, the price, and the due date for payment. It also contains the name of your company and the information about your customers.

The process is facilitated by Excel templates. The math doesn’t have to be done by you. Built-in formulas are used to compute totals and taxes for you.

Additionally, you can alter the layout to suit your requirements. You can add additional notes, change the tax rates, or add your logo.

Here’s what a typical Excel invoice includes:

Most Popular Excel Invoice Templates (With Use Cases)

Creating invoices doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complex. Excel offers versatility and a user-friendly interface, so expect a powerful solution for creating professional invoices.

Below, we’ve listed some of the most useful Excel template invoices for a variety of industries, from manufacturing to trade.

Each template is designed with specific needs in mind, making sure you find one that suits your business model.

Simple Invoice Template

A straightforward invoice template that includes essential elements like client information, item descriptions, quantity, unit price, and total amount.

It’s an ideal template for small businesses and professionals who want to get their invoicing done quickly.

Why it’s needed:
For small business owners, time is critical. A simple invoice template lets you focus on the essential information without entering unnecessary details. This lets you maintain professionalism while reducing the time spent on administrative work.

Sales Invoice Template

This template is tailored for businesses selling goods — manufacturers, exporters, wholesalers, etc. It includes sections for product descriptions, quantities, unit prices, taxes, shipping fees, etc.

Why it’s needed:
If you deal with multiple product lines, a sales invoice template can simplify the billing process. It’s a structure that paves the way for itemization, which makes managing bulk sales easy. Also, you can apply discounts and account for taxes in a professional and organized way.

Service Invoice Template

This invoice template is designed specifically for service-oriented businesses, including contractors, repair technicians, or consultants. Sections like labor, materials, and hours worked provide a detailed overview of the costs associated with each service provided.

Why it’s needed:
Professionals in industries that involve a mix of labor and material costs can leverage this template for its comprehensive breakdown. It helps maintain transparency with clients, ensuring both parties are clear on services performed and the exact costs associated with them.

GST Invoice Template

A GST invoice is a tax-based document where businesses can add the same clearly before calculating the total. It requires itemizing products or services while also tracking applicable GST rates. It is highly useful for its particulars, such as product codes, descriptions, unit prices, tax rates, and the total amount due.

Why it’s needed
Businesses that need to apply GST as per state and central taxation law can use this template to calculate taxes accurately while following local tax regulations.

Proforma Invoice Template

A proforma invoice is typically a preliminary bill of sale sent to customers before a service is provided or goods are shipped. This Excel template includes placeholders for estimated prices, expected delivery dates, and terms of sale.

Why it’s needed
In many industries, especially manufacturing and trade, proforma invoices are vital for outlining payment and shipping terms before the final agreement is made. This template ensures clear communication and helps avoid potential disputes later.

Commercial Invoice Template

Commercial invoices are required for international shipping and include details such as product descriptions, item codes, country of origin, and customs information. This template is well-suited for businesses involved in import/export.

Why it’s needed
When shipping products internationally, it’s critical to have a commercial invoice that complies with customs regulations. This template makes sure all necessary details are documented, speeding up the customs clearance process and avoiding potential delays or fines.

Invoice Tracking Template

An invoice tracking template provides you with the status of all sent invoices—whether they’re pending, paid, or overdue. It’s a template that includes columns for the invoice number, customer information, issue date, due date, amount, and payment status.

Why it’s needed
Those of you managing multiple clients or projects can organize your tracking of unpaid invoices. This will allow you to follow up on late payments and reduce the risk of revenue leakage.

Credit Memo Template

A credit memo is used to document a reduction in a customer’s amount owed. This template could be issued to customers for returns, refunds, or adjustments to previous invoices.

This template maintains accurate accounting records and fosters positive customer relationships. It allows businesses to clearly show the original amount, the discount or credit applied, and the updated balance.

Why it’s needed
When issuing refunds, discounts, or corrections to a customer’s account, you’ll use a credit memo so that both parties have a clear understanding of the adjustments made.

Recurring Invoice Template

This Excel template is ideal for businesses with recurring billing cycles, such as subscription-based services or retainers. It allows you to automate and track recurring charges.

Why it’s needed
If you bill your clients regularly, you’ll need a recurring invoice template that saves time. It minimizes the need to generate new invoices for each billing cycle to ensure consistency and accuracy in monthly or quarterly payments.

Freelance Invoice Template

This template is designed for freelancers and independent contractors possessing sections for project descriptions, payment terms, and due dates.

Why it’s needed
Freelancers who often work on multiple projects with different clients can use this template to organize billing per project. It offers flexible customization so that all key details are included in every invoice.

Contractor Invoice Template

The contractor invoice template is customized for businesses in the construction or renovation industry. It includes fields for labor costs, materials, and project milestones, allowing for a clear breakdown of services rendered.

Why it’s neededContractors handling complex, multi-phase projects can use this template to organize costs by category. This gives you transparency between contractors and clients, which simplifies tracking project progress and payments.

Rent Invoice Template

This template can be used by landlords and property management companies. It involves details like rent due, any additional fees (such as utilities or maintenance), and payment terms.

Why it’s neededIt is helpful in managing rental payments. Tracking tenant billing can become overwhelming. This rent invoice template provides landlords with a professional, organized document for tenant billing, ensuring payments are made on time.

Purchase Order Invoice Template

This template is designed for businesses selling goods or services where the buyer issues a purchase order (PO). It offers comprehensive details in fields like PO number, item descriptions, quantity, unit price, and total amount.

Why it’s needed
A purchase order invoice template helps align the original purchase order with the final billing so that both parties have a clear record of the transaction. It minimizes disputes and ensures order details are accurately reflected in the invoice.

When Should I Send an Invoice?

Knowing the right time to send an invoice helps you get paid on time. The best time depends on the type of work you do.

After a job is done or an order is shipped

This is the most common time to send an invoice. If you offer a service — like fixing something, consulting, or designing — you send the invoice once the job is complete. If you sell goods, send it after the products are packed and shipped.

On a set schedule

If you work on a regular basis, like with monthly services or long-term contracts, you can send invoices at fixed times — every week, month, or quarter. This is called recurring invoicing. It’s useful for subscription services, retainers, or ongoing freelance work.

Before delivery (Proforma invoice)

Sometimes, customers need to see the costs before you start the work or ship the goods. In this case, send a proforma invoice. It’s not a final bill, but a preview of the charges. It helps the customer understand what to expect and is often used in exports or custom orders.

How to Create a Professional Invoice in Excel (Step by Step)

You don’t need to be an expert to make a good invoice in Excel. Just follow these easy steps:

Step 1: Download the Invoice Template

Choose and download a free Excel invoice template. You can use one from this article or pick a built-in template in Microsoft Excel.

Step 2: Add Your Business Information

Fill in your company name, address, phone number, email, and logo if you have one. This makes your invoice look professional and helps customers reach you.

Step 3: Fill in Customer Details

Add your customer’s name, company name (if needed), address, and contact details.

Step 4: Add Invoice Information

Include the invoice number, invoice date, and payment due date. Make sure the number is unique so you can track each invoice.

Step 5: List the Products or Services

Enter the products or services you sold. Add a short description, quantity, unit price, and total amount. The Excel template will do the math for you.

Step 6: Add Taxes or Discounts

If you charge tax or offer a discount, enter the values. The invoice will adjust the totals automatically.

Step 7: Review, Save, and Send/Print Your Invoice

Double-check everything. Make sure all the fields are filled correctly. Save the file, then email it to your customer or print it.

More Free Templates in Kladana ERP Blog

Kladana offers more than just invoice templates. You’ll find helpful tools for managing inventory, orders, production, and tax documents — all in one place. These templates save time, reduce errors, and keep your operations organized.

Bill of Material (BOM) Template

The Bill of Material (BOM) template is helpful for manufacturers. It consists of raw materials, parts, and components required to build a product, along with sections for material descriptions, quantities, and costs. With the BOM template, you get all the necessary materials that are accounted for before production begins.

👉 Click here to learn how to use Kladana BOM Template.

GST Invoice Template

The GST invoice template in Kladana is tailored for businesses operating under India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. You’ll get fields for GST numbers, taxable amounts, tax breakdowns, and the total payable amount.

👉 Click here to learn how to use the GST template using Kladana.

Use this template to remain compliant with Indian tax regulations. It simplifies the process of calculating and documenting taxes.

E-Way Bill Template

You can use Kladana’s E-Way Bill template to generate a document required for the movement of goods in India. It includes fields for the consignor, consignee, product details, and transport information.

👉 Click here to learn how to use the E-way Bill template using Kladana.

This is a valuable template since businesses in India must generate an E-Way Bill to transport goods of a specific value. Using this template ensures that all relevant information is captured, helping companies to follow legal requirements.

Purchase Order Template

This template is used to formally document a business’s request for goods or services from a supplier. It includes sections for item descriptions, quantities, prices, and terms of purchase.

👉 Click here to learn how to use the Purchase Order template using Kladana.

Kladana’s purchase orders template can simplify your legal documentation process as you get a clear record of the goods or services requested. It will help avoid misunderstandings between buyers and suppliers and streamline the purchasing process.

Inventory Management Template

An inventory management template helps businesses track product stock levels. It includes sections for item descriptions, quantities, reorder levels, and stock locations. Businesses in retail, manufacturing, and wholesale can use this template to avoid stockouts or overstocking, control costs, and ensure timely product shipments and raw materials deliveries.

👉 Click here to learn how to use the Inventory Management template.

Excel vs Kladana for Invoicing: Which Should You Use?

Both Excel and Kladana help you create invoices, but they work in different ways.

Excel is a good tool for beginners. It’s free, easy to use, and works well if you send just a few invoices per month. But as your business grows, you may need more features like reminders, tax automation, and tracking.

Kladana is a smart invoicing tool that saves time. It’s part of a full ERP system. You can create, send, and manage invoices automatically. It’s better for businesses that want to work faster and avoid mistakes.

Here’s a quick comparison:

FAQs on Invoice Templates

Let’s proceed with answering some frequently asked questions.

What is an invoice template?

An invoice template is a pre-made document that you simply complete with your company’s information, clientele, product or service details, and totals. It facilitates the rapid creation of expert invoices.

Can I automate taxes in Excel templates?

Indeed. Formulas are included in the majority of Excel invoice templates. Excel will compute the tax amount for you if you enter the tax rate.

Can I use invoice templates for any business?

Indeed. Freelancers, retailers, service providers, contractors, and many others can all use invoice templates. You can select a format that works for your company and modify it to meet your requirements.

What makes Kladana templates better?

Excel lacks some of the features that Kladana provides. You can generate recurring invoices, set up automated payment reminders, use different themes, and access everything from anywhere. It saves time and helps you avoid mistakes.

How do I share or track invoices?

In Excel, you need to email or print each invoice manually. In Kladana, you can send invoices in one click, track payment status, and follow up with customers easily.

How do I personalize an invoice template for my business?

You can personalize invoice templates by adding your logo, business details, and specific fields like taxes or discounts to meet your unique requirements.

How can I track payments using invoice templates?

Many templates include sections to record payment statuses or dates, helping you keep track of which invoices have been paid and which are still pending.

How can I share invoices generated through Kladana?

Invoices created using Kladana’s templates can be shared via email, downloaded as PDFs, or printed directly, offering flexible sharing options.

How do Kladana’s invoice templates stand out from standard Excel templates?

Kladana’s templates are designed with built-in automation for taxes, totals, and payment tracking and include multiple customization options, such as branding and color themes.

Conclusion

Excel invoice templates are a great choice if you’re just starting out. They’re free, easy to use, and flexible enough for many types of businesses. With a few clicks, you can create clean, professional invoices that get the job done.

But as your business grows, managing everything in Excel can become slow and messy. You might need features like payment reminders, tax automation, and invoice tracking.

That’s where Kladana helps. It lets you create and send invoices faster, manage recurring payments, and stay on top of your cash flow — all in one place.

Start with Excel. Switch to Kladana when you’re ready to scale.