In short
- Germany: an e-mail inbox is enough to receive, the official ELSTER viewer is free, and several tools have free plans for sending.
- France: the State offers no free portal, but more than ten approved platforms offered free or no-extra-cost plans in August 2026.
- Belgium: there is no free government tool, and Hermes was reportedly shut down at the end of 2025. Accountable, Odoo and B2Brouter have free options.
- Free plans have limits on invoices, clients or features. Check them against your volume before you rely on one.
E-invoicing does not have to cost money, especially if you send only a few invoices a month or mainly need to receive. What is free differs a lot between Germany, France and Belgium, because each country chose a different model. This page lists the free options we could confirm, with their limits, as of November 2026.
Some links here are affiliate links, explained on our affiliate disclosure. Free plans rarely earn us anything, and we list them anyway.
Free ways to view an e-invoice
An XRechnung or Peppol invoice is an XML file that a normal PDF reader cannot display. These free tools show it as a readable invoice:
- Official ELSTER viewer at e-rechnung.elster.de, pointed to by the German finance ministry, for German e-invoices.
- Papierkram viewer, a free XML e-invoice viewer that needs no sign-up.
- Our validator, which opens XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Factur-X and Peppol BIS files in your browser and checks them against the official rules. The file is never uploaded.
Germany: free options
Receiving costs nothing in Germany: since 1 January 2025 an ordinary e-mail inbox is enough to receive e-invoices, and a viewer makes them readable. You only need software for issuing, from 1 January 2027 if your 2026 turnover is above €800,000, or 1 January 2028 otherwise. Small businesses under § 19 UStG never have to issue e-invoices.
| Tool | What is free (as of Nov 2026) |
|---|---|
| SumUp Invoices | Up to 4 invoices or e-invoices a month, XRechnung and ZUGFeRD, unlimited receiving |
| Zervant | Up to 5 invoices a month including XRechnung; you send the file yourself |
| Papierkram | Free plan: create ZUGFeRD and receive e-invoices; XRechnung creation is paid |
| easybill | 50 documents a month, 3 contacts, 1 user; its price list puts e-invoice creation and receipt in paid plans, so check |
| sevDesk | A free plan exists, but sevDesk says e-invoicing is in its paid plans |
Make sure the free tool creates ZUGFeRD in the EN 16931 profile or XRechnung, since MINIMUM and BASIC WL do not count as e-invoices. Our German software comparison has the paid alternatives.
France: free options
In France you need an approved platform (plateforme agréée, PA) to receive since 1 September 2026, and to issue from 1 September 2027 if you are a PME or micro-business. Since the 2026 finance law, the State no longer offers a free public invoicing portal. In August 2026 the DGFiP said more than ten approved platforms offered free or no-extra-cost plans.
| Tool | Status | What is free |
|---|---|---|
| Indy | PA | Invoicing and e-invoicing, PA included, plus bookkeeping |
| Tiime | PA | Unlimited invoices and quotes, PA included |
| Abby | PA | Create, download and receive e-invoices; e-mail sending is paid |
| Dougs | PA | "Dougs Facturation gratuite" invoicing platform |
| Shine | PA | Free plan for up to 5 clients, PA included |
| B2Brouter | PA | Send and receive for sole traders and small businesses |
| Qonto | PA | E-invoicing free, with or without a paid Qonto account |
| Facture.net | Via partner PA | Unlimited invoices and clients |
| Henrri | Via partner PA | Free plan; whether PA transmission needs a paid plan is unconfirmed |
Check any platform on the official DGFiP list before you sign up. Our French software comparison and micro-entrepreneur page go further.
Belgium: free options
Belgium has required structured e-invoices over Peppol since 1 January 2026, for issuing and receiving. The FPS Finance chose not to provide a free government tool. The former Hermes service was reportedly switched off on 31 December 2025, according to vendor and Big-4 sources.
| Tool | What is free (as of Nov 2026) |
|---|---|
| Accountable | €0 plan with Peppol registration and unlimited Peppol sending through the mobile app |
| Odoo | Markets free, unlimited Peppol sending and receiving in Belgium |
| B2Brouter | Free plan to send and receive for sole traders and small businesses |
| Billit | Not free, but one year free for KBC customers and UNIZO members |
If you pay for a tool, the 120% cost deduction for e-invoicing subscriptions (taxable periods 2024 to 2027) softens the price for SMEs and the self-employed. See our Peppol access point comparison.
What to check before relying on a free plan
- Limits. Monthly invoice caps, client caps and user caps are common.
- Receiving. In France and Belgium the free plan must cover receiving, which you need even before you issue.
- Export. Make sure you can export your invoices if you move to another tool later.
- Output quality. Free or paid, test an exported invoice with a validator before your first real customer sees it.
Questions people ask
Is there a free government e-invoicing tool?
Not for sending in any of the three countries. Germany has a free official viewer for reading e-invoices. France dropped the free public portal in its 2026 finance law, and Belgium has no free tool; its Hermes service was reportedly switched off at the end of 2025.
How can I open an e-invoice for free?
Use the official viewer at e-rechnung.elster.de for German files, a free tool such as the Papierkram viewer, or our validator, which shows XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Factur-X and Peppol files as a readable invoice in your browser.
Can I send e-invoices for free in France?
Yes, through an approved platform with a free plan, such as Indy, Tiime, Abby or Dougs. Check that the platform is on the DGFiP list and what the free plan includes.
What is the catch with free e-invoicing plans?
Usually limits: a monthly invoice cap, a client cap, or key features such as sending by e-mail or bookkeeping in paid plans. The vendor hopes you upgrade.
Official sources
- BMF: Fragen und Antworten zur Einführung der obligatorischen E-Rechnung bundesfinanzministerium.de
- DGFiP: Je consulte la liste des plateformes agréées impots.gouv.fr
- DGFiP: Tout savoir sur la facturation électronique impots.gouv.fr
- FPS Finance / BOSA: L'administration ne peut-elle pas fournir une solution gratuite ? efacture.belgium.be
- FPS Finance / BOSA: Incitants fiscaux à l'adoption de la facturation électronique efacture.belgium.be
General information, not tax or legal advice. Check edge cases with a tax adviser.