I Was Frustrated with Online Invoice Generators, So I Built My Own (100% Free & Offline)

Whenever I need to generate an invoice, I used to do what almost everyone does: I'd go on Google, search for an "invoice generator," and just use one of the websites that popped up in the search results.

To be fair, they aren't terrible. They are free and online. But I kept running into the same frustrating problems:

• They aren't fully customizable: If I want to remove a section I don't need, I can't. If I want to add something specific, I can't. The templates are completely rigid and fixed.

• They threaten your privacy: Because they are online, your highly sensitive business and client data is likely being saved and processed on someone else's servers.

• They are bloated or paid: Many of them are either over-complicated, poorly designed, or hidden behind annoying login screens and paywalls.

I just wanted a simple, lightweight invoice generator that would let me customize almost everything in the template, run entirely offline, and keep my data safe. Because I couldn't find one that fit the bill, I decided to build my own: the KB Invoice Generator.

Why I Built It (and Decided to Share It)

To be completely honest, I didn't originally plan to release this publicly. I'm just a simple guy who makes tech tutorial videos, and I built this app purely for my own personal use.

I actually used AI to help me build it. While it's not a super complicated application, most companies who build software like this want to make a profit. They either flood you with ads or host it online to harvest your data. There are almost no open-source, fully offline invoice generators out there—and if there are, they just weren't working the way I wanted.

But once I finished building it and saw the final result, I was genuinely impressed. I thought, why keep this to myself? If it makes my life easier, maybe it can help you too. So, I decided to make it completely free, open-source, and available to everyone.

If you’ve used my other apps, like the KilObit System Monitor or my most popular project, SCRCPY GUI, you know I love making clean, practical utilities. This app follows that exact same philosophy.

What Makes KB Invoice Generator Different?

I built this tool using TypeScript, Tauri, and CSS, making it incredibly lightweight and fast. Here is what you can do with it right now:

1. 100% Offline, Private, and Ad-Free

Your business data belongs to you. Because this is a desktop app, it runs entirely on your local machine. There are no cloud servers, no trackers, no accounts to set up, and absolutely no ads.

2. Deep Customization

I wanted a template where I could toggle almost anything. In the app's sidebar, you can turn elements on or off with a single click. Don't want the shipping details? Uncheck it. Don't need a discount field? Hide it. You can toggle the logo, address fields, bank details, payment terms, and more, making your invoice as clean or detailed as you want.

3. Save Time with Presets

I hated typing my personal details and bank info over and over again. Now, you can fill out your standard information once and save it as a preset. The next time you open the app, just click your preset, and all your business details will instantly load up.

4. Simple, Fast PDF Exporting

Once you’ve filled out your invoice, just click Export PDF. It uses your browser's native print engine, allowing you to preview the document, print it directly, or save it to your computer. The app even automatically names the file based on your custom invoice number (e.g., INV-0001.pdf).

How to Get It

I compiled the app for all major operating systems. You can download the latest installer directly from my GitHub releases page:

 Download KB Invoice Generator on GitHub

• Windows: Download the .exe setup file.

• macOS: Download the .dmg file.

• Linux: Download the .AppImage file.

Currently, the app features one highly flexible template. If the app gets popular and you guys want more templates, I'll happily add them!

Note: In the current version, when you click "Export Backup," it quietly saves a JSON copy of your current invoice to your system, but it doesn't show a success notification yet. I'm already working on a fix to add a notification there!

Let Me Know Your Thoughts!

I love using AI to build tools that solve real-world problems that big tech corporations don't seem to care about.

Give the app a try, and let me know what you think in the comments of my videos or over on the GitHub repository. If you like the project, feel free to explore my GitHub page to see my other work.

I’ve also made a video on this topic — you can watch it below.

https://youtu.be/U4UUhuCDjiU

Check out my other posts, I post useful tutorials and tech tips, maybe you will find something useful 😉.