7 Best Receipt Makers in 2026: Honest Comparison

Looking for the best receipt maker or bill generator? There are dozens of tools out there, and they range from full-featured builders to basic invoice tools with a receipt option tacked on. Some are free, some charge per receipt, and some lock everything behind a subscription.

We tested seven of the most popular receipt makers and generators available in 2026 to help you find the right one. This comparison covers features, pricing, limitations, and which tool works best for different use cases.

Quick Comparison Table

1. MakeMyReceipt

Best for: Anyone who needs realistic, customizable receipts with full control over layout and styling.

MakeMyReceipt is a dedicated receipt builder with a modular section-based editor. Instead of filling out a rigid form, you add, remove, and reorder sections like headers, item lists, totals, payment details, barcodes, and custom messages. Everything updates in real time on a receipt preview that looks like actual thermal paper.

What stands out

• 80+ templates covering retail, restaurants, pharmacies, hotels, auto services, and more
• Drag-and-drop section editor so you can build receipts from scratch or customize any template
• Thermal paper styling with realistic fonts and paper textures
• Multiple export formats: PNG, PDF, and JPEG
• Barcode generation: Code128 and QR codes built right in
• No account required to start creating
• Completely free with no watermarks or paywalls

Pricing

100% free! Full access to the builder, all templates, and clean exports with no watermark. No account required.

Make your receipt for free →

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2. Zoho Invoice

Best for: Small businesses already using Zoho's ecosystem who need basic receipts alongside invoicing.

Zoho Invoice is primarily an invoicing platform, but it includes a free receipt generator. The receipt tool is straightforward: fill in your business info, add line items, and download a PDF.

What stands out

• Completely free with no watermarks
• Part of Zoho's ecosystem (connects to Zoho Books, CRM, and other tools)
• Multi-currency support for international businesses
• Professional templates with clean design
• Online payment integration built in

Pricing

Free. Zoho Invoice is free for small businesses, including the receipt generator.

Limitations

The receipt generator is basic compared to dedicated receipt tools. Limited template options, no thermal paper styling, and receipts look more like invoices than actual store receipts. You cannot customize the layout beyond choosing a template and adding your logo.

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3. Wave

Best for: US-based small businesses that want a simple, free receipt alongside accounting software.

Wave offers a free receipt maker as part of its suite of small business financial tools. It guides you through a step-by-step process to generate a receipt with your business details, items, and tax information.

What stands out

• Completely free with no watermarks
• Connects to Wave's accounting software for bookkeeping
• Step-by-step guided process makes it simple
• Automatic tax calculations

Pricing

Free. Wave's receipt maker is part of their free accounting platform.

Limitations

US residents only. Very limited customization, with essentially one receipt style. Receipts look like formal business documents rather than point-of-sale receipts. No template variety and no drag-and-drop editing.

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4. ExpressExpense

Best for: Users who need a quick receipt with a familiar retail-style look.

ExpressExpense is one of the older receipt generators on the market. It offers various receipt templates that mimic different receipt styles, and you fill in the details through a form.

What stands out

• 50+ templates with different receipt styles
• High-quality fonts that replicate common receipt typefaces
• Fast generation with results in under a second
• Multiple receipt types: sales, restaurant, taxi, hotel, and more
• Mobile app available on iOS

Pricing

Free templates with watermarks. Standard membership is $9.99 for 20 templates. Pro membership is $15.99 for all templates. Prices may vary with promotions.

Limitations

Form-based input only (no visual editor or drag-and-drop). Limited customization within each template. The free tier watermarks exports. No PDF export. Receipts export as JPG images only.

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5. Invoice Simple

Best for: Freelancers and service businesses who need professional receipts that match their invoices.

Invoice Simple offers a receipt maker alongside their popular invoice generator. Receipts are clean and professional, with a focus on business-to-client transactions.

What stands out

• Clean, professional design suitable for client-facing receipts
• Saves client and item info for faster receipt creation next time
• Receipt-to-invoice conversion lets you turn any receipt into an invoice
• Read notifications tell you when clients view the receipt
• Mobile and desktop compatible

Pricing

Free to create and download basic receipts. Premium features require a subscription.

Limitations

Receipts look like invoices, not point-of-sale receipts. Limited template variety. Not designed for retail-style, thermal, or restaurant receipts. Better suited for service businesses than retail scenarios.

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6. ChatGPT and AI Image Generators

Best for: Joke receipts, casual mockups, or one-off images where accuracy does not matter.

This is the wildcard entry. Since early 2025, AI image generators like ChatGPT have gotten surprisingly good at producing receipt-like images. You describe what you want in plain English, and the AI generates an image that looks like a receipt.

The results can be visually impressive at first glance. But look closer, and problems appear quickly.

What stands out

• Natural language input: describe what you want in plain English
• Visual realism: at a glance, AI-generated receipts can look convincing
• Flexible: can attempt unusual or creative receipt formats
• No learning curve if you already use ChatGPT

Pricing

Requires a ChatGPT Plus or Team subscription ($20/month or more). Free-tier ChatGPT has limited image generation.

Limitations

This is where AI receipt generation falls apart for any serious use:

• Text inconsistencies: AI regularly misspells words, swaps digits, duplicates lines, or adds phantom items that were never in your prompt. You will almost always find something off in the details
• Math errors: AI frequently gets totals, tax, and line items wrong. A receipt showing 3 items at $12.99 might display a subtotal of $41.50 instead of $38.97. You cannot trust the numbers
• Inconsistent formatting: The same prompt produces a different layout every time. There is no way to get a consistent look across multiple receipts
• No editing: If one line item is wrong, you cannot fix it. You have to regenerate the entire image and hope the rest stays correct (it usually does not)
• Single file type: You get an image, and that is it. No PDF, no PNG export options, no choice of format. A dedicated receipt maker like MakeMyReceipt lets you export as PNG, PDF, or JPEG depending on what you need
• No structured data: The output is a flat image with no editable fields, so every change means starting from scratch
• Ethical concerns: Several reports have raised concerns about AI-generated receipts being used for expense fraud

AI can be fun for a joke receipt or a rough visual concept, but the inconsistencies in text, math, and formatting make it unreliable for anything you actually need to use. If accuracy or format flexibility matters, you are better off with a dedicated receipt builder.

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7. Canva

Best for: Designers who want full creative control and are comfortable with a design tool.

Canva is a general-purpose design platform with receipt templates available. It gives you complete design freedom but requires you to handle all the receipt logic yourself.

What stands out

• Full design control over every element
• Large template library for inspiration
• Brand kit to maintain consistent styling
• Collaboration features for teams
• Exports in multiple formats

Pricing

Free tier with limited templates and features. Canva Pro is $12.99/month for full access.

Limitations

Canva is a design tool, not a receipt tool. There are no automatic calculations, no barcode generation, no tax computation, and no receipt-specific features. You are manually typing every number and doing all the math yourself. This makes it slow and error-prone for anything beyond a simple design mockup.

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What to Look for in a Receipt Maker

Not all receipt tools are created equal. Here is what matters most depending on your use case.

For small business owners

You need accurate calculations, tax handling, and professional formatting. Look for tools with automatic subtotal and tax computation, multiple payment method options, and barcode generation. Your receipts need to include the five elements the IRS requires: date, amount, vendor name, description of goods or services, and payment method. If you handle a lot of cash transactions, our guide on how to create a cash receipt is worth a read.

For designers and filmmakers

Visual accuracy matters more than mathematical precision. You want realistic thermal paper styling, authentic fonts, and the ability to control every detail of the layout. Templates that mimic real receipt styles save time.

For freelancers and consultants

Clean, professional receipts that look good when sent to clients. Integration with invoicing is a plus. You probably want something that saves your business info so you can create receipts quickly for repeat clients. Not sure whether you need a receipt or an invoice? Our guide on receipt vs invoice differences breaks it down.

For expense reports and reimbursement

Accuracy is critical. The receipt needs correct math, proper itemization, and all the details your employer or accountant requires. AI-generated receipts are a bad choice here because math errors can cause your expense report to be rejected. If you have already lost a receipt, we have a guide for that too.

The Bottom Line

The best receipt maker depends on what you need it for.

If you want full control over a realistic receipt with drag-and-drop editing, automatic calculations, barcodes, and 80+ templates, MakeMyReceipt is built specifically for that, and it is completely free.

If you need a basic receipt alongside accounting software, Zoho Invoice or Wave are solid free options, but they produce business documents rather than retail-style receipts.

If you want a quick receipt image and do not care about math accuracy, ChatGPT can generate something that looks convincing, but double-check every number.

If you need full design freedom and are comfortable doing all the math yourself, Canva gives you a blank canvas.

For most people creating receipts, a dedicated receipt builder with templates, automatic calculations, and proper formatting will save the most time and produce the most accurate results.

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Need to create a receipt right now? Open the receipt builder and choose from 80+ templates, or start from scratch with our drag-and-drop editor.