Which invoice layout should I use for a web, desktop or mobile app?

Start from the layout that matches how you bill. For a web app built in milestones, use the web development invoice. For desktop, cross-platform or back-end software billed by sprint hours, use the software development invoice. For an Android app project, use the Android app development invoice, and for monthly upkeep of a live mobile app, use the mobile app maintenance invoice.

How do I bill hosting, app store and third-party fees?

List each fee after the sales tax line at the amount the provider charged, and note that it's passed on at cost, the way the four linked layouts do. If the accounts belong to your client, mention that in the notes.

How do I invoice maintenance after an app launches?

Bill a monthly retainer covering an agreed number of hours, and put any time beyond it on a separate line at your hourly rate. State the month covered and the hours worked. The mobile app maintenance layout uses these lines, and you can reuse them for a web or desktop app.

Should an app development invoice show milestones or hours?

Follow your agreement. Bill a fixed-price milestone after the client accepts it, and add the acceptance date to the line. For hourly work, show the number of hours, the hourly rate and the dates worked, and keep your time records in case the client asks to see them.

Do I charge sales tax on app development?

This page doesn't say whether your app work is taxable. The linked layouts put sales tax on its own line, labeled "if applicable", so you can enter a rate or leave it at zero. Check your state's rules or ask a tax professional.

App Development Invoice Template

Invoice web, desktop and mobile app work by milestone, by the hour or as a monthly maintenance retainer, starting from the invoice layout that matches the job

Create Your Invoice View All Templates

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Quick answer:This page shows how to invoice web, desktop and mobile app development by fixed-fee milestone, by the hour or as a monthly maintenance retainer, with hosting, app store and third-party fees passed through at cost. It links four invoice layouts (web development, software development, Android app development and mobile app maintenance), each with a printable blank PDF plus Word and Excel versions you can change.

Key Features

Everything you need in a professional invoice template.

Fixed-price milestone lines, each showing when the client accepted it

Hourly lines by role or task, with the rate and the period

A monthly maintenance retainer, plus any extra time on a separate line

Hosting, app store and third-party fees passed on at cost

A retainer or deposit credit before the amount due

Pick the invoice layout that matches the work

Each layout in the table has its own page, where it comes as a printable blank PDF and in Word and Excel, pre-filled with sample entries for you to change.

App work you're billing	Lines the layout already has	Start from
A web app or website, built in phases	Fixed-price phases, additional time billed by the hour, hosting, domain and license costs passed on without markup, and the retainer credit	Web development invoice template
Desktop, cross-platform or back-end software	Each role's sprint hours at its own rate, one fixed-price milestone, and outside services passed on at cost	Software development invoice template
An Android app project	Fixed-price milestones, testing and submission to the app store, platform fees passed on at cost, and the retainer credit	Android app development invoice template
Upkeep of a live mobile app on iOS or Android	A monthly retainer that includes some hours, extra time for OS updates and bug fixes, and hosting passed on at cost	Mobile app maintenance invoice template

What to put on an app development invoice

From and to: your business name and address, how to reach you, the client's company and the person who signs off invoices.
Numbering and dates: a unique invoice number, the issue date, your payment terms and the date payment is due.
Project reference: the agreement or statement of work, and the app's name and platforms (for example web, Windows and macOS, or iOS and Android).
The work, line by line: each milestone with its acceptance date, or hourly work by role or task with the rate and the period.
Change requests: each change on a separate line that cites the change order and uses the rate from your agreement.
Pass-through costs: hosting, app store, domain and third-party service fees at the amount on the provider's bill, after the sales tax line, marked as billed at cost.
Credits: any retainer or deposit you've already received, taken off before the amount due.
How to pay: which payment methods you take, and the invoice reference the client should use.

Three sample invoices: web, desktop and mobile

The figures below are invented to show the arithmetic. Use your own rates and the terms in your agreement.

Web app billed by milestone (web development layout)

Milestone 2, user accounts and dashboard, accepted November 12, 2026: 4,000.00
Change request CR-04, reporting screen: 6 hours × 95.00 = 570.00
Subtotal: 4,000.00 + 570.00 = 4,570.00
Hosting, at cost: 64.00
Total: 4,570.00 + 64.00 = 4,634.00
Less retainer applied: 1,000.00
Amount due: 4,634.00 − 1,000.00 = 3,634.00

Desktop app billed by sprint (software development layout)

Senior developer, Sprint 7: 40 hours × 120.00 = 4,800.00
QA engineer, Sprint 7: 12 hours × 80.00 = 960.00
Milestone, Windows and macOS installers, accepted November 13, 2026: 1,500.00
Subtotal: 4,800.00 + 960.00 + 1,500.00 = 7,260.00
Third-party license, at cost: 150.00
Amount due: 7,260.00 + 150.00 = 7,410.00

Mobile app for iOS and Android billed by milestone (Android app development layout, with the app field naming both platforms)

Milestone 3, beta builds on both platforms, accepted November 20, 2026: 6,000.00
App store submission and review fixes: 8 hours × 100.00 = 800.00
Subtotal: 6,000.00 + 800.00 = 6,800.00
Less deposit applied: 2,000.00
Amount due: 6,800.00 − 2,000.00 = 4,800.00

After launch: maintenance and support

For a live app, bill a monthly retainer covering an agreed number of hours, and put time beyond that on a separate line at your hourly rate. List the month covered, the hours worked and any releases. The mobile app maintenance layout includes these lines, and you can reuse them for a web or desktop app.

Sample: a 900.00 monthly retainer that includes 8 hours, plus 3.5 extra hours × 105.00 = 367.50, comes to 900.00 + 367.50 = 1,267.50 before any pass-through costs.

Sales tax and pass-through costs

All four layouts show sales tax on a line of its own, labeled "if applicable", with pass-through costs listed after it, so tax is worked out on your services only. This page doesn't cover whether your app work is taxable, so check your state's rules or ask a tax professional before you set a rate.

Invoicing app work in Billed

Billed publishes this page. Its invoice software page says you can "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay". For hourly work, its time tracking page says: "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it. From the project dashboard you can invoice one task or several at once." For a maintenance retainer, its recurring invoices page says: "Choose whether to send invoices daily, weekly, monthly or yearly."

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When this isn't for you

If you build only Android apps, the Android app development invoice is the closer starting point, and if you're billing for a website rather than an application, use the web development invoice. If your client wants invoices in their own format or through a supplier portal, follow their instructions. This page is general billing guidance, not tax or legal advice.