What should a software development invoice include?

Your business details; the invoice number, invoice date, payment terms, due date and statement of work reference; the client company and contact; the project, the sprint and its dates; the hours by role with each role's rate; any fixed-fee milestone; third-party services at cost; sales tax on services if it applies; the total and amount due; and how to pay.

How do I bill hours by role?

Put each role on its own line with the hours worked in the sprint and that role's hourly rate, and say what the role worked on under "Details". The sample bills a senior developer for 48 hours at 125.00, a developer for 60 hours at 95.00 and a QA engineer for 20 hours at 80.00, 13,300.00 in all. The rates are sample figures, not market rates.

How do I bill a fixed-fee milestone?

Bill it as 1 milestone at the agreed fee, with the date the client accepted it under "Details". The sample bills "Milestone 3: driver app sync", accepted Nov 25, 2026, at 4,500.00. If a sprint has no milestone to bill, clear the sample row.

Why are third-party services after the tax line?

So the sales tax rate applies to your development work only. The services you pass through at cost, such as hosting or per-seat tools, are added after the tax, under "Third-party services, at cost". Whether those costs are taxable where you work is a question for the tax agency there.

Should the invoice mention the sprint and the statement of work?

It helps the client check the invoice against the work. The "Project" block has "Sprint" for the sprint number and dates and "Tracker" for a ticket tracker or repository link, and the invoice details have "Statement of work" for its reference and date.

Should I use this, the web development invoice or the app maintenance invoice?

Use this one to bill a sprint's hours by role, with a milestone where one was accepted. The web development invoice bills a website project by milestone and applies a retainer, and the mobile app maintenance invoice bills a monthly retainer with hours beyond it.

Which format should I download?

Use the PDF for a blank one-page form to fill in by hand. Use the Word or Excel file to type the invoice: both have the same layout with a sample sprint you overwrite. The Excel file calculates the line amounts, subtotals, sales tax, third-party total, total and amount due; you set the tax rate. All three are set up for A4 paper, so if you print on US Letter, check your print scaling.

Can I invoice software development with Billed?

Yes. In Billed your team can log time against tasks and projects. Billed's time tracking page says: "In an hourly rate project, Billed tracks the charge for each task at the project's hourly rate as you log it, and you can create an invoice for one task or several from the project dashboard." Clients can pay online by card or PayPal, and Billed can send automated payment reminders. No credit card is required to start the free trial.

Software Development Invoice Template

A software development invoice that bills a sprint's hours by role at each role's rate, a fixed-fee milestone the client accepted and third-party services at cost, in PDF, Word and Excel

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Quick answer:A software development invoice bills a client for a period of development work. The template on this page records the project, the sprint and its dates, a ticket tracker or repository link and the statement of work. It bills the sprint's hours by role, each role at its own hourly rate, and a fixed-fee milestone the client accepted. Third-party services, such as hosting and usage-based tools, are passed through at cost after the tax line, so "Sales tax on services, if applicable" applies to the development work only. It comes as a blank one-page A4 PDF form plus Word and Excel files with a sample sprint.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT INVOICE

Developer

Business name:: Example Code Works LLC
Address:: 77 Example Commit Road, Sampletown
Phone / email:: [Phone or email]

Invoice details

Invoice no.:: SD-1409
Invoice date:: Nov 30, 2026
Payment terms:: Net 30
Due date:: Dec 30, 2026
Statement of work:: [SOW ref. and date]

Bill to (client)

Company:: Example Logistics Inc.
Attention:: Engineering lead
Email:: [Email]

Project

Project:: Dispatch scheduling platform
Sprint:: Sprint 14, Nov 16 to Nov 27, 2026
Tracker:: [Ticket tracker or repository link]

Sprint 14 hours by role

Item: Senior developerAmount: 6,000.00
Details:
Route optimization service and API endpoints
Qty:
48
Unit:
hour
Rate:
125.00
Item: DeveloperAmount: 5,700.00
Details:
Scheduling screens and automated tests
Qty:
60
Unit:
hour
Rate:
95.00
Item: QA engineerAmount: 1,600.00
Details:
Regression and load testing
Qty:
20
Unit:
hour
Rate:
80.00

Sprint 14 hours by role: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Senior developer	Route optimization service and API endpoints	48	hour	125.00	6,000.00
Developer	Scheduling screens and automated tests	60	hour	95.00	5,700.00
QA engineer	Regression and load testing	20	hour	80.00	1,600.00

Hours subtotal13,300.00

Fixed-fee milestone

Item: Milestone 3: driver app syncAmount: 4,500.00
Details:
Accepted Nov 25, 2026
Qty:
1
Unit:
milestone
Rate:
4,500.00

Fixed-fee milestone: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Milestone 3: driver app sync	Accepted Nov 25, 2026	1	milestone	4,500.00	4,500.00

Milestone subtotal4,500.00

Third-party services, at cost

Item: Cloud hosting, staging environmentAmount: 312.40
Details:
November usage
Qty:
1
Unit:
month
Rate:
312.40
Item: Mapping service usageAmount: 86.25
Details:
Calls over the included quota
Qty:
1
Unit:
month
Rate:
86.25
Item: Error monitoring seatsAmount: 130.00
Details:
November
Qty:
5
Unit:
seat
Rate:
26.00

Third-party services, at cost: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Cloud hosting, staging environment	November usage	1	month	312.40	312.40
Mapping service usage	Calls over the included quota	1	month	86.25	86.25
Error monitoring seats	November	5	seat	26.00	130.00

Subtotal: 17,800.00
Sales tax on services, if applicable (0%): 0.00
Third-party services, at cost: 528.65
Total: 18,328.65
Amount due: 18,328.65

How to pay

Accepted methods:: Bank transfer, ACH or check
Account name:: [Account name]
Bank details:: [Bank name, account and routing numbers]
Payment reference:: Invoice SD-1409

Billing notes

Hours are from the Sprint 14 time log; the detailed log is available on request.
Milestone 3 was accepted on Nov 25, 2026, under the statement of work.
Third-party services are billed at cost, with the provider's statements attached.

Please quote the invoice number with your payment.

Software development invoice: sample preview. Download it below.

Key Features

Everything you need in a professional invoice template.

"Project" block for the project, the sprint and its dates, and a ticket tracker or repository link

Invoice details with payment terms, a due date and a statement of work reference

Hours by role, each at its own hourly rate, with an "Hours subtotal"

"Fixed-fee milestone" table with a "Milestone subtotal"

"Third-party services, at cost" table, added after the tax line

"Sales tax on services, if applicable" rate cell on the development work only, then the total and amount due

Blank one-page A4 PDF, plus Word and Excel files with a sample sprint; the Excel file calculates the totals

Download the invoice template

The PDF is a blank invoice to print and fill in by hand. The Word and Excel files contain the sample details shown in the preview, ready for you to replace with your own. In the Excel file, each line amount is a formula: "Qty" × "Rate". The section subtotals, subtotal, tax, pass-through costs, total and amount due are formulas too. The tax rate sits in its own cell, so you can change it.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT INVOICE

Developer

Business name:: Example Code Works LLC
Address:: 77 Example Commit Road, Sampletown
Phone / email:: [Phone or email]

Invoice details

Invoice no.:: SD-1409
Invoice date:: Nov 30, 2026
Payment terms:: Net 30
Due date:: Dec 30, 2026
Statement of work:: [SOW ref. and date]

Bill to (client)

Company:: Example Logistics Inc.
Attention:: Engineering lead
Email:: [Email]

Project

Project:: Dispatch scheduling platform
Sprint:: Sprint 14, Nov 16 to Nov 27, 2026
Tracker:: [Ticket tracker or repository link]

Sprint 14 hours by role

Item: Senior developerAmount: 6,000.00
Details:
Route optimization service and API endpoints
Qty:
48
Unit:
hour
Rate:
125.00
Item: DeveloperAmount: 5,700.00
Details:
Scheduling screens and automated tests
Qty:
60
Unit:
hour
Rate:
95.00
Item: QA engineerAmount: 1,600.00
Details:
Regression and load testing
Qty:
20
Unit:
hour
Rate:
80.00

Sprint 14 hours by role: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Senior developer	Route optimization service and API endpoints	48	hour	125.00	6,000.00
Developer	Scheduling screens and automated tests	60	hour	95.00	5,700.00
QA engineer	Regression and load testing	20	hour	80.00	1,600.00

Hours subtotal13,300.00

Fixed-fee milestone

Item: Milestone 3: driver app syncAmount: 4,500.00
Details:
Accepted Nov 25, 2026
Qty:
1
Unit:
milestone
Rate:
4,500.00

Fixed-fee milestone: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Milestone 3: driver app sync	Accepted Nov 25, 2026	1	milestone	4,500.00	4,500.00

Milestone subtotal4,500.00

Third-party services, at cost

Item: Cloud hosting, staging environmentAmount: 312.40
Details:
November usage
Qty:
1
Unit:
month
Rate:
312.40
Item: Mapping service usageAmount: 86.25
Details:
Calls over the included quota
Qty:
1
Unit:
month
Rate:
86.25
Item: Error monitoring seatsAmount: 130.00
Details:
November
Qty:
5
Unit:
seat
Rate:
26.00

Third-party services, at cost: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Cloud hosting, staging environment	November usage	1	month	312.40	312.40
Mapping service usage	Calls over the included quota	1	month	86.25	86.25
Error monitoring seats	November	5	seat	26.00	130.00

Subtotal: 17,800.00
Sales tax on services, if applicable (0%): 0.00
Third-party services, at cost: 528.65
Total: 18,328.65
Amount due: 18,328.65

How to pay

Accepted methods:: Bank transfer, ACH or check
Account name:: [Account name]
Bank details:: [Bank name, account and routing numbers]
Payment reference:: Invoice SD-1409

Billing notes

Hours are from the Sprint 14 time log; the detailed log is available on request.
Milestone 3 was accepted on Nov 25, 2026, under the statement of work.
Third-party services are billed at cost, with the provider's statements attached.

Please quote the invoice number with your payment.

Software development invoice

An invoice for software development: a sprint's hours by role at each role's rate, a fixed-fee milestone accepted by the client, third-party services and licenses passed through at cost after the tax line, and the amount due.

A request for payment — shows the amount due

Download

What a software development invoice covers

A software development invoice bills a client for a period of development work. This template is built around a sprint: it bills the sprint's hours by role, each role at its own hourly rate, any fixed-fee milestone the client accepted in that period, and third-party services you paid for on the client's behalf, passed through at cost. It records the project, the sprint dates, the statement of work and a link to the tickets, so the client can check the invoice against the work.

What's on the software development invoice

Developer: business name, address, and phone or email
Invoice details: invoice number, invoice date, payment terms, due date and "Statement of work"
Bill to (client): company, attention line and email
Project: "Project", "Sprint" (the sprint number and dates) and "Tracker" (a ticket tracker or repository link)
Sprint 14 hours by role: each role, what it worked on, the hours and the role's rate, with an "Hours subtotal"
Fixed-fee milestone: the milestone and the date it was accepted, with a "Milestone subtotal"
Third-party services, at cost: each service with its usage or seats and what it cost
Totals: "Subtotal", "Sales tax on services, if applicable" with its rate, "Third-party services, at cost", "Total" and "Amount due"
How to pay: accepted methods, account name, bank details and a payment reference, with placeholders for your own details
Billing notes: where the hours come from, the milestone acceptance and the third-party statements

The sample bills Sprint 14 of a dispatch scheduling platform, Nov 16 to Nov 27, 2026, invoiced on Nov 30, 2026:

hours by role: a senior developer for 48 hours at 125.00, 6,000.00; a developer for 60 hours at 95.00, 5,700.00; and a QA engineer for 20 hours at 80.00, 1,600.00, for an hours subtotal of 13,300.00;
"Milestone 3: driver app sync", accepted on Nov 25, 2026, at a fixed fee of 4,500.00;
third-party services at cost: staging hosting for November, 312.40; mapping service calls over the included quota, 86.25; and 5 error monitoring seats at 26.00, 130.00, for 528.65.

That's a subtotal of 17,800.00 for the development work. With sales tax on services at 0%, adding the third-party services gives a total of 18,328.65, due on Dec 30, 2026, on Net 30 terms. The rates are sample figures, not market rates.

Hours by role

Put each role on its own line, with the hours it worked in the sprint and its own hourly rate, and say what it worked on in "Details". The sample's first note says where the hours come from: "Hours are from the Sprint 14 time log; the detailed log is available on request." If one person covers two roles at different rates, give each role its own line.

The table heading names the sprint, "Sprint 14 hours by role" in the sample. Change it, and the "Sprint" field, for each invoice.

Fixed-fee milestones

A milestone you agreed on at a fixed fee goes in its own table, as 1 milestone at the agreed fee, with the acceptance date in "Details". The sample's note ties it to the agreement: "Milestone 3 was accepted on Nov 25, 2026, under the statement of work." If no milestone was accepted in the period, clear the sample row, and the milestone subtotal stays at 0.

Third-party services, at cost

Hosting, usage-based services and per-seat tools that you pay for and bill on go in "Third-party services, at cost", with the usage period or seat count in "Details". This table doesn't feed "Subtotal": its sum is added after the tax line, as "Third-party services, at cost", so the tax rate applies to your development work only. The sample's note says how they're supported: "Third-party services are billed at cost, with the provider's statements attached."

If you add a markup to a service, it's no longer at cost, so bill it as a line of your own work instead.

Sales tax

"Sales tax on services, if applicable" starts at 0% and, in the Excel file, applies to the subtotal: the hours and the milestone. Whether software development services, or the third-party costs you pass on, are taxable depends on where you work and where your client is, so check with the tax agency there, then set the rate.

How to fill in the template

Add your business details, then the invoice number, invoice date, payment terms, due date and the statement of work reference and date.
Enter the client under "Bill to (client)", then the project, the sprint number and dates, and your tracker or repository link.
Enter the hours for each role at its rate, any accepted milestone, and the third-party services at what they cost you.
Set the sales tax rate, or leave it at 0%.
Edit the billing notes, replace the placeholders in "How to pay" with your own details, and send the invoice.

The PDF is a one-page blank form for filling in by hand. The Word and Excel files have the same layout with the sample filled in, for you to overwrite. All three are set up for A4 paper, so if you print on US Letter, check the scaling setting in your print dialog so the whole page fits.

In the Excel file:

each line amount is "Qty" × "Rate", rounded to the cent, and stays blank until both are filled in;
"Hours subtotal", "Milestone subtotal" and "Subtotal" are formulas, and "Subtotal" adds the hours and the milestone only;
"Sales tax on services, if applicable" is its rate × the subtotal, "Third-party services, at cost" is the sum of the third-party table, "Total" adds the subtotal, the tax and the third-party services, and "Amount due" equals the total;
to leave out "Sales tax on services, if applicable", set its rate to 0%. Don't delete these rows, because the totals refer to them;
each table has one blank row. For more lines, insert rows above a table's blank row, copy the "Amount" formula into them, and check that the subtotal or third-party total for that table, and "Subtotal", include the new rows.

In Word or on the PDF, work out the amounts yourself.

For a general layout rather than a software development one, see invoice templates by format: Word, Excel, PDF, Google Docs and Google Sheets, or browse all invoice templates.

Invoicing development work in Billed

In Billed, your team can log time against tasks and projects. Set up an hourly rate project with its rate, and Billed works out each task's charge as you log time. You can then invoice one task or several together from the project dashboard. Clients can pay online by card or PayPal, and Billed can send automated payment reminders.

Related templates

Web development invoice for a website project billed by milestone, with a retainer applied
Mobile app maintenance invoice for a monthly retainer with hours beyond it
IT consulting invoice for managed services per device, project milestones and consulting hours
Android Development Invoice Template for a mobile app project with milestones and app store submission
App Development Invoice Template
Business Invoice Template

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What's included in this invoice template

Line	Billed as	Sample
Hours by role	Hours × role rate	128 h, 13,300.00
Milestone	Fixed fee	4,500.00
Sales tax	% of subtotal	0%, 0.00
Third-party	At cost	528.65
Amount due	Total	18,328.65

When this isn't for you

If you maintain a live app for a monthly retainer, the mobile app maintenance invoice fits better. For a website build billed by milestone with a retainer applied, use the web development invoice, and for managed IT services billed per device, the IT consulting invoice.