You've just received a notification that you're required to switch to electronic invoices . Your first question is: "Are there any free electronic invoice software options?"
The short answer is: Yes, but with limitations . This article details free and near-free options to help you decide.
Free Electronic Contract Options in Vietnam
1. Software from the General Department of Taxation (Completely Free)
The General Department of Taxation provides free e-invoice software for small businesses .
| Advantage | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| ✅ Completely free | ❌ Basic interface, difficult to use |
| ✅ Directly from the Tax Department | ❌ Only issue one invoice at a time (not in bulk). |
| ✅ 100% Legal Compliance | ❌ Not connected to sales software |
| ❌ No CRM, no inventory management | |
| ❌ Slow speed or errors when loading multiple files. | |
| ❌ No 24/7 support |
Suitable for : Very small businesses, issuing fewer than 10 invoices per month, and not selling online.
Download link for the tax declaration support software.
2. MISA meInvoice (Free Starter Package)
| Advantage | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| ✅ 50 free invoices/year | ❌ Only 50 contracts available — once expired, you must purchase a package. |
| ✅ Better interface than CQT | ❌ No CRM, no marketing |
| ✅ Legal compliance | ❌ Each additional contract = additional fee |
Suitable for : New businesses, those that issue few invoices.
3. GTG CRM (36,888 Free Credits)
| Advantage | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| ✅ 36,888 free credits (one-time offer) | ❌ Credits are limited (but plentiful) |
| ✅ Issued thousands of electronic invoices | ❌ You need to upgrade your plan when your credits run out. |
| ✅ CRM + Inventory + Marketing included | |
| ✅ Connect with Shopee/Lazada/TikTok | |
| ✅ Automatically generate invoices from orders | |
| ✅ Integrated AI |
Suitable for : All types of businesses — especially if you sell online.
Detailed Comparison of 3 Free Options
| Criteria | CQT (free of charge) | MISA (50 free contracts) | GTG CRM (36,888 credits) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of free contracts | Unlimited | 50/year | Thousands |
| Interface | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Speed | Slow | Good | Good |
| Issuing invoices in bulk | ❌ | ✅ (Paid package) | ✅ |
| Connecting to e-commerce platforms | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| printer | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Warehouse Management | ❌ | ❌ (AMIS required) | ✅ |
| Email marketing | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| WHO | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Support | Office hours | Office hours | 24/7 |
Calculate Actual Costs
"Free" isn't always the cheapest option. Calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) :
Case Study: Online Shop, 100 orders/month
| Category | Free CQT + sales tools | MISA + sales tools | GTG CRM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Invoice Software | 0 VND | 80K-250K/month | Include |
| Order management software | 200-500K/month | 200-500K/month | Include |
| CRM software | 0 (not used) | 0 (not used) | Include |
| Email marketing | 0 (not used) | 0 (not used) | Include |
| Total/month | 200-500K | 280-750K | 199K |
| Time of invoice entry/day | 1-2 hours (manual) | 30 minutes | 0 (automatic) |
Conclusion : GTG CRM is initially free (36,888 credits) and when upgrades are needed, the Basic package at 199K/month is cheaper than the total cost of using many individual tools.
Advice by Type
| Type | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| HKD < 10 contracts/month, no online sales | Use the CQT software (free). |
| Household/Business with < 50 contracts/year | Use MISA Starter (50 free invoices) |
| Selling online (Shopee, Lazada, etc.) | Use GTG CRM (automated from orders) |
| SMBs need CRM + e-invoicing + marketing. | Use GTG CRM |
| Businesses need specialized accounting services. | Use MISA AMIS |
Conclude
Free electronic invoicing software does exist, but most have limitations in terms of the number of invoices, features, or integration with sales systems. For very small businesses, the free solution provided by the tax authority may be sufficient. However, if a business sells online or needs to manage orders, customers, and invoices within a single system, integrated platforms like GTG CRM will save operational time and optimize costs in the long run.
Start with 36,888 Free Credits
- Register at gtgcrm.com → receive 36,888 credits
- Set up business information
- Issue your first invoice in 15 minutes.
- No credit card required, no commitment.
