This article is accurate as of 10 October 2026. It is based on IMDA’s list of free-of-charge InvoiceNow packages (updated 17 September 2026) and each provider’s public web page as we found it on 10 October 2026. Providers can change their offers at any time, so check the provider’s own terms before you sign up. AveriWorks is one of the providers on IMDA’s list. We don’t name or rate other providers here; you’ll find all of them on IMDA’s official list, linked below.
TL;DR
Yes, GST InvoiceNow can cost you nothing. IMDA lists 13 providers offering free packages to GST-registered businesses, with “no conditions attached” and the scheme running to 31 March 2031.
But “free” covers three very different things: a portal that only sends invoices to IRAS, a free InvoiceNow add-on to accounting software you pay for, or full accounting software with InvoiceNow built in.
Check the end date. Three providers’ free periods end on 31 March 2027, and one only starts on 1 April 2027.
AveriWorks’ free Starter plan includes double-entry accounting, sales and supplier invoices, GST InvoiceNow, an InvoiceNow inbox and P&L, balance sheet and bank reconciliation, for one user, through to 2031. Use the 7 questions in section 4 to compare any package fairly.
The IRAS letter says you have to send invoice data through InvoiceNow. Then you search for help and see the word you were hoping for: free.
A week later, some business owners find out what their “free” solution actually is. It sends sales invoices to IRAS. It doesn’t record supplier bills, doesn’t keep a ledger, and doesn’t prepare the GST return. So the old routine carries on: invoices typed into the free portal, then typed again into the accounting software, then checked against a spreadsheet before the GST F5 goes in.
The free packages are a good deal. IMDA arranged them precisely so that cost isn’t a reason to put off compliance. But they aren’t all the same product, and the differences matter far more than the price tag, which is zero for all of them.
1. What are IMDA’s free GST InvoiceNow packages?
They are InvoiceNow-Ready solutions that providers offer free of charge to GST-registered businesses on GST InvoiceNow. IMDA publishes the list and states that “the full solution package is free of charge, with no conditions attached,” and that the packages are available until 31 March 2031. The list, updated as of 17 September 2026, names 13 providers.
If you need a refresher on what InvoiceNow is and when your business must join, start with What Is InvoiceNow in Singapore?. In short, existing GST-registered businesses join in waves from 1 April 2028 to 1 April 2031, and newly registered ones are already in.
2. What IMDA’s list tells you, and what it doesn’t
IMDA’s list gives you each provider’s name, sign-up link and free period. You can download the official list from IMDA. Here is how the free periods break down on the version updated 17 September 2026:
Free period on IMDA’s list | Number of providers |
|---|---|
1 April 2025 to 31 March 2031 | 8 |
27 July 2026 to 31 March 2031 (AveriWorks) | 1 |
1 April 2027 to 31 March 2031 (starts later) | 1 |
1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027 (ends earlier) | 3 |
What the list doesn’t tell you is what’s inside each package. So we read the public page of every provider on it. Without singling anyone out, this is what we found on 10 October 2026:
Scope varies widely. Packages range from a web portal that sends invoices to IRAS, to sales and purchase invoicing modules, to full accounting software.
Only a few describe full accounting. A general ledger, P&L and balance sheet were described in the free package by only a small number of providers.
Users are limited. Free packages we could check include 1 to 5 users, and extra user licences, where priced, cost hundreds of dollars.
Some pages mention steps to activate or keep the package, such as making a first submission to IRAS within a set time, being a new sign-up, or being on a supported software version.
Some pages don’t publish the details at all, so you’ll need to ask.
None of this makes one package good and another bad. It means “free” is the start of the comparison, not the end of it. The next two sections give you a simple way to sort the options and the questions to ask each provider.
Type of free package | What you get | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
A. InvoiceNow portal | Send invoices over Peppol and submit invoice data to IRAS | Your books are kept elsewhere, so invoices are entered twice. Check it handles purchases too |
B. Free add-on to accounting software you pay for | InvoiceNow switched on inside software you already use | You still pay for the accounting software. Older versions may not qualify |
C. Full accounting with InvoiceNow built in | Ledger, invoices, bills, GST reports and InvoiceNow in one place | User limits and which features need a paid plan |
3. The three kinds of “free”
Type A: an InvoiceNow portal
You log in, create or upload an invoice, and it goes out over the Peppol network and to IRAS. It’s quick to set up and works if your volumes are small. The catch is that your books still live somewhere else. Every invoice is entered twice, and GST InvoiceNow also needs your purchase invoice data, which a sales-only portal may not handle (more on that in Does GST InvoiceNow Cover Purchases?).
Type B: a free add-on to software you already pay for
Several established accounting packages offer GST InvoiceNow free to their existing users. If you’re already happy on one of them and on a supported version, this is often the easiest path. Check whether your version qualifies, because older desktop versions may not.
Type C: full accounting with InvoiceNow built in
Here the free package is the accounting system. Invoices, supplier bills, receipts, payments and the ledger sit in one place, InvoiceNow sends and receives from inside it, and your reports come from the same data you submit to IRAS. Nothing is typed twice. This is the type that removes work instead of just meeting the requirement, and it’s the type AveriWorks is.
4. Seven questions to ask before you choose a free package
Use these to compare any provider, including us. Copy them into an email to each provider and compare the answers side by side.
# | Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
1 | When does the free period end? | Three packages end on 31 March 2027. Most existing businesses’ InvoiceNow dates are 2028 to 2031. |
2 | Does it handle purchase (supplier) invoices as well as sales? | GST InvoiceNow covers purchase invoice data too, not only what you sell. |
3 | Can it receive InvoiceNow invoices from suppliers? | Received e-invoices should flow into your books, not into an inbox you retype from. |
4 | Does it include a general ledger, P&L, balance sheet and GST return reports? | If not, you’re paying for, or doing by hand, the accounting somewhere else. |
5 | How many users, and what does each extra user cost? | Free packages range from 1 to 5 users; extra licences on some cost hundreds of dollars a year. |
6 | Are there conditions to keep it free? | Some require a first submission to IRAS within a set time, or apply to new sign-ups only. |
7 | What happens after 31 March 2031, and can I export my data? | You should know the upgrade price and be able to take your records with you. |
5. What AveriWorks’ free plan includes, and what it doesn’t
Here are our own answers, because you should be able to see them without booking a demo.
Question | AveriWorks Starter (free) |
|---|---|
1. Free period | Listed by IMDA from 27 July 2026 to 31 March 2031 |
2. Purchase invoices | Yes. Supplier invoices and supplier credit notes |
3. Receive InvoiceNow invoices | Yes. InvoiceNow inbox included; InvoiceNow transactions unlimited |
4. Ledger and reports | Yes. Double-entry ledger, P&L, balance sheet, trial balance, cash flow statement, AR and AP aging, tax return reports, GST submission and reconciliation reports, bank reconciliation |
5. Users | 1 user, 100 MB storage. Business plan: 3 users |
6. Conditions | None beyond IMDA’s scheme |
7. After 2031 and data | Basic free plan exists with paid options |
What’s not in the free plan: inventory and stock control, quotations, purchase orders and delivery orders, multi-currency, your company logo on documents (free invoices carry an AveriWorks watermark), more than one user, and the data import wizard. The Business plan adds inventory, order processing, 3 users and the import wizard; Enterprise adds multi-currency, batch and serial tracking, approval workflows and bank statement import.
Who AveriWorks free is right for
Small GST-registered businesses with one person doing the books, who want InvoiceNow and their accounts in one place.
Businesses on spreadsheets or an old desktop program who are going to switch anyway, and would rather do it once.
Anyone who wants to try GST InvoiceNow early, on real invoices, without spending anything.
Who should look elsewhere, or at a paid plan
If you need several users or stock control from day one, the free plan won’t be enough. Look at our Business plan, or a free package with more users.
If you’re already on accounting software whose provider offers GST InvoiceNow free to existing users, and you’re happy with it, that add-on may be the least disruptive choice.
6. Getting started takes three steps
Sign up for the free Starter plan at averiworks.com/register.
Set up your company, customers and suppliers, including UENs and GST registration numbers.
Turn on InvoiceNow and GST InvoiceNow, then send your first invoice and check it appears in the GST submission report.
If your mandatory date is still years away, starting now on a free plan gives you practice quarters with no deadline pressure. We explain why that matters, and how grants are timed, in GST InvoiceNow Grant Deadlines Come Before Your Mandate Date.
Frequently asked questions
Is there really free GST InvoiceNow software in Singapore?
Yes. IMDA lists 13 providers offering free-of-charge InvoiceNow packages to GST-registered businesses on GST InvoiceNow. IMDA says the packages have no conditions attached and are available until 31 March 2031, though some providers’ free periods end earlier.
Which free InvoiceNow packages include full accounting software?
Only a few, based on providers’ public pages on 10 October 2026. AveriWorks’ free Starter plan does. For any other provider on IMDA’s list, ask whether the free package includes a general ledger, P&L, balance sheet and GST return reports (question 4 in section 4).
When do the free packages end?
IMDA’s scheme runs to 31 March 2031. On the 17 September 2026 list, three providers’ free periods end on 31 March 2027 and one starts on 1 April 2027. The rest, including AveriWorks, run to 31 March 2031. Check each provider’s dates on IMDA’s list.
Can I use a free package and also claim the S$1,000 GST InvoiceNow Transition Grant?
The S$1,000 grant is for a paid InvoiceNow-Ready solution or Access Point connection, so it doesn’t apply to a free package on the same subscription. See our guides on grant deadlines and the free package versus the grant.
Do I need a free package if I’m not GST-registered?
IMDA’s free packages are for GST-registered businesses. If you’re not registered, you aren’t under the GST InvoiceNow Requirement, but you can still use InvoiceNow to send and receive e-invoices with customers and suppliers.
Is the AveriWorks free plan a trial?
No. Starter is a free plan, not a time-limited trial, and AveriWorks is on IMDA’s free package list through 31 March 2031. The paid Business and Enterprise plans have 7-day free trials.
Can I upgrade later without losing my data?
Yes. Upgrading from Starter to Business or Enterprise keeps your existing records and adds features such as inventory, more users and the data import wizard.
Start free
If you’re going to be on InvoiceNow anyway, you may as well get your accounting with it. AveriWorks Starter is free, on IMDA’s list, and has no end date before 2031.
Sign up free at averiworks.com/register, or compare plans at averiworks.com/pricing.
Sources
All sources accessed on 10 October 2026. This article is accurate as of 10 October 2026. Provider offers and IMDA’s list can change; always confirm with the provider and IMDA.
IMDA, Free-of-charge InvoiceNow packages for GST-registered businesses (updated as of 17 September 2026). https://file.go.gov.sg/invoicenow-focpackage-gstbiz.pdf
IRAS, GST InvoiceNow Requirement. https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/goods-services-tax-(gst)/gst-invoicenow-requirement
AveriWorks, Pricing. https://averiworks.com/pricing