Short answer
Yes, but usually with a limit. In Belgium, the government offers no free tool of its own and Hermes has been taken out of service; free plans from private providers cap the number of invoices, only make receiving free or only work in an app. In the Netherlands, service providers often offer free invoice portals, and the government’s supplier portal is free for up to ten e-invoices a month to central government, though it works without Peppol.
Since January 1, 2026, VAT-registered businesses in Belgium exchange structured e-invoices with each other, in practice via Peppol. In the Netherlands, Peppol is not mandatory between businesses but is the standard for invoices to central government. The network itself is free, but you need software or a service provider to connect. This guide covers the free options as of October 3, 2026, where they stop and when a flat price costs less.
Can you use Peppol for free?
You don’t pay a subscription for the Peppol network itself. You do need software or a service provider connected to it, and that provider sets the price: nothing, a fee per invoice or a flat monthly amount. Some charge only for receiving, and some only for sending.
The Belgian government deliberately left e-invoicing to the market and offers no free tool of its own, although it notes that costs can be zero when e-invoicing is included in your accounting package or business account. Hermes, the government platform that forwarded invoices as PDF by email to businesses not yet on Peppol, has been taken out of service.
Efactuur.belgium.be: why the government offers no free tool (in Dutch)
Free options in Belgium
These providers listed a free Peppol plan on their websites on October 3, 2026. Let’s Peppol is run by the non-profit BARGE vzw. Free plans change often, so the sources are at the bottom of this page.
| Option | Free | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Let’s Peppol | Sending and receiving in a web inbox | Funded by donations and sponsors; community support, no binding uptime promise |
| Accountable | Unlimited invoicing, also via Peppol, and receiving | App only; quotes and the web version are paid |
| B2Brouter | Sending and receiving via Peppol | Up to 24 domestic invoices a year |
| Doccle | Receiving via Peppol | Sending costs €4 a month excl. VAT, billed yearly; you upload a PDF made elsewhere |
Free options in the Netherlands
If you occasionally invoice central government and your software can’t send e-invoices, you can use the government’s supplier portal (Leveranciersportaal). It is free and intended for businesses that send up to ten e-invoices a month to central government. You fill in the invoice in a web form. The portal works without Peppol: you can’t receive invoices with it, and it only reaches central government, not businesses.
According to the Dutch Peppol Authority, invoice portals from service providers are often free too. Most free Belgian plans focus on Belgian businesses, but you don’t need one to reach Belgian customers: any Peppol provider can reach any other.
Ondernemersplein: sending an e-invoice to the government (in Dutch)
Where a free option costs you time
Free rarely means everything is taken care of. Check what you still do yourself:
- Creating invoices: if you make them in Word or Excel and upload them, or type them into a portal, you keep track of invoice numbers, VAT and required details yourself.
- Receiving: in Belgium, VAT-registered businesses must be able to receive e-invoices from Belgian suppliers, even if they rarely send any.
- Limits: how many invoices can you send, and what happens when you reach the limit?
- Switching: your Peppol ID is linked to one provider. If you switch, you have the registration transferred.
- Archive: you must keep invoices for years. Can you export them if you leave?
When a flat price costs less
Count time as well as euros. If you make every invoice in Word or Excel and then convert or retype it, you pay with the minutes that takes each time, and that adds up with every invoice you send.
In Belgium, sole traders and small companies can also deduct 120% of the cost of software for structured e-invoices up to and including 2027.
Worked example: 120% deduction on a yearly plan in Belgium
Factuur Simpel Complete: €219.99 a year excl. VAT Deduction at 120%: €219.99 × 120% = €263.99 You pay €219.99, but your taxable profit falls by €263.99.
Peppol in Factuur Simpel: a flat price, no limits
Factuur Simpel is not a free plan. Complete costs €21.99 a month excl. VAT, or €219.99 a year. For that, you create invoices, quotes and credit notes with your own logo, with automatic numbering and VAT per rate, and send and receive them via Peppol with no per-invoice fee and no limit on the number of invoices. You register your company number yourself in the app, and received Peppol invoices arrive in your expenses as a readable PDF.
If you only send or receive the occasional invoice, a free option may be enough. If you invoice every month and want to create, send and follow up invoices in one app, try Factuur Simpel free for 30 days, Peppol included.
Frequently asked questions
Is there still a free government e-invoicing tool in Belgium?
No. The Belgian government offers no free e-invoicing tool of its own, and Hermes, which forwarded invoices as PDF to businesses without Peppol, has been taken out of service.
Do I need to be able to receive Peppol invoices?
In Belgium, yes, if your business is VAT-registered: you must be able to receive e-invoices from Belgian suppliers. In the Netherlands, there is no such obligation between businesses; the government’s plan to require it from July 1, 2030 is a proposal, not law.
Can I switch away from a free plan later?
Yes. Your Peppol ID is linked to one provider, but you can have the registration transferred to a new one. Export your sent and received invoices first, as you still have to keep them.
Peppol with no per-invoice fee
Create, send and receive invoices via Peppol in one app, for a flat monthly price. Try Factuur Simpel free for 30 days.
Free trial. Choose a paid subscription afterward.
Sources and further reading
- Efactuur.belgium.be: can the government offer a free solution? (in Dutch)
- FPS BOSA: Hermes
- Dutch Peppol Authority: Peppol costs for end users (in Dutch)
- Ondernemersplein: sending an e-invoice to the government (in Dutch)
- Let’s Peppol (BARGE vzw)
- Accountable Belgium: pricing
- B2Brouter: free e-invoicing
- Doccle: Peppol e-invoicing