The short answer: free receiving exists, but check the account price
Yes, you can receive e-invoices in Estonia without buying desktop accounting software. Two genuinely free routes exist right now: Bilnex by Finbite's €0 plan gift RIK's e-biller, which is free to use during the first year. Since 1 July 2025, a bookkeeping-obligated entity that has registered itself as an e-invoice recipient in the business register has the right to demand a machine-readable e-invoice from a seller, rather than a PDF. The distinction that matters: invoice traffic itself can be free, but account management, higher volume, or an ERP connection often come with a monthly fee. That's true for both Bilnex and RIK, and it's worth confirming the exact terms before you sign anything.
A PDF is not an e-invoice, and the 2025 change didn't make every B2B invoice mandatory
An e-invoice is a file created digitally from the start, structured to a shared standard so it's machine-readable — meaning the recipient's software reads the invoice data automatically, without anyone retyping it. According to the Ministry of Finance's explanation, a PDF invoice sent by email is therefore not an e-invoice, no matter how neat it looks. Until 2025, e-invoices were mandatory only for public-sector purchases. Under the amendment to the Accounting Act that took effect on 1 July 2025, a bookkeeping-obligated entity registered as an e-invoice recipient may require the seller to issue an e-invoice for goods or services purchased, instead of paying against a PDF. An invoice is generally considered compliant if it meets EN 16931-1, the shared European e-invoice standard also known as the Peppol invoice format (Peppol stands for Pan-European Public Procurement Online, a shared network and format for e-invoices). Around 18,000 companies have already registered as recipients, and that number keeps growing.
Bilnex by Finbite or RIK e-invoice: what's actually free?
| Criterion | Bilnex by Finbite (€0/month) | RIK e-biller |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | €0 according to the price list | €0 during the first year of use |
| Receiving e-invoices | Included, including the Peppol channel | Included, activated in settings |
| Volume limit | The website advertises “unlimited e-invoices,” but the FAQ points to paid plans once you're receiving more than five invoices, so confirm the terms before signing up | No explicit invoice cap, but the later fee scales with volume |
| Contract needed | Sign-up form, no binding obligation before a contract | Digital user agreement signed by someone with right of representation |
| Accounting features | Sales and purchase invoice management, digitization, archiving | Full-featured, web-based accounting software |
| Known follow-on cost | Paid plans kick in for higher volume or an ERP connection | From the second year: €5/year for up to 10 entries a month, or from €5/month for heavier use, plus VAT |
Set up receiving in four steps
The first decision is the channel. Bilnex by Finbite makes sense if you want one simple place for both sales and purchase invoices; RIK's e-invoice makes sense if you'd rather run your bookkeeping from the same spot. Second, sign whatever agreement is required: with RIK that's a digital user agreement signed by a person with right of representation for the company; with Bilnex it's a sign-up form followed later by a service agreement. Third, switch to e-invoice receiving. In RIK's e-invoice this happens in settings, where you can also set the email address that gets notified about incoming invoices. Fourth, check your entry in the business register: once the service provider has passed your details to the register, the person with right of representation receives an email, and the choice needs to be confirmed within seven days. Once confirmed, the company's receiving channel shows up in the business register starting the next day.
Example: five supplier invoices a month, no new software
Picture a small OÜ (an Estonian private limited company) that gets five purchase invoices a month, most of them still arriving as plain PDFs by email. If the company has registered itself as a recipient in the business register, it can simply ask its suppliers to start sending e-invoices instead. A supplier with a €1,200 invoice now sends it straight through the operator; a notification lands in the agreed inbox, the owner opens it in their account, checks the amount and due date, and confirms it. The original document stays in the system, and nobody has to retype anything. The workflow is essentially the same whether you use Bilnex or RIK's e-invoice — the real difference is whether you also want to run your bookkeeping from that same place.
Check these three things before you sign
First, look closely at the free plan's real volume and feature limits. Bilnex's price page advertises unlimited e-invoices for sales invoices, but its FAQ points towards paid plans once you're receiving more than five invoices a month, so ask for the exact condition before you commit. Second, plan for the cost after the trial year: with RIK, the first year is free, but an account management fee applies from the second year onwards, scaled to how many entries you make. Third, keep in mind that accounting source documents — received e-invoices included — need to be kept for seven years from the end of the relevant financial year, so it's worth checking upfront how, and for how long, your chosen service actually guarantees archiving.
Why choose an EN 16931- or Peppol-capable channel now
No law currently makes B2B e-invoicing generally mandatory within Estonia. The 2025 amendment only created the right to demand an e-invoice once the buyer has registered as a recipient. At EU level, though, it's already settled that cross-border B2B VAT reporting measures based on e-invoices take effect from 1 July 2030 under the so-called ViDA framework (VAT in the Digital Age). If you pick a channel today that already supports the European standard and the Peppol network, you won't need to switch systems within the next decade once cross-border reporting becomes real. It's one of the few choices that costs little or nothing now and saves genuine work later.
FAQ
Can e-invoices be accepted in Estonia without purchasing software?
Yes, you can. Two real free ways are Bilnex by Finbite's 0-euro package and RIK's e-invoice, the first year of which is free. It is important to check whether there is an additional monthly fee for account management or larger volumes.
What is the difference between the free package of Bilnex and RIK e-invoice?
Bilnex by Finbite offers e-invoice reception and sales invoice management for €0 per month, but fees may apply for more than five received invoices or ERP interfaces. RIK's e-invoicer is free for the first year, and from the second year onwards costs €5 per year with up to 10 transactions per month.
How to set up e-invoice reception?
First, select a channel (Bilnex or RIK), sign a contract, activate reception in the settings, and confirm the entry in the e-business register within seven days. After confirmation, the reception channel will be displayed from the next day.
What to check before signing an e-invoice service contract?
Review the actual volume and feature limits of the free plan, consider the cost after the trial period, and check how the service ensures archiving (the law requires seven years of retention).