Whoever needs an invoice quickly for a consulting hour or a small job does not have to open an accounting program for that. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini build a table with line items, amounts and VAT from a short description. The three tools differ significantly, though, in price, requirements and how they handle customer data.
Three AI tools build invoice tables from a single sentence
All three providers have expanded their chat assistants so they can build a complete table on command, not just explain individual formulas. According to the OpenAI help page, you open the “Work” area in ChatGPT, describe the file you want and name the output format – ChatGPT then creates a table that can be reused as a file.
Microsoft users find Copilot right in the Excel ribbon. According to Microsoft Support, Copilot generates data based on a prompt, builds formulas, and creates tables and charts – handy for filling an existing uniformly designed Excel table with invoice data.
Google builds its assistant Gemini directly into Google Sheets. Per Google’s documentation, a prompt in the side panel is enough for Gemini to build an entire spreadsheet, structure included – similar to the recently covered building of mini apps from spreadsheet data.
| Tool | Price (individual) | Requirement | Privacy note | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Work (OpenAI) | From ChatGPT Plus, around 23 euros a month | Paid ChatGPT account; a plain free account is reportedly not enough | In Business, Enterprise or Edu accounts, inputs reportedly aren’t used for training; on Plus this can be switched off in data controls | Web and mobile app |
| Copilot in Excel (Microsoft) | For individuals 22 euros a month via Microsoft 365 Premium; company accounts often add a Copilot license from around 15.60 euros per user a month | Current Excel version with a Microsoft 365 subscription; the Copilot feature must be included in the plan | IT admins can see usage data according to Microsoft; the privacy statement covers the exact AI data handling | Excel for Windows, Mac and web, limited on mobile |
| Gemini in Google Sheets (Google) | 21.99 euros a month via the Google AI Pro plan | Google account with Google AI Pro or higher; the cheaper Google AI Plus plan is reportedly not enough | Google collects prompts and generated content per its support pages; human review is possible – avoid entering sensitive data | Google Sheets in the browser |
The everyday payoff shows up in a consulting invoice example
Someone billing three hours of consulting at 80 euros plus 19 percent VAT can type those figures along with their company details into one sentence for the assistant of choice. All three tools turn that into a table with line items, subtotal, tax and total, which can then be saved as an Excel or Google Sheets file and emailed out.
The difference shows up in what happens next: anyone who already turns PDF invoices into an Excel spreadsheet with ChatGPT can now use “Work” to go the other way and draft the original invoice in the same tool. Copilot pays off when the invoice then lives on in the company’s own Excel format with built-in formulas. Gemini fits best when customer data already sits in Google Sheets.
Price and requirements decide the right pick
Anyone already paying for ChatGPT Plus for other tasks saves an extra subscription by using “Work.” Employees with a company Microsoft 365 account should first ask IT whether Copilot is already licensed before signing up for a personal Premium plan. Those already on Google Workspace or a personal Google account stay in familiar territory with Gemini.
Free accounts are not enough for a complete invoice table with any of the three tools – all three require a paid subscription starting around 20 to 23 euros a month. Anyone who only needs the feature occasionally should watch the monthly cancellation terms rather than jumping straight into an annual plan.
None of the three tools is real accounting software. None of the assistants automatically checks completeness for legally valid invoices with a consecutive invoice number, correct tax ID and the other mandatory fields under German tax law, and recurring invoices cannot simply be auto-numbered or archived in a GoBD-compliant way. For a one-off invoice to a private customer that may be enough – but anyone invoicing regularly and by the book still needs dedicated invoicing software or a tax advisor.
