Who invoiceninja is for#
Freelancers billing tracked hours
Track time against a project, convert tasks to an invoice, and let the client pay online from the portal.
Skip if:
You only send a handful of invoices a year and a spreadsheet template is enough.
Small agencies with recurring clients
Set up recurring invoices and auto-billing for retainers, and send quotes that clients approve with an e-signature.
Skip if:
You need full double-entry accounting, since the pack describes invoicing, expenses, and reports rather than a general ledger.
Teams that want to control where billing data lives
Run the app on your own server or VM, or through Docker, and keep client and payment records on infrastructure you manage.
Skip if:
You do not want to maintain a PHP application and would rather use the hosted plan.
The problem it solves#
Small businesses and freelancers often pay for an invoicing product, then add separate tools for expenses and time tracking. Billable hours get copied by hand into invoices, payments are reconciled elsewhere, and client data ends up duplicated. Paid platforms also charge per plan tier, and features like a branded client portal or unlimited clients sit behind higher subscriptions. Invoice Ninja puts invoicing, payments, expenses, and projects in one application you can host yourself.
How it solves it#
Invoices, quotes, and recurring billing
Create and send invoices from 11 customizable templates branded with your logo and colors. Send quotes that clients approve with an e-signature, then convert them to invoices. Recurring invoices and auto-billing handle repeat clients.
Online payments through many gateways
Clients pay directly from the invoice. The product site lists Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless, and many more payment gateways.
Time tracking and projects
Create projects, track billable time, plan work on Kanban boards, and convert tasks to invoices in one click.
Expenses, vendors, and purchase orders
Track expenses and vendors, manage purchase orders, and import bank and credit card transactions. Bank sync is listed under the Enterprise plan on the hosted service.
Branded client portal
Clients get a portal where they view invoices, pay, and manage documents. A custom domain such as Billing.YourCompany.com is listed on the hosted Enterprise plan.
API and integrations
A documented API covers the application, and the site lists Zapier, Make, and Pabbly for connecting Gmail, QuickBooks, Slack, and MailChimp. Mobile apps exist for iPhone, Android, and F-Droid, and desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Strengths and trade-offs#
Strengths
- One app for the whole billing loopTasks, quotes, invoices, payments, and expenses connect inside one system, so billable time turns into an invoice without re-entry.
- Self-host with several install pathsThe README lists a server or VM install, a Docker image, and packaged installs through Cloudron, Softaculous, Elestio, and YunoHost.
- Pro and Enterprise features in the sourceAccording to the README, all Pro and Enterprise features from the hosted app are included in the source-available code. A $40 per year white-label license removes the Invoice Ninja branding from client-facing parts.
- Active, long-running projectThe repository was created in 2013, has over 10,000 stars and 2,700 forks, and received a push on 2026-09-29.
Trade-offs
- -Source-available license, not OSI open sourceIt uses the Elastic License 2.0. You may self-host, modify, and use it internally for any purpose, including commercial business operations. You may not offer it as a hosted or managed service to third parties, and license key functionality must not be altered or circumvented.
- -You run a PHP and Laravel stackSelf-hosting means managing a web server, PHP dependencies through Composer, a database, and an .env file. The README warns that losing the APP_KEY used to encrypt data means you cannot run the application.
- -Updates should follow release tagsThe README says to update using the latest tag rather than a branch such as v5-develop, to avoid pulling work-in-progress code. That adds a manual step to each upgrade.
- -Open issues to watchThe repository lists 208 open issues. Check the tracker for problems in the gateway or feature you depend on before committing.
invoiceninja vs alternatives#
Invoice Ninja vs QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is a commercial accounting platform sold as a subscription. Invoice Ninja focuses on invoicing, quotes, expenses, projects, and time tracking, and connects to QuickBooks through Zapier and other integrations listed on its site. If you need a full accounting suite, keep a dedicated accounting product; if your main job is billing clients, Invoice Ninja covers it and can run on your own server.
Invoice Ninja vs FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a paid invoicing and accounting service aimed at small businesses. Invoice Ninja overlaps on invoices, expenses, and time tracking, and adds Kanban project boards and a self-hosted option. The hosted Invoice Ninja service has a free plan with 5 clients, and Pro at $14 per month for unlimited clients, per the product site.
Invoice Ninja vs Xero
Xero is a commercial accounting platform. Invoice Ninja does not present itself as a general ledger, so teams that rely on bookkeeping features should treat it as the billing layer rather than a full replacement.
Licensing difference
Invoice Ninja is under the Elastic License 2.0. You can self-host it and use it for your own business, but you cannot resell it as a hosted service. The paid products above are proprietary and cannot be self-hosted at all.
Quick start#
Self-hosting installs a tagged release on a PHP server with Composer and a configured .env file.
```bash
git clone --depth 1 -b v5.11.53 https://github.com/invoiceninja/invoiceninja.git
cp .env.example .env
composer i -o --no-dev
```What it's built on#
- Languages
- JavaScriptPHPTypeScript
- Frameworks
- FlutterLaravel
FAQ#
Is Invoice Ninja open source?
It is source-available under the Elastic License 2.0, which is not an OSI-approved open source license. GitHub does not declare an SPDX license for the repo. You can self-host and modify it, but you cannot offer it to third parties as a hosted or managed service.
Can I use it commercially if I self-host?
Yes for internal use. You may self-host, modify, and use it for any purpose including running your own business. Reselling it as a hosted or managed service where others access its features is not allowed.
How do I self-host it?
The README lists a server or VM install, a Docker image, and packaged installs on Cloudron, Softaculous, Elestio, and YunoHost. A quick setup clones a tagged release, copies .env.example to .env, and runs composer install.
Which paid tools does it replace?
It is listed as an alternative to QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Xero, and Zoho Invoice for invoicing, expenses, and time tracking.
Similar open-source tools#
Frappe Books
Free bookkeeping app for small businesses, stores data locally
FckSignups
Open-source tools that work instantly, no signup required
rakazo
AI teammates you own: your keys, your model, your machine.
paperclip
Self-hosted AI agent management with org charts and budgets
tradingview-mcp
MCP bridge for AI-assisted TradingView chart analysis
knowledge-work-plugins
Open source AI plugins for knowledge workers in Claude