Best Self-Hosted Invoicing & Billing Tools
Quick Picks
| Use Case | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full-featured invoicing | Invoice Ninja | Client portal, recurring invoices, payment gateways, expense tracking |
| Simple invoice generation | Crater | Clean UI focused on invoicing basics without bloat |
| Micro-business / freelancer | InvoicePlane | Lightweight, PHP-based, minimal server requirements |
Why Self-Host Invoicing?
FreshBooks charges $17-55/month. QuickBooks Online starts at $30/month. Xero is $15-78/month. For freelancers and small businesses sending 10-50 invoices per month, that’s $200-700/year for what amounts to generating PDFs and tracking payments. Self-hosted invoicing tools do the same job with no per-user fees, no feature gates, and complete data ownership.
The Full Ranking
1. Invoice Ninja — Best Overall
Invoice Ninja is the most mature self-hosted invoicing platform. It handles the full billing cycle: quotes, invoices, recurring billing, payment processing (Stripe, PayPal, and 40+ gateways), expense tracking, time tracking, and client portals where customers can view and pay invoices directly. The v5 rewrite (Laravel + React) is modern and actively maintained.
Pros:
- 40+ payment gateway integrations
- Client portal for self-service payments
- Recurring invoices with auto-billing
- Expense tracking and vendor management
- Time tracking built-in (or integrates with external tools)
- White-labeling and custom branding
- REST API for automation
- Mobile apps (iOS and Android)
Cons:
- Heavier than simpler tools (~200 MB RAM with MariaDB)
- Feature-rich UI has a learning curve
- Some advanced features require the Ninja plan
- PDF generation needs a headless Chrome instance for best results
Best for: Freelancers and agencies who need professional invoicing with payment processing.
[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Invoice Ninja]
2. Crater — Best for Simplicity
Crater focuses on the basics: create invoices, send them, track payments. No time tracking, no complex project hierarchies — just clean invoicing. Built with Laravel and Vue.js, the interface is modern and uncluttered. If you just need to generate professional invoices and get paid, Crater does it without the complexity of a full billing suite.
Pros:
- Clean, modern UI
- Invoice and estimate generation
- Recurring invoices
- Payment tracking
- Multi-currency support
- Custom fields and templates
- Tax management
Cons:
- Fewer payment gateways than Invoice Ninja
- No expense tracking
- No time tracking
- Smaller community
- Mobile app discontinued
Best for: Small businesses that want invoicing without feature bloat.
3. InvoicePlane — Best Lightweight Option
InvoicePlane is a fork of the original FusionInvoice, built in CodeIgniter PHP. It’s lightweight, runs on basic LAMP hosting, and handles invoicing essentials: quotes, invoices, payments, and basic reporting. Development has slowed, but the core functionality works and the codebase is simple enough to customize.
Pros:
- Runs on basic PHP hosting — no Node.js, no Docker required
- Simple installation
- Quotes, invoices, payments
- PDF generation
- Minimal resource requirements
Cons:
- Development has slowed significantly
- Dated UI compared to newer tools
- Limited integrations
- No payment gateway support (manual payment recording only)
- No recurring invoices in the free version
Best for: Solo freelancers who need basic invoice generation with minimal infrastructure.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Invoice Ninja | Crater | InvoicePlane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Full (quotes, invoices, credits) | Full (quotes, invoices) | Basic (quotes, invoices) |
| Recurring billing | Yes (auto-charge capable) | Yes | No (free version) |
| Payment gateways | 40+ (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) | Limited | None (manual only) |
| Client portal | Yes | No | No |
| Expense tracking | Yes | No | No |
| Time tracking | Yes | No | No |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tax management | Yes | Yes | Basic |
| PDF generation | Yes (Chrome + Snappdf) | Yes | Yes |
| REST API | Full REST API | Limited | None |
| Docker support | Official image | Community image | Community image |
| RAM usage | ~200 MB | ~100 MB | ~50 MB |
| License | Elastic License (source available) | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
Honorable Mentions
- SolidInvoice — Symfony-based, open-source (MIT). Supports quotes, invoices, and recurring billing. Good middle ground between Crater and Invoice Ninja.
- Akaunting — More of an accounting suite than pure invoicing. Handles double-entry bookkeeping, banking, and invoicing. Useful if you need accounting beyond invoicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Invoice Ninja process payments automatically?
Yes. Invoice Ninja integrates with 40+ payment gateways including Stripe and PayPal. Clients receive invoices via email, click a “Pay Now” button, and pay through the client portal. Recurring invoices can auto-charge saved payment methods. You never touch the payment — it goes directly to your Stripe/PayPal account.
Can I customize invoice templates?
Yes. Invoice Ninja supports custom invoice designs with your logo, colors, and layout. You can modify existing templates or create new ones using the built-in editor. Crater and InvoicePlane also support custom templates, though with fewer options.
Do self-hosted invoicing tools handle taxes?
All three handle basic tax calculation. Invoice Ninja supports multiple tax rates per line item, compound taxes, and tax-inclusive pricing. Crater handles multi-rate taxes. For complex tax jurisdictions (US state taxes, EU VAT), Invoice Ninja’s tax management is the most complete. None integrate with tax filing services — you’ll still need an accountant for that.
Can I send invoices in multiple currencies?
Yes. Invoice Ninja supports multi-currency invoicing with automatic exchange rate updates. Crater also supports multiple currencies. InvoicePlane has basic multi-currency support. If you invoice international clients, this is a standard feature across all options.
Is there a mobile app for self-hosted invoicing?
Invoice Ninja has official iOS and Android apps that connect to your self-hosted instance. Crater’s mobile app was discontinued. InvoicePlane has no mobile app. All three work in mobile browsers, but Invoice Ninja is the only one with dedicated native apps.
How do I migrate from QuickBooks or FreshBooks?
Invoice Ninja can import data from CSV files. Export your clients, invoices, and payments from your current tool as CSV, then import them into Invoice Ninja. Product/service items, tax rates, and payment terms transfer cleanly. Historical invoice PDFs need to be recreated or referenced separately.
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