# Invoice Ninja — Open Source Invoicing and Payments

> Invoice Ninja is a free, open-source platform for invoicing, payments, expenses, and time tracking. It supports over 45 payment gateways and can be self-hosted or used as a managed service.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Invoice Ninja — Open Source Invoicing and Payments

## Quick Use
```bash
docker run -d --name invoiceninja 
  -p 8080:80 
  -e APP_URL=http://localhost:8080 
  invoiceninja/invoiceninja
# Visit http://localhost:8080/setup
```

## Introduction
Invoice Ninja is a full-featured invoicing platform that handles the complete billing cycle from quotes and proposals through invoices, payments, and expense tracking. It is built on Laravel and Flutter, offering both a web dashboard and native mobile apps for iOS and Android.

## What Invoice Ninja Does
- Creates and sends professional invoices with customizable templates and branding
- Accepts online payments through 45+ gateways including Stripe, PayPal, and Square
- Tracks expenses, vendor bills, and purchase orders with receipt attachment support
- Records time entries and converts tracked hours into invoices with configurable rates
- Generates recurring invoices and auto-bills clients on configurable schedules

## Architecture Overview
The backend is a Laravel PHP application using MySQL or PostgreSQL for data storage. The admin portal is a Flutter web application compiled to JavaScript, providing a responsive single-page experience. PDF generation uses the Snappy library with wkhtmltopdf. The REST API supports all operations available in the UI, enabling integration with accounting tools, CRMs, and custom workflows.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Deploy via Docker Compose or install on a LAMP stack with PHP 8.1+ and MySQL 5.7+
- Configure SMTP settings in .env for sending invoices and payment receipts via email
- Set up payment gateway credentials in the admin panel to accept online payments
- Enable cron jobs for recurring invoices, payment reminders, and scheduled reports
- Customize invoice templates using the built-in designer or import custom HTML/CSS designs

## Key Features
- Support for 45+ payment gateways with automatic payment reconciliation
- Multi-company support allowing freelancers and agencies to manage separate businesses
- Client portal where customers view invoices, make payments, and approve quotes
- Tax rate management with compound taxes, tax-inclusive pricing, and regional tax rules
- REST API with OAuth2 and token authentication for automation and integrations

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **FreshBooks** — commercial cloud invoicing with polished UX, no self-hosting option
- **Akaunting** — open-source accounting software, broader scope but less invoicing depth
- **Crater** — open-source Laravel invoicing, smaller feature set and community
- **Zoho Invoice** — freemium cloud service, limited customization, vendor lock-in
- **Wave** — free cloud invoicing with ads, no self-hosting, limited payment gateways

## FAQ
**Q: Is Invoice Ninja truly free for self-hosting?**
A: Yes. The self-hosted version is fully open source under the Elastic License 2.0. The hosted version offers a free tier and paid plans with additional features.

**Q: Can I white-label invoices with my own branding?**
A: Yes. You can customize logos, colors, fonts, and invoice layouts. The Enterprise plan additionally removes Invoice Ninja branding from client-facing pages.

**Q: Does it integrate with accounting software?**
A: Yes. Invoice Ninja integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, and accounting exports. The API also enables custom integrations with any system.

**Q: How does recurring billing work?**
A: You create a recurring invoice with a frequency (weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.) and Invoice Ninja automatically generates and optionally auto-bills the client on each cycle.

## Sources
- https://github.com/invoiceninja/invoiceninja
- https://invoiceninja.com/docs

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/6887eac2-3b87-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: Script Depot