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Invoice Ninja
invoiceninja.org
What it is
Invoice Ninja brings invoicing, online payments, expenses, time tracking and project tools together for freelancers and small businesses. Users can create quotes and invoices, preview PDFs, manage products and request client e-signatures on quotes before converting them to invoices. Clients can pay through supported gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless, Authorize.net and Mollie. Projects include billable time tracking, Kanban boards and task management, with tracked work convertible to invoices. Apps are available for web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, and data syncs across devices. Integrations include automation services, REST API access and webhooks. The hosted Free plan is free and permits unlimited invoicing for up to five clients. Self-hosted software is free, but server hosting is separately paid. Ninja Pro costs $14 a month, billed monthly; Enterprise costs $18 a month, billed monthly, with price scaling by account users.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Invoice Ninja provides invoicing, payment collection, expense tracking, projects and billable-time tools for freelancers and small businesses.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Purpose
- Invoice Ninja provides invoicing and payment tools, expenses, time tracking, and projects for freelancers and small businesses.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- API
- Pro and Enterprise plans provide REST API access; the v5 API uses the /api/v1 namespace and documents all API areas.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.github.io
- Integrations
- Integrations include Zapier, Make, n8n, Pabbly, Integrately, Gmail and Microsoft email sending.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Security
- The hosted service states that data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.2+ and at rest with AES-256, and that MFA is available.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Compliance
- The hosted platform states it has completed a SOC 2 examination and identifies PCI-DSS and GDPR compliance; its SOC 2 report is available to customers and prospective customers under NDA.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Support
- The maker lists community forums and documentation for all plans, and direct priority support for paid plans on its feature comparison.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Founded
- 2014Read 23 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.org
- Apps
- The maker offers web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android apps, with data syncing across devices.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Client portal
- Clients receive a portal containing invoices, quotes, payments and documents, with optional password protection.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Company facts
- LinkedIn lists Invoice Ninja as privately held, founded in 2014, headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, with 2–10 employees.Read 21 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Company founding
- Invoice Ninja says it launched in 2014 and is bootstrapped by three founders.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Company history
- Invoice Ninja says it launched in 2014 and is bootstrapped and founder-run.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Documentation
- Documentation covers user operations, hosted use, self-hosting, developer workflows, OpenAPI references, authentication, gateways and troubleshooting.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.github.io
- Expenses and vendors
- Users can manage vendors, categorize expenses and re-invoice expenses to clients.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Free-plan limit
- The hosted Free plan includes up to five clients and unlimited invoicing; Pro and Enterprise add unlimited clients.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Invoice creation
- Users can create branded invoices with customizable templates and real-time PDF previews.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Legal name
- Crunchbase identifies the legal name as Invoice Ninja LLC and lists founders David Bomba, Hillel Coren and Shalom Stark.Read 21 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
- Licence
- Invoice Ninja uses Elastic License 2.0; the official interpretation permits business use and modification but requires a commercial agreement for reselling it as a hosted service.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.github.io
- Limit: customer service
- Trustpilot reviewers report rude, unhelpful or slow support and unresolved account or expense problems.Read 21 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
- Limit: interface polish
- A GetApp reviewer describes the tool as suitable for self-hosting but lacking a polished interface.Read 21 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Limit: migration problems
- Reviewers report difficult or failed migrations from version 4 to version 5, including lockouts and unwanted emails.Read 21 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Notable pricing news
- Invoice Ninja announced that Pro pricing would rise to $14 per month and Enterprise pricing would start at $18 per month from January 1, 2026.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Outages
- StatusGator records officially acknowledged five-minute outages on February 6, February 22, May 11 and June 14, 2026.Read 21 Oct 2026 · statusgator.com
- Payment gateways
- Supported payment connections include Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless and other gateways.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Payments
- Clients can pay invoices online through supported gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless, Authorize.net, and Mollie.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Praise: customization and value
- Independent reviewers repeatedly praise the customization, intuitive interface, broad invoicing features, self-hosting option and low or fair pricing.Read 21 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
- Praise: support responsiveness
- GetApp reports that many reviewers describe support as fast and responsive, sometimes resolving issues within minutes.Read 21 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Projects and time
- Projects, Kanban boards, tasks and billable-time tracking are included.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Quotes and invoices
- Users can create invoices and quotes, preview PDFs, manage products, and send quotes for client e-signature and conversion to invoices.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Rating on Apple App Store
- 4.6 out of 5 from 175 ratingsRead 21 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Rating on Capterra
- 4.7 out of 5 from 166 reviewsRead 21 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Rating on G2
- 4.3 out of 5 from 22 reviewsRead 21 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Rating on GetApp
- 4.7 out of 5 from 166 reviewsRead 21 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Rating on Google Play
- 4.71 out of 5 from 605 ratingsRead 21 Oct 2026 · chrome-stats.com
- Rating on Software Advice
- 4.7 out of 5 from 167 reviewsRead 21 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
- Rating on Trustpilot
- 2.8 out of 5 from 6 reviewsRead 21 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
- Recurring billing
- The platform supports recurring invoices, automatic billing and saved payment methods.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- SDK and extensibility
- The developer documentation describes Laravel-based extension points, Laravel Modules, gateway development and a published Flutter SDK repository.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.github.io
- Security controls
- The hosted service states SOC 2, PCI-DSS and GDPR compliance, TLS 1.2+ in transit, AES-256 at rest, MFA, role-based access and audit logging.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Self-hosted licensing
- The self-hosted code is available under Elastic License v2, which permits business use and modification but requires a separate agreement for commercial resale or offering it as a managed service to others.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.org
- Self-hosted privacy
- Self-hosted users keep invoices, client, and financial data on their own server, and are responsible for securing that environment.Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.org
- Self-hosted telemetry
- The self-hosting terms state that the self-hosted version has no mandatory telemetry, tracking or automated data transmission to Invoice Ninja LLC.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
- Self-hosting
- Self-hosting is available through CLI, Docker or Podman, manual installation, Cloudron, Softaculous, Elestio and YunoHost.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.github.io
- System requirements
- The current self-host guide requires PHP 8.2, MySQL 5.7 or MariaDB 10.3+, nginx or Apache with HTTPS, and listed PHP extensions including bcmath, imagick, soap, intl and FPM.Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.github.io
Plans and prices
Free Free forever up to 5 clients · unlimited invoicing · 11 templates · online payments · recurring invoices · projects and time tracking Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
Self-hosted Free Free to download and self-host; server hosting is separately paid Source-code available · No client limits, invoice caps, or feature paywalls stated Read 30 Sep 2026 · invoiceninja.org
Ninja Pro $14 a month billed monthly unlimited clients and invoices · API access · custom designs · branded URL · reports · automatic reminders Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
Enterprise $18 a month billed monthly; scales by account users up to 100 users · permissions · branded portal · bank sync · PEPPOL e-invoicing · document uploads Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
Self-hosting white-label $40 a year annual removes Invoice Ninja branding from self-hosted use Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
Premium Business $280 a year from $280/year developer concierge · priority support · design service · priority feature requests · migration assistance Read 21 Oct 2026 · invoiceninja.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Free hosted plan allows unlimited invoicing
- Quotes can be signed electronically and converted
- Tracked project work can become invoices
- Apps sync data across six listed platforms
Limits
- Free hosted plan is limited to five clients
- Self-hosted server hosting is separately paid
- Self-hosted users must secure their own environment
Who it suits
Invoice Ninja suits freelancers and small businesses that need quotes, invoicing, payment collection and project time tracking. Self-hosting may suit users who want invoices, client and financial data kept on their own server and can secure that environment.
Invoice Ninja in depth
Read the full write-up
Invoice Ninja is a billing and work-management tool for freelancers and small businesses that want quotes, invoices, expenses, projects, and time tracking together. Its breadth and choice of hosted or self-hosted deployment make it a flexible option, though the Free hosted plan’s five-client ceiling is a meaningful constraint as a business grows.
Overview
Invoice Ninja has been operating since 2014 and describes itself as bootstrapped and founder-run. The hosted service is the simpler route; self-hosting gives businesses control over where invoice, client, and financial data reside, but also makes them responsible for securing that server.
Key features
Quotes, invoices, and payments
Users can create quotes and invoices, manage products, and preview PDFs. Clients can e-sign quotes, which can then be converted into invoices. Recurring invoices, estimates, and payment requests support common billing workflows without needing to separate quoting from collection.
Clients can pay online through gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless, Authorize.net, and Mollie. That range is useful for businesses serving clients with different payment preferences. The Free plan includes online payments, while Pro adds custom invoice designs and automatic reminders.
Projects, time, and integrations
Billable time tracking, task management, and Kanban project boards connect project work to billing: tracked time can become invoice line items. Vendors and expenses are also included in Free, giving very small operations a broad starting set of tools. Businesses that need automation can connect through Zapier, Make, Pabbly, n8n, or Integrately, or use the REST API and webhooks; API access is included with Pro.
Security and self-hosting
The hosted service states that it encrypts data in transit with TLS 1.2+ and at rest with AES-256, and offers MFA. It reports a completed SOC 2 examination and identifies PCI-DSS and GDPR compliance; customers and prospective customers can access the SOC 2 report under NDA. Self-hosting keeps business data on the customer’s server, but shifts environment security to the customer.
The self-hosted code is free to download under Elastic License v2. It permits business use and modification, but commercial resale or providing it as a managed service to others requires a separate agreement—a significant distinction for agencies or hosting providers.
Pricing
The hosted Free plan costs nothing, billed Forever free. It includes five clients, unlimited invoicing, 11 professional invoice templates, online payments, projects, time tracking, vendors, and expenses. The invoice allowance is generous, but the client cap can make Free a poor long-term fit for a growing customer list.
Self-hosted costs nothing to download; server hosting is paid separately. It has no stated client or invoice caps or feature paywalls. This is the lower-cost choice for teams able to manage their own infrastructure, not a way to avoid hosting responsibilities.
Ninja Pro costs $14 a month, billed monthly, or $140 billed annually. It removes the client limit and includes unlimited invoices, API access, custom invoice designs, automatic reminders, reports, and up to 10 interlinked companies. It suits growing businesses that need more clients or those paid capabilities without user-management features.
Enterprise costs $18 a month, billed monthly, with price scaling by account users. It supports up to 100 account users and adds user permissions, bank sync, e-Invoicing and PEPPOL, 250 PEPPOL credits, and document uploads. It is the more relevant paid tier for teams with multiple users or e-invoicing needs; the per-user scaling matters when budgeting.
Premium Business is custom pricing, from $280/year. It includes Pro and Enterprise features, developer concierge, direct priority support, invoice design service, data migration assistance, and custom reports. Community forums and documentation are available on all plans; direct priority support is listed for paid plans. There is no free trial.
Platforms
Invoice Ninja offers web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android apps, with data syncing across devices. Its platform range suits businesses that work across desktop and mobile, while the API and self-hosted options also accommodate technical workflows.
Who it's for
Invoice Ninja is a strong fit for freelancers and small businesses that bill clients for projects or tracked time and want payments, expenses, and quoting in the same system. Free is most attractive to a solo operator with no more than five clients. Pro is a clearer fit once that cap becomes restrictive; Enterprise is better suited to teams that need permissions, bank sync, or PEPPOL. It is less suitable for a business that needs a hosted free plan with a large client base, or one unwilling to manage security on a self-hosted server.
Pros and cons
Pro: Free combines unlimited invoicing with online payments, projects, time tracking, vendors, and expenses.
Con: The hosted Free plan stops at five clients, even though invoicing itself is unlimited.
Pro: Self-hosting has no stated client or invoice caps and keeps financial data on the business’s own server.
Con: Self-hosting requires separate server hosting and makes the business responsible for securing its environment.
Pro: Multiple payment gateways, integrations, and project-to-invoice workflows cover more than basic invoice generation.
Con: Enterprise pricing scales by account users, so the monthly starting price does not settle the cost for larger teams.
Alternatives
Contractor+ is worth considering for a contractor who wants CRM and estimates or invoices, and can stay within five monthly documents on its free plan; it also offers a free trial.
Invoice Plus may suit someone who values offline mobile use and basic expense tracking, but its free plan is limited to 10 invoices per month.
Just Invoice offers a no-account guest invoice generator for users who want to create unlimited invoice PDFs without maintaining saved client details; those details must be re-entered each time.
Zoho Invoice is a free alternative for businesses that fit its Indian-business eligibility and limits of two users, three projects, and 500 invoices per year.
Billdr is an iOS option for users who need job cards, GST calculations, PDF invoices, and revenue reports, with a free plan capped at three jobs.
ElysionOne offers a web-based free plan with unlimited estimates and invoices, branded documents, online approval, and Stripe payment links.
Invoicely may fit a mobile or web user with modest billing needs who can work within five invoices per month and PayPal-only payments on its free plan.
Bookipi is another option for mobile, web, and browser-extension users, though its free plan allows up to three invoices and three eSignatures per month.
For more options, see Contractor Invoicing Software.
Verdict
Choose Invoice Ninja if you want one system for quoting, project work, time-based billing, and online payment, with the choice to host it yourself. Its strongest case is the breadth of the free plan and the path to higher client limits and team features. Look elsewhere if five hosted clients are too few and you do not want to pay, or if you want self-hosting without taking responsibility for server security.
Verdict
Invoice Ninja covers the path from quoting and project work to payment, with hosted and self-hosted options. Review the client cap on Free and the responsibilities that come with self-hosting.
Where Specifiction places it
- Contractor Invoicing Software#5 of 279.1
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