Clerq vs Invoice Ninja
Clerq
useclerq.netInvoice Ninja
invoiceninja.comSide by side
| Figure | Clerq | Invoice Ninja |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $3.33/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 7 |
| Spec score · Time Billing Software | 8.7 (#9) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Invoicing | Users can generate invoices from unbilled time, use multiple currencies with live exchange rates, apply three VAT treatments, and create branded PDFs and signed links. | Users can create branded invoices and quotes with product libraries, customizable templates, custom numbering, deposits, partial payments and bulk emailing. |
| Licence | The home page identifies the self-hosted source as AGPL-3.0 licensed. | The source code is distributed under Elastic License 2.0, which permits business use and modification but restricts competing hosted resale; it is source-available rather than OSI open source. |
| Purpose | Clerq is an open-source back-office suite for freelancers and small dev studios, covering clients, projects, time tracking, invoicing and expenses. | Invoice Ninja provides freelancers and small businesses invoicing, payments, expenses, time tracking, and project tools. |
| Rating on G2 | 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews on the unrelated patent-software Clerq listing. | 4.3 out of 5 from 22 reviews |
| Security | The privacy policy says Cloud passwords are stored as secure hashes and traffic is encrypted in transit using HTTPS. | Invoice Ninja states that its hosted platform has SOC 2 certification, PCI-DSS and GDPR compliance, TLS 1.2+ in transit, AES-256 at rest, MFA, role-based access and audit logging. |
| Support | Cloud pricing lists small-team support with roles; self-hosted users receive community support on GitHub. | The company says customers can email the co-founders for support and also points users to community forums, Slack, and Discord. |
| Time tracking | Users can run a live task timer or enter time manually with billable flags and weekly timesheets. | Built-in timers record billable work, and completed tasks can be converted into invoice lines. |
| What it does | Clerq is an open-source back-office system for freelancers and small development studios covering clients, projects, time, invoices and expenses. | Invoice Ninja combines invoicing, online payments, expenses, time tracking and project management for freelancers and small businesses. |
Plans
Invoice Ninja
- FreeFree
- Ninja Pro$14 a month
- Enterprise$18 a month
- Self-hosting white-label$40 a year
- Ninja Pro$140 a year
- Premium BusinessPriced on request
- Premium Business$280 a year
In their own words
Invoice Ninja
Invoice Ninja provides invoicing, payments, expenses, time tracking, and project tools for freelancers and small businesses. It supports recurring invoices, automatic billing, quotes, and 11 customizable invoice templates. Clients can pay invoices through gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, and GoCardless. Users can track billable time, manage projects with Kanban boards, and record expenses and vendors. Integrations include Zapier, Make, Pabbly Connect, and n8n; REST API access is available on Pro and Enterprise plans. Browser, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android apps sync data across devices. The source-code-available product can also be deployed on a user's own server, which Invoice Ninja describes as free to self-host. For hosted use, the company says its platform completed a SOC 2 examination and lists TLS 1.2+ encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest, and MFA availability. The free plan costs nothing and includes five clients, unlimited invoicing, and 11 templates. Ninja Pro costs $14 a month, and Enterprise costs $18 a month, with Enterprise pricing scaled by account users.