Alternatives
Invoice Ninja alternatives for freelancers and small teams
Invoice Ninja is invoicing software for freelancers and small businesses: invoices and online payments, expenses, time tracking and projects.[1] You can use its hosted plans or run it on your own server; its self-hosting terms say the code has used the Elastic License 2.0 since June 2021.[2] Below are 4 alternatives, with facts taken from each vendor’s own website, and an honest list of where Invoice Ninja is the better fit.
Last checked: November 5, 2026. Prices are list prices shown that day; vendors often run temporary discounts.
Invoice Ninja at a glance
- The Free plan covers up to 5 clients with unlimited invoices, and already includes online payments, recurring invoices, time tracking, expenses, inventory and a client portal.[3]
- Ninja Pro costs $14 a month or $140 a year and adds unlimited clients, removal of the Invoice Ninja branding, sending through Gmail, Microsoft or your own SMTP server, automatic reminder emails, reports, API access and US sales tax by state.[3]
- Enterprise starts at $18 a month for 1–2 users and rises with the number of users, up to $300 a month for 51–100; it adds user permissions, bank account sync, a client portal on your own domain and PEPPOL e-invoicing.[3]
- Yearly billing gives 2 months free, and every paid plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.[3]
- Clients pay from a Pay Now button through your own gateway account, such as Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless, Authorize.net, Mollie or Razorpay, or follow bank transfer instructions you add; the gateway handles the card data.[4]
- Taxes can be set per line or on the invoice total, inclusive or exclusive, and invoices work in dozens of currencies and languages, with automatic conversion to your account's currency.[5]
- Enterprise includes 250 PEPPOL credits for e-invoices sent through Storecove; more cost $50 for 500 or $100 for 1,000, valid for one year.[6]
- Its self-hosting terms say every Pro and Enterprise feature of the hosted app is in the self-hosted code, which runs at your own risk, with your data on your own infrastructure and no mandatory telemetry.[2]
- Native apps for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux sync with the web app.[7]
Invoice Ninja and Clodou
| Invoice Ninja | Clodou | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Hosted plans, or a self-host option with source-available code[8] | Hosted only, on one server in the EU; no self-hosting, source code not public |
| Pricing | Free, Pro $14 a month ($140 a year), Enterprise from $18 a month for 1–2 users[3] | Per workspace: Free, Solo $29 (1 seat) or Team $79 (5 seats) a month |
| Free plan | Yes: up to 5 clients, unlimited invoices[3] | Yes: 20 requests and 3 quotes or invoices a month, after a 14-day Team trial |
| Team members | Extra users on Enterprise only, up to 100, priced by number of users[3] | Team includes 5 seats, then $12 per extra seat a month |
| Quotes and invoices | Quotes clients approve or e-sign online, then convert to invoices; recurring invoices with auto-billing; deposits and partial payments[9] | Quotes and invoices from a chat message, quote to invoice in one step, partial payments, monthly retainer drafts |
| Payment reminders | Automatic reminder emails from Pro[3] | Prepared for your approval; sent automatically on Team if you switch it on |
| Online payments | Stripe, PayPal, Square, GoCardless and many more gateways, on every plan[3] | No card processing; your own payment link printed on invoices (Team) |
| Client portal and e-signature | Client portal on every plan, with quote approval and optional e-signature[10] | No |
| Bank sync and e-invoicing | Bank account sync and PEPPOL e-invoicing on Enterprise[3] | No bank feeds and no e-invoicing; CSV exports and a profit & tax summary |
| AI | No AI assistant or MCP server listed on its features page[9] | A chat agent that adds clients, writes quotes and invoices and logs time and expenses, plus an MCP server and claude.ai connector; sensitive actions wait for approval |
| Mobile and desktop | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux apps[7] | No app; web only |
Where Invoice Ninja is a better fit
- You want to run invoicing on your own server, with your data on your own infrastructure and every Pro and Enterprise feature in the self-hosted code.[2]
- You want the lowest paid price for unlimited clients: Pro is $14 a month or $140 a year.[3]
- You need a client portal where clients see their invoices, approve or e-sign quotes and save a payment method, on every plan including Free.[10]
- You want clients to pay by card, bank debit, PayPal or other methods through one of many gateways, with auto-billing for recurring invoices.[4]
- You need PEPPOL e-invoicing or bank account sync (Enterprise).[3]
- You invoice in many currencies or languages, with automatic conversion to your account's currency.[5]
- You want iOS, Android and desktop apps.[7]
Where Clodou is a better fit
- You would rather type what happened than fill in forms, and want an agent that does the admin and asks before anything leaves.
- You do not want to install or maintain a server: Clodou is hosted for you, and there is nothing to set up beyond your workspace.
- You also want a sales pipeline, a CRM, monthly retainer drafts and a daily brief next to your quotes and invoices.
- You work with others: Team includes 5 seats, and only an owner or admin can approve emails to clients and recorded payments.
- You use Claude, Cursor or another MCP client and want it to work in your back office with the same approvals and undo as the chat.
Self-hosted or hosted
Invoice Ninja's self-hosting terms say the self-hosted code includes every Pro and Enterprise feature, that you own and are responsible for your data, and that reselling the platform needs a reseller agreement.[2] Clodou is hosted only. It runs on one server in the EU, you cannot install it on your own server, and its source code is not public. If your invoices must stay on your own hardware or network, Invoice Ninja's self-hosted version fits better than Clodou.
4 Invoice Ninja alternatives
1. Clodou
A chat-first AI back office: you type what happened, and the agent adds the client, writes the quote or invoice, logs time or an expense, and waits for an owner's or admin's approval before it emails a client or records a payment.
Price: Free plan (20 requests and 3 quotes or invoices a month), then $29 (Solo, 1 seat) or $79 (Team, 5 seats included, $12 per extra seat) a month per workspace, or $290 and $790 a year; every new workspace starts with a 14-day trial of Team.
- Quotes and invoices with your country's tax words (sales tax, VAT, GST, GST/HST), several taxes on one invoice (GST and QST, for example) or a different rate per line, branded PDFs and ten currencies.
- Time, expenses from receipt photos, projects, pipeline, monthly retainer drafts, inventory and purchase-order drafts.
- An MCP server for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients, with the same approvals and undo as the chat.
- Not included: e-signature, client portal, scheduling, card processing, bookkeeping, bank feeds, payroll and tax filing. Web app, in English.
2. Wave
Small business software for accounting, invoicing, online payments and payroll.[11]
Price: Starter is free; Pro is $19 a month or $190 a year in the US ($25 or $250 CAD in Canada), per business.[12]
- Only for businesses located in the US and Canada.[13]
- Card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction; Pro waives the $0.60 on the first 10 each month.[12]
- Pro adds automatic bank imports, unlimited receipt capture and automated late payment reminders.[12]
- Payroll is an add-on, from $40 a month plus $6 per employee in the US.[14]
3. FreshBooks
Cloud accounting and invoicing software for small businesses: invoices, expenses, time, online payments, projects and reports.[15]
Price: Lite $23, Plus $43 or Premium $70 a month in the US (list prices), for 5, 50 or unlimited billable clients; team members cost $11 per user per month extra.[16]
- 30-day free trial without a card.[16]
- Double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access from the Plus plan.[16]
- FreshBooks Payments is for businesses in the US and Canada; international businesses use Stripe Standard instead.[17]
- An MCP connector for Claude, announced on September 25, 2026.[18]
4. Bonsai
One platform for client management, project delivery and billing for service businesses.[19]
Price: $9 to $49 per user per month billed annually, or $15 to $59 billed monthly (shown in dollars); the Elite plan needs at least 3 users.[20]
- 7-day free trial; no free plan is described.[20]
- Contracts, proposals and a client portal from the Essentials plan.[20]
- Its own payment service, Bonsai Payments, is available in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.[21]
- Bonsai MCP connects AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor to look up and create records, left for your review.[22]
Questions
- Is there a free alternative to Invoice Ninja?
- Yes. Of the tools on this page, Wave has a free Starter plan (unlimited invoices and estimates, for businesses in the US and Canada) and Clodou has a free plan (20 requests and 3 quotes or invoices a month). On November 5, 2026, FreshBooks and Bonsai described free trials (30 and 7 days) rather than free plans on their own sites. Invoice Ninja's own Free plan covers up to 5 clients.
- Is Invoice Ninja open source?
- On November 5, 2026, Invoice Ninja's comparison page described its self-host option as source available, and its self-hosting terms said the code has used the Elastic License 2.0 since June 2021 and that reselling the platform needs a reseller agreement. Read the licence if you need a particular open-source licence. Clodou's source code is not public.
- Can I self-host Clodou like Invoice Ninja?
- No. Clodou is hosted only, on one server in the EU; there is no self-hosted version and its source code is not public. If you need invoicing on your own server, Invoice Ninja's self-hosted version fits better. Clodou fits if you want an agent to run quotes, invoices, time, expenses and reminders from a chat without maintaining a server.
- How much does Invoice Ninja cost?
- On November 5, 2026, Invoice Ninja's pricing page showed a Free plan (up to 5 clients), Ninja Pro at $14 a month or $140 a year (unlimited clients), Enterprise from $18 a month for 1–2 users up to $300 a month for 51–100 users, and a custom Premium Business plan from $280 a year. Paid plans had a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Does Clodou have a client portal or online payments like Invoice Ninja?
- No. Clodou has no client portal, no e-signature and no card processing. On the Team plan it prints your own payment link (from Stripe, PayPal or your bank, for example) on every invoice, and the agent records a payment only once an owner or admin approves it.
Your whole back office, in one chat
Every new workspace starts with a 14-day trial of Team, no card required. Then stay on Free: 20 requests and 3 quotes or invoices a month.
Sources (accessed November 5, 2026)
- [1] Invoice Ninja home page
- [2] Invoice Ninja self-hosting terms
- [3] Invoice Ninja pricing
- [4] Invoice Ninja payment gateways
- [5] Invoice Ninja invoicing and quotes
- [6] Invoice Ninja e-invoicing and PEPPOL
- [7] Invoice Ninja mobile and desktop apps
- [8] Invoice Ninja: how we compare
- [9] Invoice Ninja features
- [10] Invoice Ninja client portal
- [11] Wave home page
- [12] Wave pricing
- [13] Wave help: create a Wave account
- [14] Wave payroll
- [15] FreshBooks home page
- [16] FreshBooks pricing (US)
- [17] FreshBooks support: FreshBooks Payments
- [18] FreshBooks press release: MCP connector
- [19] Bonsai home page
- [20] Bonsai pricing
- [21] Bonsai help: integrated payment methods
- [22] Bonsai MCP
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