Invoice Ninja

Invoice Ninja provides invoicing, payment, expense, 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 through gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, and GoCardless. Users can track billable time, manage projects with Kanban boards, and record expenses and vendors. The product connects to automation platforms such as 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 encryption in transit and at rest, plus MFA availability. The free plan includes five clients, unlimited invoicing, and 11 templates. Ninja Pro costs $14 a month, and Enterprise costs $18 a month, with pricing scaled by account users.

Invoice Ninja brings billing and related small-business workflows into one product, with both hosted and self-hosted options. Its free plan has a five-client limit, while API access is available on Pro and Enterprise.

Invoice Ninja suits freelancers and small businesses that need invoicing alongside payment, expense, time, and project tracking. It may also fit users who want synced apps or the option to self-host.

Invoice Ninja combines invoicing and payment collection with tools for tracking time, projects and expenses. It is best suited to freelancers and small businesses that want those workflows together, particularly if self-hosting matters. The free plan is useful for a small client list, but its five-client cap and paid API access make growth a reason to budget for an upgrade.

Overview

Invoice Ninja covers recurring invoices, automatic billing and quotes, alongside invoice tracking, overdue-balance reports, payment reminders and a customer payment portal. That range can make it a practical billing hub for service businesses; teams that only need to issue occasional invoices may have little use for its broader project and expense tools.

Clients can pay through supported gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square and GoCardless. The company says card details stay with the selected gateway and that it does not store full card numbers. Its hosted service reports a completed SOC 2 examination and lists TLS 1.2+ encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest and MFA availability.

Key features

• Invoice creation: Recurring invoices, automatic billing, quotes and 11 customizable templates cover repeat and one-off billing. That variety is useful for businesses with multiple billing patterns, though the free plan's client cap can constrain a growing customer book.
• Collections: Payment reminders, overdue-balance reporting and a customer portal support follow-up as well as payment. Gateway choice includes Stripe, PayPal, Square and GoCardless.
• Projects and expenses: Users can track billable time, manage projects with Kanban boards, and record expenses and vendors. These are meaningful additions for service providers who need to connect work and billing, rather than just send invoices.
• Automation and API: Connections to Zapier, Make, Pabbly Connect and n8n can link billing to other workflows. REST API access is reserved for Pro and Enterprise, so users who need programmatic integration must choose a paid tier.
• Deployment and support: Invoice Ninja offers hosted use and source code for deployment on a user's own server, which the company describes as free to self-host. Support channels include email to the co-founders, community forums, Slack and Discord.

Pricing

The free tier is billed forever at no cost and includes unlimited invoicing and 11 templates, but is limited to five clients. It suits a freelancer starting out with a small roster; the client ceiling, rather than invoice volume, is the key constraint.

Ninja Pro costs $14 a month, billed monthly. It adds unlimited clients and invoices, API integration and automatic payment reminders, making it the practical step up for businesses outgrowing the free cap or needing API access.

Enterprise costs $18 a month, billed monthly, with pricing scaling by account users. It supports up to 100 users and includes 250 PEPPOL credits. The per-user scaling means the stated monthly price should not be treated as a flat cost for every team size.

Premium Business priced on request, billed from $280/year. It includes Pro and Enterprise features, direct priority support and a developer concierge; it is aimed at buyers who value that higher-touch support, with terms framed around a contact rather than a simple monthly seat price.

Platforms

Invoice Ninja has browser, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps that sync data across devices. Its platform range suits users who move between desktop and mobile. Self-hosting is another option for buyers who prefer to deploy the source-code-available product on their own server.

Who it's for

Freelancers and small businesses that bill clients, track billable time and manage projects or expenses are the clearest fit. A small operation can begin on the free plan, while growing client lists, API needs or larger account teams point toward paid plans. It is less compelling for a business seeking only a basic invoice sender or one that needs API access without a paid subscription.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Billing, payment collection, time, projects and expenses sit in one product, which can reduce the need to split those tasks across separate tools.
• Pro: Hosted and self-hosted options, plus synced desktop and mobile apps, provide flexibility in deployment and device choice.
• Pro: The free tier allows unlimited invoices and templates, so its main stated limit is client count rather than billing volume.
• Con: Five clients on the free plan can be restrictive even for a small freelancer as their roster expands.
• Con: REST API access starts at Pro, so users who depend on API integrations cannot stay on the free tier.
• Con: Enterprise pricing scales with account users, making the monthly starting figure less useful as a team's headcount grows.

Alternatives

• Zoho Invoice is a free option with a forever-free plan for Indian businesses that allows up to two users, three projects and 500 invoices per year; consider it when those limits and its Android, iOS, macOS and Windows apps fit better than Invoice Ninja's five-client free plan.
• BILL Accounts Payable is a paid alternative with a free trial and an Essentials subscription for accounts payable and accounts receivable; consider it when that combined AP/AR focus is the priority.
• InvoiceShelf is a free, open-source, self-hosted option with unlimited invoices and customers and no seats or subscription; choose it if those uncapped terms matter more than Invoice Ninja's broader stated workflow tools.
• Invoiced offers custom pricing for buyers seeking a quote based on requirements and use.
• Emagia Receivables Management is an enterprise receivables-management option with pricing by inquiry.
• Versapay offers tailored pricing that varies with invoice volume, customer count, users, integrations and capabilities.
• AccountsReceivable.ai has a paid annual Starter plan; consider it when its stated invoicing and dunning plan fits the need.
• ezyCollect is a paid alternative with a free trial and annual plans; consider it when its debtor and workflow limits suit the operation.

For broader comparisons, browse Accounts Receivable Software, Time and Expense Software, Time Billing Software, Freelance Invoicing Software and Invoicing software.

Verdict

Invoice Ninja is a strong choice for freelancers and small businesses that want billing, collections and service-work tracking in one system, with the option to self-host. The five-client free limit is manageable for a starter roster, but businesses expecting to grow or needing API access should plan for Pro; buyers who only need basic invoicing may be better served by a narrower tool.