Invoiceplane

What is invoiceplane

InvoicePlane is an open-source, self-hosted invoicing and billing application that runs on a standard LAMP/LEMP stack. It provides tools to create quotes, convert quotes to invoices, manage clients and payments, and generate PDF documents from templates. Because it is self-hosted, organizations keep full control of their financial data and can customize the system to match local tax rules, branding and workflow requirements.

The project is distributed under an open-source license and is designed for small businesses, freelancers, agencies and consultants who prefer to host their invoicing system on-premises or on a private cloud. Typical deployments use Apache or Nginx with PHP and a MySQL/MariaDB database, and the application is lightweight enough to run on modest VPS instances while still offering the features expected from a commercial invoicing product.

InvoicePlane's codebase is structured to be extensible: developers can add modules, modify templates, or hook into the application to create integrations. The community around the project contributes translations, bug fixes and optional add-ons. For download and documentation, refer to the official InvoicePlane download and documentation pages on the project website.

InvoicePlane features

InvoicePlane provides a focused set of invoicing and billing features designed for self-hosted use. Core capabilities include invoice and quote creation, client management, payment tracking, tax and discount handling, and PDF generation with HTML templates. The interface lets users set invoice numbering rules, recurring invoices, and email templates for automated communications.

Key administrative features include multi-user access with role controls, configurable invoice and quote layouts, multiple currencies, and basic reporting tools for outstanding invoices, paid invoices and revenue by client. For businesses that need automation, InvoicePlane supports recurring invoices, scheduled reminders and manual export/import of data for bookkeeping or tax filing.

From a developer perspective, InvoicePlane provides template files for PDF and email customization and a modular structure that makes it possible to extend the core with custom features or integrate with other systems. The codebase is straightforward to adapt for local tax regimes, invoice numbering conventions and custom PDF branding.

What does invoiceplane do?

InvoicePlane centralizes the invoicing lifecycle for small teams and individual contractors. You create clients and items, generate quotes and invoices, apply taxes and discounts, attach terms and conditions, and export or email PDFs directly from the interface. The application tracks invoice states (draft, sent, paid, overdue) and logs payment records against invoices.

It also handles recurring billing scenarios by allowing you to create recurring invoices on schedules you define, and it can issue automated email reminders to clients about overdue payments. For bookkeeping, InvoicePlane supports CSV exports of clients and invoices, which makes it practical to feed data into accounting systems or spreadsheets.

For administrators and developers, InvoicePlane exposes template files and configuration points so you can adjust the look and content of outgoing PDFs and emails, change tax logic, or add new fields. This gives teams the ability to integrate invoice generation into broader workflows, such as linking invoices to project records in another self-hosted system.

InvoicePlane pricing

InvoicePlane offers these pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0 — self-hosted download of the core application with no license fees (you provide hosting and maintenance)

InvoicePlane is distributed as free, open-source software. There is no official paid SaaS plan offered by the core project — users download the software and host it themselves. Some third-party vendors and managed-hosting providers offer paid installation and hosting services for InvoicePlane; those services are priced independently by each provider and are not controlled by the InvoicePlane project. Check InvoicePlane's download and documentation pages for the latest files and recommended deployment instructions.

If you need managed hosting, expect third-party hosted InvoicePlane offerings to range from low-cost VPS services to managed application hosting with higher support levels. Typical market rates for third-party hosting and management for self-hosted invoicing solutions range from $5/month for basic VPS hosting to $50+/month for managed hosting with backups, updates and private support, depending on provider and service level.

How much is invoiceplane per month

InvoicePlane starts at $0/month for the self-hosted software itself because the application is free to download and use. Operational costs depend on how you host the software: a small VPS can cost $5/month to $10/month, while managed hosting or agency-hosted services will charge more for installation, updates and support.

If you use a third-party managed InvoicePlane host, prices will vary by provider and support level. Low-tier managed hosting can be found around $10/month, while managed plans that include regular updates, backups and priority support commonly fall between $20/month and $75/month.

For organizations that allocate internal hosting costs, include server, backup, SSL certificate and maintenance time when estimating monthly total cost of ownership for self-hosted InvoicePlane.

How much is invoiceplane per year

InvoicePlane costs $0/year in licensing fees for the self-hosted software. Your actual annual cost will be the sum of hosting, backup, SSL and maintenance expenses. For a minimal VPS, that could be roughly $60/year to $120/year; for managed hosting or agency support, annual costs commonly range from $240/year to $900+/year depending on SLA and support levels.

If you purchase third-party add-ons, premium templates or paid installation from a service provider, include those one-time or recurring fees in your annual budget. Some providers offer annual managed plans with discounts compared to monthly billing.

When calculating yearly costs, also account for internal labor: time to perform updates, backups and address security issues. That internal cost can exceed hosting fees for very small teams.

How much is invoiceplane in general

InvoicePlane pricing ranges from $0 to approximately $75+/month depending on whether you self-host or pay for managed hosting and additional services. The core software is free, but the total cost of ownership includes infrastructure, support and optional third-party services.

For businesses comfortable managing a VPS and applying updates, the running cost can be very low (single-digit dollars per month). For organizations that prefer hands-off hosting, managed providers or agencies typically charge monthly fees that increase the convenience and support level.

Budget planning should consider initial setup time, potential costs for custom PDF templates or plugins, and ongoing security maintenance. For an accurate cost estimate, review hosting offers from providers that list InvoicePlane hosting or request quotes from agencies that provide managed installations. See the official InvoicePlane site for download and deployment notes.

What is invoiceplane used for

InvoicePlane is used to produce and manage business invoices, quotes and payment records in environments where organizations keep their software on-premises or in private cloud instances. It’s a practical choice for sole proprietors, freelancers and small businesses that need straightforward invoicing without a recurring SaaS subscription. The application covers end-to-end invoice workflows: client records, itemized line entries, taxes, discounts, and PDF generation.

Teams use InvoicePlane to manage client billing history, track outstanding invoices, and produce professional-looking PDFs with custom templates. Because the platform is self-hosted, users often deploy it where data residency is important or where they need to connect invoice data directly to other self-hosted systems such as CRMs or project management tools.

InvoicePlane is also used as a lightweight billing engine for small agencies and consultancies that require custom invoice numbering, localized tax treatment, or integration into internal accounting processes. Its extensible codebase means teams can adapt the application to niche business rules or use it as the billing component in a larger self-hosted stack.

Pros and cons of InvoicePlane

InvoicePlane offers a compact feature set focused on invoicing and quotations, and its open-source nature is a major advantage for teams that require control and customization. Because there are no license fees, it is cost-effective for organizations that can manage hosting and maintenance. Its template-driven PDF generation and modular structure allow for straightforward branding and localized formatting.

On the downside, InvoicePlane is not a fully hosted SaaS product — adopt it only if you or your provider can manage server operations, security patching and backups. Compared with cloud billing platforms, it lacks some out-of-the-box integrations (bank feeds, payment gateways built-in at scale) and enterprise-grade analytics. Some features common in commercial invoicing tools, like built-in ACH reconciliation or deep accounting ledger integration, require additional work or external tools.

Another trade-off is community-driven support versus commercial support SLAs. The open-source community provides help via forums and issue trackers, but urgent production support usually requires a third-party vendor or in-house expertise. For businesses that prefer not to manage servers, a commercial SaaS invoicing product might be a better fit.

InvoicePlane free trial

InvoicePlane itself does not offer a time-limited free trial because the core product is free to download and run; you can install it and evaluate the full application without a trial constraint. This model means you can set up a test instance on a local machine or a temporary VPS to validate features, templates and workflow before moving to production.

If you prefer not to self-host, some third-party providers offering managed InvoicePlane hosting may provide trial periods or demo instances. Those trials are vendor-specific and are useful when evaluating managed hosting, SLA responsiveness, and support quality. When evaluating a vendor trial, confirm what is included: backups, updates, and how long demo data will persist.

Practical evaluation steps include importing a small dataset or creating representative invoices, testing PDF templates and email delivery, and exercising recurring invoice and reminder functionality. Because there are no licensing barriers, many users spin up a disposable instance to try features and integrations prior to committing to a production deployment.

Is invoiceplane free

Yes, InvoicePlane is free to download and use as self-hosted open-source software. The application itself has no licensing fees and you can install it on your own server without paying the project. However, you will incur hosting, SSL and maintenance costs unless you host it on infrastructure you already control.

If you require vendor-hosted instances, you will pay third-party providers for managed hosting, installation or custom development. Those fees are set by the service provider and vary widely depending on the level of service and support.

For verification and downloads, consult the official InvoicePlane download page to fetch the latest release and installation instructions.

InvoicePlane API

InvoicePlane includes a REST-like API that exposes core entities such as clients, invoices, quotes, payments and items. The API supports common CRUD operations, allowing developers to create invoices programmatically, fetch client records, and record payments from external systems. This makes it feasible to integrate InvoicePlane into existing self-hosted CRMs, time-tracking systems or e-commerce platforms.

Authentication for the API is typically managed by API keys or session-based tokens depending on the installed version and any security plugins in use. The API surface is appropriate for lightweight automation tasks: creating invoices from a billing system, synchronizing client lists, or exporting invoice data for accounting. Developers commonly use the API to automate invoice creation from project management or time-tracking entries.

Beyond the built-in API, InvoicePlane's open codebase allows developers to add endpoints, middleware and custom hooks to integrate with third-party services such as payment gateways or messaging systems. For more precise details on the available endpoints and request/response formats, review the official InvoicePlane documentation and community-contributed API references on the project site.

10 InvoicePlane alternatives

Paid alternatives to InvoicePlane

• FreshBooks — Cloud invoicing and accounting targeted at freelancers and small businesses, includes time tracking, client portals and multiple payment gateway options. FreshBooks provides hosted convenience, automatic bank connections and receipts capture.

• QuickBooks Online — Comprehensive cloud accounting with invoicing, bank reconciliation, payroll (paid add-on) and extensive reporting. QuickBooks is widely used by accountants and integrates with a broad ecosystem of apps.

• Xero — Cloud accounting with strong bank feed features, invoicing, multi-currency, and a marketplace of integrations. Xero is suited for small to medium businesses needing accounting and billing in one system.

• Zoho Invoice — Hosted invoicing with automation, client portal and integrations across the Zoho suite. Zoho Invoice is cost-effective and integrates with Zoho Books for full accounting.

• Wave — Free hosted invoicing and accounting for small businesses with optional paid payment processing and payroll services. Wave provides a low-cost hosted alternative for basic invoicing needs.

Open source alternatives to InvoicePlane

• Invoice Ninja — Open-source invoicing and billing platform that offers both self-hosted and hosted plans. It includes proposals, recurring invoices, multiple payment gateway integrations, and a modular API for automation.

• ERPNext — Part of the Frappe framework, ERPNext includes accounting, invoicing, inventory and full ERP features. It is suitable for organizations that need integrated accounting and business processes beyond simple invoicing.

• Odoo (Community Edition) — Open-source ERP with invoicing, accounting and CRM modules. The community edition can be self-hosted and extended with a wide variety of modules.

• Siwapp — A lightweight open-source invoicing application that focuses on producing invoices and managing clients with a simple, straightforward interface.

• Fawkes Invoice (or similar small projects) — Several smaller self-hosted invoicing projects exist (search community repositories) that provide simple invoice generation and client management for specific use cases.

Frequently asked questions about InvoicePlane

What is InvoicePlane used for?

InvoicePlane is primarily used for self-hosted invoicing and quote management. It lets small businesses and freelancers create quotes, issue invoices, track payments and generate branded PDF documents. The platform focuses on core billing workflows and is designed to be customized and hosted by the user or a third-party provider.

Does InvoicePlane have a hosted SaaS plan?

No, InvoicePlane does not provide an official hosted SaaS plan. The project distributes free software for self-hosting; however, third-party vendors offer managed hosting and installation services at their own pricing. If you need a fully hosted solution, consider using a third-party managed InvoicePlane host or a commercial invoicing SaaS.

Can InvoicePlane generate PDF invoices?

Yes, InvoicePlane generates PDF invoices and quotes. It uses HTML-based templates that can be customized to match your branding, terms and local tax presentation. PDFs can be downloaded or emailed directly to clients from the application.

Does InvoicePlane support multiple currencies and taxes?

Yes, InvoicePlane supports multiple currencies and tax configurations. You can configure currency symbols and exchange-aware fields, and set tax rates and tax display options to match local requirements. Complex multi-jurisdiction tax rules may require customization.

Is InvoicePlane secure for business data?

InvoicePlane can be secure when hosted and configured correctly. Security depends on your hosting environment, server hardening, SSL configuration and timely application updates. Use best practices for PHP applications, keep the system patched, enable HTTPS and restrict access to administrative interfaces.

Can I integrate InvoicePlane with payment gateways?

Yes, InvoicePlane can be integrated with payment gateways, typically via plugins or custom code. Many deployments use third-party extensions or custom endpoints to record payments and reconcile transactions. For automated gateway support, evaluate available community plugins or build a connector using the InvoicePlane API.

How do I back up InvoicePlane data?

Backups are performed at the server and database level. Export your MySQL/MariaDB database regularly and include upload directories (for attachments and customized templates) in file backups. Automate backups and verify restore procedures as part of any production deployment.

Can I migrate data from other invoicing tools into InvoicePlane?

Yes, data migration is possible using CSV import or API-based scripts. Many users export clients, invoices and items from previous systems into CSV and import them into InvoicePlane, or write migration scripts that map data into the InvoicePlane database. Expect to perform some data clean-up during import.

Does InvoicePlane offer multi-user access and roles?

Yes, InvoicePlane supports multiple users and basic role controls. You can create user accounts for staff and assign permissions appropriate to their role. For complex permission models or SSO, additional customization may be necessary.

Where can I find documentation and downloads for InvoicePlane?

InvoicePlane documentation and downloads are available on the project's official site. For installation guides, configuration options and the latest release files, consult the official InvoicePlane download and documentation pages to ensure you follow recommended deployment steps.

invoiceplane careers

InvoicePlane is an open-source project maintained by a community rather than a traditional commercial company, so there are limited direct career openings within the project itself. Developers interested in contributing typically participate through code contributions, issue reporting and documentation improvements. Contributing can be a means to gain experience and visibility for freelance or contract work related to InvoicePlane customization and hosting.

Many opportunities related to InvoicePlane exist at third-party agencies and service providers that offer managed hosting, custom development, and support. These providers hire system administrators, PHP developers and customer support specialists to deliver professional services around InvoicePlane deployments.

If you want to build a career working with InvoicePlane, practical steps include mastering the application codebase, learning PHP and the LAMP/LEMP stack, contributing to the project repository, and building a portfolio of deployments or integrations that demonstrate your capabilities.

invoiceplane affiliate

InvoicePlane does not operate a formal affiliate program for the core project because it is community-driven open-source software. However, affiliate or referral opportunities often exist with third-party hosting providers, agencies and template developers that market paid services around InvoicePlane installations. Those providers may run their own partner or affiliate programs.

If you plan to promote hosting or paid add-ons for InvoicePlane, evaluate potential partners for reliability, service quality and payout terms. Work with reputable hosting providers who publish clear SLAs and who can demonstrate operational competence in maintaining PHP/MySQL applications.

For transparency when recommending third-party services, disclose any referral relationships and ensure customers understand what the core project provides for free versus what the provider offers as a paid service.

Where to find invoiceplane reviews

Independent reviews and user feedback for InvoicePlane are typically found on open-source community forums, developer blogs, GitHub issues and specialized software directories that list self-hosted tools. Search software comparison sites and community threads to read user experiences about installation, reliability and customizability.

You can also find practical evaluations and deployment notes on personal blogs and technical posts where system administrators describe hosting, backup strategies and integration work. When reading reviews, pay attention to the reviewer's hosting context (self-hosted vs managed) because the operational experience depends heavily on hosting and maintenance practices.

For up-to-date information and community feedback, review the project repository and community channels linked from the InvoicePlane website to see how active the project is and what issues other users report.