Accounting software designed for small businesses and freelancers.
- BUSL-1.1
- Source-available
- PHP
- Actively maintained
Accounting & Invoicing comparison
Akaunting vs Invoice Ninja: which should you self-host in 2026?
Pick Akaunting for general small-business bookkeeping with bills, banking and reports, within its free-use limits; pick Invoice Ninja if your main job is quoting, invoicing and getting paid, with native desktop and mobile apps. Neither is OSI open source: Akaunting uses the Business Source License and Invoice Ninja the Elastic License 2.0.
Both run on your own server, and both are source-available: the code is public, but the licenses limit some uses. Below: a side-by-side of license, stack and features, live GitHub activity, and our verdict on who should pick which.
Powerful tool to invoice clients online.
- Elastic-2.0
- Source-available
- PHP
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Head-to-head
Akaunting vs Invoice Ninja, side by side
Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.
| Aspect |  Akaunting |  Invoice Ninja |
|---|---|---|
| License | Business Source License 1.1: free production use for up to 2 users, 1 company and 1,000 invoices; each version converts to GPLv3 four years after release | Elastic License 2.0: free to self-host and modify, but you may not offer it to others as a hosted service; $40/year white-label license removes branding |
| Language/stack | PHP 8.1+ on Laravel, with Vue and Tailwind | PHP on Laravel (version 5), with Flutter-based desktop and mobile apps |
| Database | MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite | MySQL or MariaDB |
| Focus | Small-business accounting: invoices and bills, customers and vendors, bank accounts and financial reports, extended through the Akaunting App Store | Invoicing: quotes, invoices, recurring billing, payments, expenses and a client portal |
| Apps | Web app | Web app plus official iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux apps that work with self-hosted servers |
| Install options | Composer and npm install on a PHP host | Server or VM install guide, official Docker image, Cloudron, Softaculous, YunoHost |
| GitHub stars | 10,159 | 10,223 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 518 | 2,002 |
| Last commit | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | 3.2.4Sep 17, 2026 | v5.13.43Sep 18, 2026 |
| Main language | PHP | PHP |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| Repository | akaunting/akaunting | invoiceninja/invoiceninja |
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.
Verdict
Invoice Ninja is the stronger pick for freelancers and agencies whose workflow is quotes, invoices, recurring billing and online payments: the self-hosted edition includes all Pro and Enterprise features, and its license only stops you from reselling it as a hosted service. Akaunting covers wider accounting (sales, purchases, banking and reports) but its BSL 1.1 terms allow free production use only up to two users, one company and 1,000 invoices, so check that limit before you build on it. If you need a fully OSI-licensed option, look at Bigcapital (AGPL-3.0) or InvoiceShelf (AGPL-3.0).
Best for
Choose Akaunting for
Sole traders and very small businesses wanting simple bookkeeping inside the free-use limits.
Best for
Choose Invoice Ninja for
Freelancers and agencies focused on quotes, invoices and online payments.
Deploy either in minutes
Not sure yet? Spin up a small VPS or a managed instance, try both for a week, and keep the one that fits.
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Is Akaunting free for my business?
Only within its license terms. The Business Source License lets you use it in production for free with at most two users, one company and 1,000 invoices. Beyond that you need a commercial on-premise plan from Akaunting, Inc.
Is Invoice Ninja open source?
It is source-available under the Elastic License 2.0, not an OSI-approved license. You can self-host, use and modify it freely; the main restriction is that you cannot sell it to others as a hosted service.
Can either replace QuickBooks?
For invoicing and basic bookkeeping, yes. For full double-entry accounting with multi-company books, an ERP such as ERPNext or a dedicated accounting app such as Bigcapital is a closer match.
Which is more popular on GitHub, Akaunting or Invoice Ninja?
Invoice Ninja has 10,223 GitHub stars against 10,159 for Akaunting. Over the last twelve months Akaunting received 518 commits and Invoice Ninja received 2,002, so Invoice Ninja is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.