Invoice Ninja vs Crater: Which Invoicing Tool to Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
Invoice Ninja is the more complete invoicing platform — it has native payment gateway integrations (Stripe, PayPal, and 10+ others), a polished client portal, and a first-party mobile app. Crater is simpler and lighter, with a clean UI and solid core invoicing features, but lacks native payment processing. If you need clients to pay invoices online, Invoice Ninja is the clear choice.
Overview
Invoice Ninja is an open-source invoicing, quoting, and payment platform built with Laravel and Flutter (mobile). It covers invoices, quotes, recurring billing, expense tracking, time tracking, projects, purchase orders, and client payments. The client portal lets customers view invoices and pay directly. Supports 10+ payment gateways natively. Over 8,000 GitHub stars.
Crater is an open-source invoicing application also built with Laravel. It handles invoices, estimates, expenses, recurring invoices, and basic reporting with a customer portal. It’s designed for freelancers and small businesses who need clean, straightforward invoicing without the feature sprawl of larger platforms. Around 8,000 GitHub stars, with regular updates through v6.0.6 (March 2025).
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Invoice Ninja | Crater |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice creation | Yes (full customization) | Yes (full customization) |
| Recurring invoices | Yes | Yes |
| Estimates/quotes | Yes (convert to invoice) | Yes (convert to invoice) |
| Client portal | Yes (view/pay invoices, upload docs) | Yes (view invoices, public pages) |
| Payment gateways | 10+ (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, Braintree, GoCardless, etc.) | Manual payment tracking only |
| Expense tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Time tracking | Yes (built-in) | No |
| Project management | Yes (kanban-style) | No |
| Purchase orders | Yes | No |
| Tax management | Yes (multi-rate, compound taxes) | Yes |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes |
| Custom invoice templates | Yes (4+ built-in, customizable) | Yes |
| Reports & analytics | Yes (revenue, expense, profit/loss, tax) | Yes (dashboard, basic reports) |
| API | REST API (comprehensive) | REST API |
| Mobile app | Yes (iOS/Android — Flutter) | Yes (iOS/Android — React Native) |
| Multi-company | Yes | No |
| Custom fields | Yes | Limited |
| Webhooks | Yes | No |
| Email integration | Yes (send invoices via email) | Yes |
| PDF generation | Yes | Yes |
| Database | MySQL/MariaDB | MySQL/MariaDB |
| Language | PHP (Laravel) + Flutter | PHP (Laravel) + Vue.js |
| License | Elastic License 2.0 (v5+) | AGPL-3.0 |
Installation Complexity
| Aspect | Invoice Ninja | Crater |
|---|---|---|
| Containers | 3 (app + MariaDB + Nginx) | 4 (app + MariaDB + Nginx + cron) |
| Docker image | Official: invoiceninja/invoiceninja:5 | Build from source (no official registry image) |
| Environment variables | 15+ (DB, mail, app key, URL, queue) | 10+ (DB, mail, app key, URL) |
| Database | MariaDB/MySQL required | MariaDB/MySQL required |
| RAM requirement | ~500 MB (app + database) | ~500 MB (app + database) |
| First-time setup | CLI artisan commands + web wizard | Web-based installation wizard |
| Time to first invoice | ~15–20 minutes | ~20–30 minutes |
Invoice Ninja has an official Docker image on Docker Hub, making deployment straightforward. Crater requires building from the Git repository (the official repo includes a docker-compose.yml and Dockerfile), which adds a build step and means you’re managing your own image.
Both need MariaDB/MySQL. Both need SMTP for sending invoices by email. The setup experience is comparable, with Invoice Ninja slightly easier due to the pre-built image.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Resource | Invoice Ninja | Crater |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | ~400–500 MB (app + DB) | ~400–500 MB (app + DB) |
| RAM (under load) | ~600–800 MB | ~500–700 MB |
| CPU | Low–Medium (PHP-FPM) | Low–Medium (PHP-FPM) |
| Disk | ~500 MB (app) + database growth | ~500 MB (app) + database growth |
Both are Laravel applications with similar resource profiles. Invoice Ninja is slightly heavier due to its broader feature set (queue workers, webhook processing, PDF rendering engine). The difference is marginal — both run fine on a 1 GB VPS.
Community and Support
| Metric | Invoice Ninja | Crater |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ~8,200 | ~8,000 |
| License | Elastic License 2.0 (v5+) | AGPL-3.0 |
| First release | 2014 | 2019 |
| Hosted tier | Yes (invoiceninja.com) | Yes (craterapp.com) |
| Forum/community | Active (forum + Discord) | GitHub issues |
| Documentation | Comprehensive | Good |
| Update frequency | Very frequent (weekly) | Regular (monthly, v6.0.6 Mar 2025) |
| Plugin ecosystem | No (but extensive built-in features) | Modules system (v6.0+) |
License note: Invoice Ninja v5+ uses the Elastic License 2.0, which allows self-hosting but restricts offering it as a managed service to others. Crater uses AGPL-3.0, which is more permissive for modification and redistribution as long as you share source code changes.
Use Cases
Choose Invoice Ninja If…
- Clients need to pay invoices online (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
- You need time tracking and project management alongside invoicing
- You want a polished client portal for professional presentation
- You manage multiple companies or business entities
- You need purchase orders and vendor management
- You want an official Docker image for easy deployment
- You’re replacing FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, or Wave
Choose Crater If…
- You need straightforward invoicing without complex features
- Payment gateways aren’t needed (you handle payments separately)
- You prefer AGPL-3.0 licensing over Elastic License
- You want a cleaner, less complex interface
- You run a solo freelance practice with simple billing needs
- You want the new module system for extending functionality
- You prefer building from source for maximum control
Final Verdict
Invoice Ninja is the stronger choice for most self-hosters. The native payment gateway integrations are the decisive advantage — clients clicking “Pay Now” on an invoice and completing payment via Stripe is table stakes for professional invoicing. Add time tracking, project management, purchase orders, and a polished mobile app, and Invoice Ninja covers the complete freelancer-to-small-business workflow.
Crater fills a real niche for simpler billing. If you invoice a handful of regular clients and handle payments via bank transfer or checks, Crater’s clean interface and focused feature set avoid the complexity of Invoice Ninja. The AGPL license is also more favorable if you plan to modify the source code.
For the majority of use cases, start with Invoice Ninja. Its official Docker image, comprehensive features, and payment processing make it the more practical self-hosted invoicing solution.
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