Invoice Ninja
Best for self-hosting
Why teams pick it
Self-hosted or SaaS deployment with full feature parity across both
Open-source alternatives to Zoho Books
Compare community-driven replacements for Zoho Books in accounting & invoicing workflows. We curate active, self-hostable options with transparent licensing so you can evaluate the right fit quickly.
Zoho Books
Zoho Books is a cloud accounting suite with e-invoicing, GST compliance, connected banking, invoicing, expenses, and reconciliation for growing businesses.Read more
Key stats
- 7Alternatives
- 6Support self-hosting
Run on infrastructure you control
- 6Active development
Recent commits in the last 6 months
- 1Permissive licenses
MIT, Apache, and similar licenses
Counts reflect projects currently indexed as alternatives to Zoho Books.
Start with these picks
These projects match the most common migration paths for teams replacing Zoho Books.
Bigcapital
Privacy-first alternative
Why teams pick it
Self-hosted Docker deployment with full data ownership
All open-source alternatives
Invoice Ninja
Source-available invoicing and time-tracking app built with Laravel
Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstPHP
Why teams choose it
- Complete invoicing, quotes, expenses, and time-tracking in one platform
- Self-hosted or SaaS deployment with full feature parity across both
- Native mobile and desktop apps for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux
Watch for
White-label branding removal requires $30/year license
Migration highlight
Freelance Consulting Business
Track billable hours, generate professional invoices, and provide clients with a branded portal to view quotes and make payments online.
Bigcapital
Smart accounting and inventory software for small businesses
Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstTypeScript
Why teams choose it
- Double-entry accounting system with automated bookkeeping processes
- Integrated inventory management alongside financial tracking
- Headless API for embedding accounting into custom applications
Watch for
AGPL-3.0 license requires derivative works to be open-sourced
Migration highlight
E-commerce Financial Management
Track sales, expenses, and inventory in real-time with automated double-entry bookkeeping that generates accurate profit and loss statements for online retailers.
Akaunting
Modern online accounting software for small businesses and freelancers
Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstPHP
Why teams choose it
- Modular app marketplace for extending invoicing, CRM, and payroll capabilities
- RESTful API for custom integrations and workflow automation
- Built on Laravel, VueJS, and Tailwind for modern performance and UX
Watch for
Requires technical expertise for installation, server management, and maintenance
Migration highlight
Freelancer Invoice Management
Independent consultants track billable hours, generate professional invoices, and monitor payment status while maintaining complete ownership of client financial data.
Crater
Open-source invoicing and expense tracking for businesses
Self-host friendlyPrivacy-firstFast to deployPHP
Why teams choose it
- Professional invoice and estimate creation with custom fields and branding
- Native mobile apps for iOS and Android alongside web interface
- Multi-company support with customer portal and Stripe payment processing
Watch for
Requires self-hosting infrastructure and maintenance expertise
Migration highlight
Freelance Consultant Billing
Independent consultants create branded invoices, track project expenses, and accept client payments through Stripe without monthly platform fees.
FOSSBilling
Open-source billing and client management for hosting businesses
Self-host friendlyActive developmentPermissive licensePHP
Why teams choose it
- Automated invoicing and payment processing for recurring billing cycles
- Extensible architecture with support for payment gateway and server management integrations
- Self-hosted deployment on standard PHP/MySQL infrastructure
Watch for
Currently beta software with potential stability and security issues
Migration highlight
Shared Hosting Provider Automation
Automate recurring billing, invoice generation, and payment collection for hundreds of shared hosting customers with integrated cPanel management
Frappe Books
Modern offline-first accounting software for small businesses
Active developmentPrivacy-firstIntegration-friendlyTypeScript
Why teams choose it
- Offline-first desktop application with local SQLite database storage
- Complete double-entry accounting with invoicing, billing, and POS
- Comprehensive financial reports: general ledger, P&L, balance sheet, trial balance
Watch for
AGPL-3.0 license requires derivative works to be open-sourced
Migration highlight
Retail Store Management
Process sales transactions through the integrated POS system while maintaining accurate inventory and financial records offline
InvoicePlane
Self-hosted invoicing platform for managing clients and payments
Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstPHP
Why teams choose it
- Complete invoice and quote lifecycle management with professional templates
- Client relationship tracking with contact details and transaction history
- Multi-gateway payment integration with automated reminder system
Watch for
Requires web server infrastructure and technical setup knowledge
Migration highlight
Freelance Consulting Billing
Independent consultants create branded invoices, track client payments, and generate financial reports without monthly software fees.
Choosing a accounting & invoicing alternative
Teams replacing Zoho Books in accounting & invoicing workflows typically weigh self-hosting needs, integration coverage, and licensing obligations.
- 6 projects let you self-host and keep customer data on infrastructure you control.
- 6 options are actively maintained with recent commits.
Tip: shortlist one hosted and one self-hosted option so stakeholders can compare trade-offs before migrating away from Zoho Books.