Beancount vs Invoice Ninja
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Invoice Ninja
Open-source invoicing and billing platform
| Feature | Beancount | Invoice Ninja |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Elastic-2.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,028 | ★ 10,106 |
| First released | 2008 | 2014 |
| Replaces | QuickBooks, Xero | FreshBooks, QuickBooks |
What are Beancount and Invoice Ninja?
Beancount
Beancount is a double-entry plain-text accounting system that parses ledger files written in its own syntax. It includes a SQL-like query language and integrates with the Fava web interface.
- Plain-text ledgers
- SQL-like query language
- Strict validation
- Fava web companion
Invoice Ninja
Invoice Ninja is a free, open-source platform for invoicing, billing, payments, and time tracking. It serves freelancers and small businesses with quotes, recurring invoices, and client portals.
- Invoices, quotes, and payments
- Client self-service portal
- Time and expense tracking
- Recurring billing automation
Beancount vs Invoice Ninja: key differences
Beancount is written in Python, while Invoice Ninja is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Beancount versus Elastic-2.0 for Invoice Ninja. Beancount is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Invoice Ninja. Beancount is the more established project (first released 2008), while Invoice Ninja arrived in 2014. Invoice Ninja lists first-class Docker deployment; Beancount does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Beancount if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Mature project with 6k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Invoice Ninja if…
- Comprehensive billing features
- Many payment gateway integrations
Watch out for
- License not OSI-approved
- Setup can be involved
Frequently asked questions
Is Beancount or Invoice Ninja better?
Invoice Ninja is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Beancount if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Beancount and Invoice Ninja free and open-source?
Yes. Beancount is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Invoice Ninja under Elastic-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beancount and Invoice Ninja with Docker?
Beancount: check the project docs for container support. Invoice Ninja: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Beancount or Invoice Ninja?
Beancount has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Invoice Ninja. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.