Core Lightning 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.
Not the right match-up?
Core Lightning
Run your personal Core Lightning node
VS
Invoice Ninja
Open-source invoicing and billing platform
| Feature | Core Lightning | Invoice Ninja |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | free | Elastic-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 51 | ★ 9,979 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | — | FreshBooks, QuickBooks |
Why pick each one
Choose Core Lightning if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Invoice Ninja if…
- Comprehensive billing features
- Many payment gateway integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Core Lightning or Invoice Ninja better?
Neither is universally better. Invoice Ninja has the larger community, while Core Lightning is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Core Lightning and Invoice Ninja free and open-source?
Yes. Core Lightning is licensed under free and Invoice Ninja under Elastic-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Core Lightning and Invoice Ninja with Docker?
Core Lightning: yes. Invoice Ninja: yes.