# Akaunting / Invoice Ninja

Invoices and books you host. Akaunting is the open-source accounting app; Invoice Ninja is the source-available invoicing suite.

**Replaces:** QuickBooks / FreshBooks

**Tier:** Easy

## Problem

QuickBooks Simple Start lists at $38/month. FreshBooks Lite lists at $23/month. Akaunting is the PHP accounting app you can self-host. Invoice Ninja is source-available invoicing, quotes, and time tracking.

## Stack

- [Akaunting](https://akaunting.com) — Open-source online accounting
- [Invoice Ninja](https://www.invoiceninja.com) — Source-available invoices, quotes, and time tracking

## Estimated SaaS cost saved

| You stop paying | Typical / year | Self-host instead |
|---|---:|---|
| QuickBooks Simple Start | $456 | Akaunting + MySQL |
| FreshBooks Lite / Plus | $1,200 | Invoice Ninja |

**About $1,200 / year** on a small team, before you count lock-in.

## Deploy on Railway

Placeholder: Invoice Ninja or Akaunting + MySQL and a volume. SMTP via Resend. Lock the admin.

[Start on Railway](https://c17.io/go/railway/invoice-ninja-books?from=%2Fstacks%2Finvoice-ninja-books.md)

## AGENT_PROMPT

```
Replace QuickBooks or FreshBooks with Akaunting (accounting) or Invoice Ninja (invoices first).

- MySQL + a volume. Bind HTTP to 0.0.0.0:$PORT. Send invoices through Resend.
- Import a CSV of clients and one product. Complete a test invoice.
- Write AGENT_PROMPT.md. Invoice Ninja is source-available — read the license before you assume GPL.
```

## FAQ

### Which one first?

Invoice Ninja if the pain is sending invoices. Akaunting if you need a general ledger. Do not run both on day one.

Source: https://c17.io/stacks/invoice-ninja-books