Free, open-source alternatives to Wave
Free invoicing with paid add-ons. 4 apps you can run yourself instead of Wave, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
InvoicePlaneBest match
Manage quotes, invoices, payments and customers for your small business.
InvoiceShelf
Track expenses, payments & create professional invoices & estimates (fork of Crater).
Invoice Ninja
Powerful tool to invoice clients online.
Akaunting
Accounting software designed for small businesses and freelancers.
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InvoicePlane | 3,153 | MIT | PHP | |
| InvoiceShelf | 1,854 | AGPL-3.0 | PHP, Docker | |
| Invoice Ninja | 10,267 | Elastic-2.0 | PHP, Docker, Kubernetes | |
| Akaunting | 10,181 | BUSL-1.1 | PHP |
Why replace Wave?
Wave works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Wave?
InvoicePlane is the closest open-source replacement for Wave in our list. InvoiceShelf and Invoice Ninja are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to Wave?
Yes. All 4 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.