Invoice Generator vs Invoice Ninja (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Invoice Generator grades higher than Invoice Ninja: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Invoice Generator grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Invoice Ninja grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Invoice Generator
Free browser invoice maker that exports PDFs, with an API
Invoice Ninja
Invoicing, expenses and time tracking with a free plan
Which one is for you
Pick Invoice Generator if
- Fits if you need one invoice as a PDF and don't want an account
- Works for developers who want to generate invoice PDFs from code
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need bookkeeping, since there's no ledger, bank feeds or tax reports
- Watch out: without an account your invoices sit in your browser's local storage, and clearing it deletes them
- Watch out: the pages we read state no fee for card or bank payments, so check the payment screen
- Skip it if you want a phone app, because it is web only
Pick Invoice Ninja if
- Fits if you're a freelancer with 5 clients or fewer and want invoicing for free
- Works for people who'd like to self-host their invoicing
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have more than 5 clients: the free plan stops there
- Skip it if you want the API, branding removed or payment reminders for free, as they're Pro
- Not for you if you need bank sync or PEPPOL e-invoicing but don't want Enterprise
- Watch out: self-hosting is under the Elastic License v2, not an open-source license
- Too light for bookkeeping: it's invoicing, expenses and time, not a ledger
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAInvoice GeneratorVery good | 2.8GPAInvoice NinjaGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with no stated caps: unlimited invoices and other documents, and the PDF download needs no account. | BPro is $14 a month billed monthly ($140 a year), inside the category's cheaper quarter. Enterprise starts at $18 for 1 to 2 users and rises with user count. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright. An account is needed only to send invoices and take payments, and the pages we read name no cap. | BA free plan with 5 clients, unlimited invoices, online payments, recurring invoices and expenses. A freelancer can live on it until the sixth client. |
| Features | CA template editor, PDF download, sending, payments and an API. It makes invoices fully, which is a smaller job than accounting: no ledger, bank feeds, expenses or tax reports. | CInvoices, payments, time tracking, expenses and e-invoicing, but no ledger, and e-invoicing is Enterprise only. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but nothing to set up: open the page and fill in the template. | CNo store rating on record. It's a web app where you build templates and connect payment gateways, with self-hosting as an option. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but with an API and links for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini. No phone or desktop app. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Zapier, Make and QuickBooks, and a REST API on Pro. |
| Best for | a free invoice PDF with no account | free invoicing for a handful of clients |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Invoice Generator and Invoice Ninja. How we grade
Price against what you get
Invoice Generator has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Invoice Ninja starts at $14 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Invoice Generator starts $14 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Invoice Generator for less, and 2 score higher than Invoice Ninja for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Invoice Ninja is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Invoice Generator also covers templates.
- Invoice Ninja also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
At a glance
| Invoice Generator | Invoice Ninja | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $14 per month, billed monthly ($140 billed annually) |
| Free plan | Everything on the site is free: the invoice editor and PDF download with no account, and unlimited use with no stated caps. | Up to 5 clients with unlimited invoices, 11 templates, online payments, recurring invoices, expenses and projects. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Invoice-Generator.com | Invoice Ninja |
| Price read from | invoice-generator.com | invoiceninja.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Invoice Generator
- It is an invoice maker, not bookkeeping: it has no ledger, bank feeds, expense tracking or tax reports.
- Without an account, downloaded invoices live only in the browser's local storage; clearing it deletes them.
- The pages read do not state any fee for card or bank payments; check the payment screen before relying on it.
Invoice Ninja
- The free plan stops at 5 clients; the API, branding removal and payment reminders need Pro.
- Bank sync and e-invoicing are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is priced by number of users.
- Self-hosted use is under the Elastic License v2, not an open-source license; reselling it as a service needs a separate agreement.
- Paid plans carry a 30-day money-back promise, per the pricing page.
Key features
Invoice Generator
- Template editor
- Fill in a template that closely matches the printed invoice, choose from a long list of currencies, and add tax, shipping and discounts.
- PDF download without an account
- Invoices can be made and downloaded without signing up; they are kept in the browser's local storage.
- Send and get paid
- With an account, invoices are emailed to clients and can be paid by bank account or card; invoices are stored in the cloud.
- Other document types
- Separate generators make receipts, quotes, estimates, credit notes, purchase orders, timesheets, packing slips and more.
- Developer API
- A documented API creates invoice PDFs and UBL e-invoices from code, with an API key made in a free account.
- AI assistant links
- ChatGPT, Claude and other assistants can open a prefilled invoice from a chat, or create one in an account through MCP.
Invoice Ninja
- Invoices, quotes and recurring billing
- Create invoices with 11 templates, take deposits and partial payments, and set up recurring or automatic billing.
- Online payments
- Clients pay from a portal with gateways such as Stripe, PayPal, Square and GoCardless.
- Time tracking and projects
- Track billable time against projects, view them on Kanban boards and invoice the hours.
- Expenses and vendors
- Record expenses and vendors, and run reports on invoices, expenses and profit and loss on paid plans.
- E-invoicing
- Enterprise includes PEPPOL network access with 250 credits and bank account sync through Yodlee or GoCardless.
- Self-hosting
- The source code is on GitHub under the Elastic License v2, so you can run it on your own server using Docker.
Plans
Invoice Generator
Free$0
Unlimited invoices and other documents; an account is needed only to send invoices, store them online or get an API key.
Invoice Ninja
Free$0
Up to 5 clients, unlimited invoicing, online payments, recurring invoices, expenses and time tracking.
Ninja Pro$14
per month, billed monthly ($140 billed annually)
Unlimited clients, removes Invoice Ninja branding, REST API access, late-payment reminders and profit and loss reports.
Enterprise$18
per month for 1-2 users, billed monthly
Everything in Pro plus bank sync, e-invoicing with PEPPOL, user permissions and up to 100 users; $300 a month at 51-100 users.
Premium BusinessCustom
Priority support, a developer concierge, invoice design service and data migration help; from $280 a year, sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Invoice Generator
No public discounts listed.
Invoice Ninja
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual billing
Paying yearly costs $140 for Pro instead of $14 a month, which the pricing page presents as two months free.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Invoice Generator or Invoice Ninja?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Invoice Generator is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $14 a month for Invoice Ninja. Invoice Generator is free, and Invoice Ninja starts at $14 per month, billed monthly ($140 billed annually).
Which has a free plan, Invoice Generator or Invoice Ninja?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Invoice Generator and Invoice Ninja have a free plan.
Which platforms do Invoice Generator and Invoice Ninja run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Invoice Ninja lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.