InvoicePlane vs InvoiceShelf (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, InvoicePlane and InvoiceShelf share a 2.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
InvoicePlane
Free self-hosted invoicing for quotes, invoices and payments
InvoiceShelf
Open-source invoicing and expense tracking you host yourself
Which one is for you
Pick InvoicePlane if
- Fits if you only need to send quotes and invoices from your own server
- Works for freelancers who can install PHP software
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need real bookkeeping, as there's no ledger or bank feeds
- Not for you if you want paid help, since there's no SLA and support is community-only
- Watch out: the maintainers can't promise it meets every legal requirement for your business
- Tight if you don't run servers, because installing and updating is on you
- Watch out: it's described as a volunteer hobby project, not a commercial product
Pick InvoiceShelf if
- Fits if you bill clients regularly and can run your own server
- Works for German B2B sellers who need ZUGFeRD or Factur-X files
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a full double-entry ledger, as it covers invoicing and expenses only
- Not for you if you don't want to run PHP, since security updates are yours
- Watch out: support is a community on Discord, with no paid help
- Tight if you take card payments other than Stripe, the only one named
- Watch out: it needs a server you pay for
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAInvoicePlaneFair | 2.0GPAInvoiceShelfFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree to download, but you need your own server. That's a C by this ladder. | CFree under AGPL-3.0 with no seat limits, but it only counts as free if you host it, which needs a server. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo paid plans and no limits listed, though you must install it yourself. | BEvery feature is free and unlimited, once you've installed it yourself. |
| Features | CQuotes, invoices, clients, payments and e-invoices. No general ledger, bookkeeping or bank feeds, and the listing says so. | CInvoices, estimates, recurring billing, expenses, multi-company and ZUGFeRD e-invoicing. The listing says it isn't a full ledger. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and maintain it on your own server. | DInstalled with Docker or by hand on your own server, with updates yours to apply. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with PayPal and Stripe for payments. | CWeb only, and Stripe is the one online payment option named. |
| Best for | self-hosted quotes and invoices | self-hosted invoicing and expenses |
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: InvoicePlane and InvoiceShelf. How we grade
Price against what you get
InvoicePlane has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. InvoiceShelf has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, none scores higher than InvoicePlane for less, and none scores higher than InvoiceShelf 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
- InvoiceShelf also covers reports and expense tracking.
At a glance
| InvoicePlane | InvoiceShelf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download and self-host; there are no paid plans. | Fully free to self-host under AGPL-3.0, with unlimited invoices and estimates and no seat limits. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | InvoicePlane | InvoiceShelf |
| Price read from | invoiceplane.com | invoiceshelf.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
InvoicePlane
- It is invoicing software, not a general ledger; the site does not list bookkeeping or bank feeds.
- The project says it offers no SLA or paid help, and support is community-only.
- The maintainers say they cannot guarantee it meets every legal requirement for a given business.
- You install and maintain it on your own server.
InvoiceShelf
- It covers invoicing, expenses and payments, not a full double-entry ledger.
- Self-hosting means you handle PHP and security updates; the 2.4.7 release notes describe a PHP security fix.
- Support is through the community on Discord.
- Stripe is the online card payment option the site names.
Key features
InvoicePlane
- Quotes, invoices and payments
- Covers the billing cycle from a quote through an invoice to a recorded payment.
- Client records
- Stores client contact details, notes and custom fields, with basic project and task management.
- Online payments
- Clients can pay invoices through payment providers; the site names PayPal and Stripe and says others are coming.
- E-invoices
- From version 1.6.2 it can create e-invoices that the site says can follow European Union standards.
- Customization
- Themes, amount formats, and email and PDF templates can be changed to fit a business.
- Many languages
- The interface is translated into many languages by community members.
InvoiceShelf
- Invoices and estimates
- Builds branded invoices and estimates with custom fields, taxes and notes.
- Recurring billing
- Retainers and subscriptions are scheduled once and repeat invoices are generated automatically.
- Expenses and reports
- Tracks expenses, sales, taxes and overdue balances, with multi-currency support listed.
- Customer portal
- Clients get a private place to view, download and pay invoices.
- Multiple companies
- Several businesses can run from one install, each with its own branding, currency and tax rules.
- E-invoicing
- An E-Invoicing module issues ZUGFeRD and Factur-X invoices for EN 16931; the site labels it new in 3.0.
Plans
InvoicePlane
Self-hosted$0
Free download that you install on your own server; support comes from the community.
InvoiceShelf
Self-hosted$0
Every feature is free; you install it with Docker or a manual install on your own server.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, InvoicePlane or InvoiceShelf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both InvoicePlane and InvoiceShelf are free to use.
Which has a free plan, InvoicePlane or InvoiceShelf?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both InvoicePlane and InvoiceShelf have a free plan.
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.