InvoiceShelf vs Manager.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Manager.io grades higher than InvoiceShelf: 2.8 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Manager.io grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
InvoiceShelf
Open-source invoicing and expense tracking you host yourself
Manager.io
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud
Which one is for you
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
Pick Manager.io if
- Fits if you want full books without a subscription and don't mind importing statements
- Works for accountants keeping many client businesses on one Cloud account at $59 a month
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want bank transactions to flow in by themselves, as statements are imported by hand
- Not for you if you want a phone app: there's none, and Cloud runs in a phone browser
- Pricey if just two of you need the books, as that means Cloud at $59 a month or your own server
- Watch out: the Server Edition has no published price, and Manager.io won't install it for you
- Skip it if you need payroll, as payslips are records only, with no payroll tax filing
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAInvoiceShelfFair | 2.8GPAManager.ioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under AGPL-3.0 with no seat limits, but it only counts as free if you host it, which needs a server. | AThe desktop edition is free, with every feature and no limit on data, and it's a program anyone can download and run. You only pay for Cloud, $59 a month or $590 a year, when several people need the books, and that covers unlimited users and businesses. |
| Free plan and trial | BEvery feature is free and unlimited, once you've installed it yourself. | AFree with every feature, no time limit, no usage cap and no ads. The only things it won't do are let a second person in or open the books away from that one computer. |
| Features | CInvoices, estimates, recurring billing, expenses, multi-company and ZUGFeRD e-invoicing. The listing says it isn't a full ledger. | CQuotes through to delivery notes, bank rules and reconciliation, inventory, fixed assets with depreciation and payslips. The listing names the gaps: bank transactions come in by importing statements, not live feeds, and payslips are records only, with no payroll tax filing. |
| Ease of use | DInstalled with Docker or by hand on your own server, with updates yours to apply. | CNo store rating on record. You download it and start, but it's double-entry books where you import bank statements and set up bank rules yourself, so there's a bit to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and Stripe is the one online payment option named. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, plus a web version on Cloud or on a server you run. There's no phone app, the browser has to do on a phone, and the listing names no integrations. |
| Best for | self-hosted invoicing and expenses | full double-entry books free on your own computer |
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: InvoiceShelf and Manager.io. How we grade
Price against what you get
InvoiceShelf has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Manager.io starts at $59 a month and scores 2.0.
Manager.io scores higher, and starts $59 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, none scores higher than InvoiceShelf for less, and 70 score higher than Manager.io 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 is open source, according to its own site.
- InvoiceShelf also covers quotes and estimates.
- Manager.io also covers bookkeeping.
At a glance
| InvoiceShelf | Manager.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $59 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Fully free to self-host under AGPL-3.0, with unlimited invoices and estimates and no seat limits. | Desktop edition for Windows, Mac and Linux: every feature, no time or usage limits and no ads, for a single user with no remote access. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Manager Cloud, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | InvoiceShelf | Manager.io |
| Price read from | invoiceshelf.com | manager.cloud |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Manager.io
- The free desktop edition is single-user; several users or remote access need the paid Cloud Edition or a self-run Server Edition.
- The Server Edition page names no price, and Manager.io does not install it for you.
- There is no phone app; the Cloud Edition is used in a phone or tablet browser.
- Bank transactions come in by importing statements, and payslips are records only, with no payroll tax filing described.
Key features
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.
Manager.io
- Sales and purchases
- Quotes, orders, invoices, credit notes, delivery notes, late payment fees and billable time on the sales side, with matching purchase documents.
- Bank imports and bank rules
- Import bank statements, then let bank rules allocate matching receipts and payments to accounts. Reconcile accounts against statements.
- Inventory and fixed assets
- Inventory items, kits and locations, plus fixed and intangible assets with depreciation and amortization entries.
- Employees and payslips
- Record employees and create payslips with earnings, deductions and employer contributions for each pay period.
- Works offline
- The desktop edition keeps the books on your computer, and a file made on Windows opens on Mac or Linux.
- Cloud and server editions
- Manager Cloud adds simultaneous users with permissions. The Server Edition runs the same web app on your own server.
Plans
InvoiceShelf
Self-hosted$0
Every feature is free; you install it with Docker or a manual install on your own server.
Manager.io
Desktop Edition$0
Single-user software installed on your own computer. Every feature, works offline, no time or usage limits.
Cloud Edition$59
per month for unlimited users and businesses, billed monthly
The same software hosted by Manager.io at your own address, with multi-user access, user permissions, automatic backups and updates.
Ways to pay less
InvoiceShelf
No public discounts listed.
Manager.io
- Annual discount
Pay ten months for a year of Cloud
Annual billing for Manager Cloud is ten times the monthly price: $590 a year instead of $708.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, InvoiceShelf or Manager.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, InvoiceShelf is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $59 a month for Manager.io. InvoiceShelf is free, and Manager.io starts at $59 per month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, InvoiceShelf or Manager.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both InvoiceShelf and Manager.io have a free plan.
Which platforms do InvoiceShelf and Manager.io run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Manager.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux 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.