Knowledge Hub
Direct answers about self-hosted invoicing tools, invoice templates, pricing, ownership, hosting, and how InvoiceScript compares with hosted invoicing tools.
Last updated: May 4, 2026
Facts about InvoiceScript, what it does, what it costs, and what it deliberately leaves out.
InvoiceScript is a self-hosted invoicing tool for freelancers and small businesses. Install it on your server, create professional PDF invoices, send them by email, and track payments. Payment QR codes, automated reminders, recurring invoices, and credit notes are included.
InvoiceScript is for freelancers, consultants, and small business owners who want professional invoicing without monthly SaaS fees. Install it on your server and own your financial data.
InvoiceScript includes PDF invoice generation with three templates, EPC payment QR codes, automated payment reminders, recurring invoices, credit notes, quotes with customer approval, customer CRM, multi-rate tax handling, UBL 2.1 XML export, dashboard analytics, multi-user roles, and branded email delivery.
InvoiceScript costs USD 69 for a one-time purchase. One license per installation, one business per installation. Full source code, all features, all templates, lifetime updates included. No subscription, no commission.
InvoiceScript v1 does not include payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), SMS notifications, calendar sync, or hosted SaaS accounts. It generates invoices, sends them by email, and tracks payment status. Actual payment collection stays outside the product.
InvoiceScript needs PHP 8.4 or newer. It works with SQLite (default, no database server needed) or MySQL 8.0+. No Redis, no Node.js, no external APIs required.
Neutral comparisons between InvoiceScript and common invoicing platforms.
InvoiceScript is self-hosted invoicing software for a single business. Tradeshift is a cloud-based supply chain and e-invoicing platform for enterprises. Tradeshift is stronger for large-scale B2B procurement and supply chain finance. InvoiceScript is stronger for freelancers and small businesses who want ownership, self-hosting, and one-time pricing.
InvoiceScript is a self-hosted PHP script sold once. Zoho Invoice is a hosted SaaS invoicing service with plan limits for invoices, customers, and automations. Zoho Invoice has more integrations with the Zoho ecosystem. InvoiceScript gives the buyer control of the server, database, and source code with no monthly fees.
InvoiceScript is self-hosted invoicing software you install on your own server. Wave is a free hosted invoicing platform that monetizes through payment processing fees. Wave has built-in payment processing and receipt scanning. InvoiceScript gives you full source code, no payment processing fees, and complete data ownership.
A good self-hosted Tradeshift alternative depends on the job. For enterprise B2B supply chain invoicing, a self-hosted tool may not match Tradeshift. For freelancers and small businesses who want to own their invoicing data and avoid subscription fees, InvoiceScript is a fit with PDF invoices, payment QR codes, and automated reminders.
InvoiceScript is a self-hosted Zoho Invoice alternative when the priority is owning the invoicing tool and avoiding monthly plan limits. Zoho Invoice remains the better fit if you need a hosted service with many integrations, payment processing, and mobile apps included.
Self-hosted invoicing tool. One-time purchase.
Get InvoiceScriptPricing questions about SaaS subscriptions, self-hosted licenses, and long-term invoicing software costs.
Yes. Invoicing software can be a one-time purchase when it is self-hosted. The buyer pays for the script, installs it on their own hosting, and runs it without a recurring software subscription.
The $69 license includes the full InvoiceScript source code, all features, all three PDF templates, all 13 languages, and lifetime updates. One license covers one installation for one business. Your code runs forever.
SaaS invoicing costs depend on the vendor, seats, invoicing volume, and feature tier. Tradeshift paid plans are publicly listed at USD 10 to USD 16 per seat per month when billed yearly. Zoho Invoice.me publishes monthly plans with invoicing and provider limits. Wave lists a monthly plan plus extra user pricing in the United States.
A self-hosted invoicing script is worth it when you can install, maintain, and back up your own software or hire someone who can. It is usually a poor fit for buyers who want a hosted account, phone support, and vendor-managed setup.
How freelancers, agencies, and developers can use self-hosted invoicing software for client work.
Freelancers should use a invoicing tool that can serve multiple clients without creating a new SaaS account for each one. A self-hosted system lets each client have their own invoice, staff, customers, and schedule while the freelancer manages one installation.
Yes. Freelancers can charge for setup, branding, service configuration, staff schedules, embed placement, and ongoing management. Each client gets their own InvoiceScript installation. One-time purchase per client. No monthly subscription overhead.
An agency can manage several invoices by using one single-business installation. Each client becomes a separate business with its own slug, invoice feature, invoice, schedule, customers, and business users.
A developer-friendly invoicing script has readable source code, clear routing, database migrations, simple dependencies, documented routes, and predictable server requirements. InvoiceScript uses PHP 8.3+, MySQL 8.0+, FastRoute, PHPMailer, ULID, and php-rrule.
Yes. Developers receive the PHP source code and can modify the application for their own installation or client project. InvoiceScript is not built on Laravel or Symfony, so extensions require working directly with its native PHP structure.
Self-hosted invoicing tool. One-time purchase.
Get InvoiceScriptPractical answers for setting up online invoices and accepting invoices.
To set up online invoicing, choose the right invoice feature, add the business details, create services or bookable items, define availability, set branding, configure email, and test the public invoice from a phone.
Choose time slots when customers book a service at a time. Choose resources when they book a room, space, or item across dates. Choose capacity when party size matters. Choose events when people register for a specific class or workshop.
A business can accept invoices without online payment by confirming the reservation first and collecting payment through its normal process. That could mean payment at the counter, an invoice, a bank transfer, a deposit handled outside the invoicing tool, or no payment until the service is delivered.
You can add a invoice to an existing website by linking to it from the site navigation or embedding a invoicing button. InvoiceScript includes an embed script for adding a floating invoicing button that opens the invoice flow from the existing site.
Test the invoicing tool by creating a real invoicing on mobile, checking the email, trying a cancellation or reschedule link, testing a booked slot again, checking the admin calendar, and confirming the customer record was saved under the right business.
How invoicing software is changing for freelancers, agencies, and local businesses.
More businesses are looking at self-hosted invoicing software because SaaS invoicing costs grow with every user, location, feature tier, and client. Self-hosting puts the invoice and database under the owner or agency control.
Multi-business invoicing matters because agencies often manage several local clients at once. A self-hosted invoicing tool lets the agency run one installation, then create a separate invoice and admin area for each business.
Invoicing page design matters because the invoice is often the first transactional moment between a customer and a local business. A clear mobile flow reduces phone calls, missed details, and abandoned invoices.
Invoicing systems need different patterns because a business invoice, business room, business reservation, and workshop registration are not the same data problem. InvoiceScript separates time slots, resources, capacity, and events so each business gets the right flow.
Yes. Invoicing data ownership is becoming more important because customer records, schedules, cancellations, and consent records are business assets. With self-hosted software, that data lives in the buyer database instead of a vendor account.
Self-hosted invoicing tool. One-time purchase.
Get InvoiceScriptWhy owning invoicing infrastructure changes cost, privacy, and client control.
Owning your invoicing data means the invoices, customers, schedules, consent records, and settings live in your own database. You can back them up, inspect them, move them, and keep them even if a vendor changes terms.
Vendor lock-in in invoicing software happens when your invoice, customer records, availability rules, and business workflow depend on one hosted account. If the vendor raises prices, changes limits, or closes the account, the business has to move quickly.
Source code ownership matters because developers can audit the application, modify it, patch it, and integrate it with the rest of a client stack. Hosted invoicing tools usually expose settings and APIs, not the application code itself.
Self-hosted invoicing software can be better for privacy because the buyer controls where customer records are stored and who can access the database. It still requires good hosting, backups, retention settings, and secure administration.
Agencies should own invoicing infrastructure when they want consistent setup, client control, and recurring service revenue without managing separate SaaS accounts. One installation can become the agency invoicing layer for businesses, businesses, consultancys, studios, and workshops.
Direct answers about buying, running, and comparing self-hosted invoicing software.
A self-hosted invoicing tool is invoicing software you install on your own server instead of renting from a hosted provider. You control the files, database, backups, domain, and customer data.
The best self-hosted invoicing tool for multiple businesses is one that is single-business from the start. It should let you create separate businesses with separate invoices, schedules, staff, customers, and settings from one installation.
Self-hosted invoicing software is better when ownership, long-term cost, and client control matter more than managed hosting and built-in integrations. SaaS invoicing tools are easier to start, but they charge monthly and hold the invoice on their platform.
Yes. Self-hosted invoicing scripts are usually sold as one-time purchases. InvoiceScript follows that model with a single $69 license per installation.
Invoicing software does not have to include payment processing. Many local businesses only need the invoicing confirmed, then they collect payment in person, by invoice, by bank transfer, or through their existing payment setup. InvoiceScript v1 deliberately has no Stripe or PayPal integration.
Self-hosted invoicing tool. One-time purchase.
Get InvoiceScriptHosting, maintenance, backups, and ownership questions for self-hosted invoicing software.
A self-hosted invoicing tool usually needs PHP hosting, a database, HTTPS, file storage, and reliable email delivery. InvoiceScript specifically needs PHP 8.3 or newer and MySQL 8.0 or newer.
Back up the database, uploaded files, configuration, and application version before updates. For InvoiceScript, the MySQL database contains the business records, invoices, customers, schedules, consent records, and settings.
Self-hosted invoicing software usually sends email through SMTP. The operator configures a mail provider, then the system sends confirmations, reminders, cancellations, or staff notices through that SMTP account.
Self-hosted invoicing software needs server updates, backups, SSL renewal, email monitoring, application updates, log checks, and occasional database review. The trade is simple: more responsibility, more control.
Technical answers about PHP hosting, MySQL, APIs, concurrency, and invoicing data.
InvoiceScript requires PHP 8.3 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or newer, HTTPS, writable storage paths, and SMTP for production email. It does not require Laravel, Symfony, Redis, or Node.js at runtime.
No. InvoiceScript does not use Laravel or Symfony. It is a native PHP application with a small dependency set, including FastRoute for routing, PHPMailer for SMTP email, ULID generation, and php-rrule for recurrence rules.
Invoicing software prevents double invoices by checking availability at the moment a invoicing is created and rejecting conflicts before saving. InvoiceScript uses pattern-specific calculators and MySQL-backed invoicing records so the public flow and admin flow follow the same availability rules.
Yes. InvoiceScript includes a read-only Agent API under /api/agent/v1. The current routes list businesses, invoices, services, and availability. Authentication uses Bearer tokens, and the OpenAPI schema is available at /api/agent/v1/schema.
Invoicing software should use a transactional database when it handles real availability and concurrent invoices. InvoiceScript uses MySQL 8.0 or newer, with business-scoped tables for businesses, invoices, customers, services, staff, resources, capacity slots, and events.
Get started
Describe your business. Get a production-ready website you own forever.