head to head · open source
ERPNext vs Invoice Ninja
ERPNext has 39,326 GitHub stars, 12,835 forks, 1,822 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Invoice Ninja has 10,086 stars, 2,707 forks, 945 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ERPNext leads on adoption by 290% (39,326 vs 10,086 stars). ERPNext is written in Python under GPL-3.0; Invoice Ninja is written in PHP under a custom or non-standard licence. ERPNext has attracted 33% as many forks as stars, Invoice Ninja 27%. ERPNext was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ERPNext | Invoice Ninja | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 39K | ★ 10K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 13K | ⑂ 2.7K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ERPNext if
- You weight community size — 39K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Invoice Ninja if
- You want the Invoice Ninja feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Invoice Ninja fits your workflow better
About ERPNext
ERPNext is a free and open source Enterprise Resource Planning system built on the Frappe Framework. It unifies core business functions—including accounting, procurement, manufacturing, CRM, HRMS, and asset management—into a single platform, eliminating the need for multiple proprietary tools. The project lives in the Python based Frappe ecosystem and is licensed under GPL 3.0.
read the full ERPNext overview →
About Invoice Ninja
Invoice Ninja is a source available invoice, quote, project, and time tracking application built with Laravel and PHP. It lives in the Laravel ecosystem and is positioned as an open alternative to QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks. The project provides a web application, API, desktop clients, and mobile clients for businesses that need to bill clients and manage payment related work.
read the full Invoice Ninja overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ERPNext or Invoice Ninja more popular?
ERPNext has 39,326 GitHub stars and Invoice Ninja has 10,086. ERPNext has the larger community by that measure.
Are ERPNext and Invoice Ninja free?
Both are open source. ERPNext is licensed under GPL-3.0, and Invoice Ninja has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between ERPNext and Invoice Ninja?
ERPNext is written in Python and Invoice Ninja in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ERPNext or Invoice Ninja?
Choose ERPNext if you want the larger community (39,326 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Invoice Ninja if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.