Invoice Ninja is a free, open source program that comes with a suite of billing and account management tools. It enables you to accept payments online, create invoices in a streamlined and hassle-free way, and manage your customers through a centralized dashboard.
Invoice Ninja is self-hosted software, which means it takes more to set up than your average business software. In this article, we walk you through the steps involved in installing Invoice Ninja and creating your own invoices.
How to create your own invoices with Invoice Ninja: Preparation
To get started, you will need to purchase web hosting (Opens in a new tab). There are many reliable options out there, and we chose Hostinger (Opens in a new tab) as the leading option available today. Hostinger usually offers low prices combined with exceptional service, and we were able to arrange an exclusive free hosting deal for our readers!
Once you’ve purchased web hosting, it’s time to install Invoice Ninja. Hostinger makes this very easy with its automatic installer, which enables you to install it in just a few minutes. You’ll find the installer on your hPanel control panel, and it’s very easy to use. Detailed instructions are available here (Opens in a new tab) if it is necessary.
Most web hosts offer some kind of one-click installer that you can use to install Invoice Ninja. If your web host does not offer this, be prepared for the time consuming and potentially difficult task of installing it manually.
Step 1: Adjust the basic settings
When you first launch Invoice Ninja, you will be asked to fill out some basic details about your business before using the platform. First, enter your company name, first name, last name, language, and currency. You can also choose between a light theme and a dark theme.
Next, head to Settings > Company Details to update the rest of your company information. You won’t be asked for anything too complicated, and you can always come back to this step later.
Step two: Add payment gateways
Next, head to Settings > Payment Settings > Gateway Configuration to add your first payment gateway. You can add your existing credentials from many popular providers, including Stripe (Opens in a new tab)Braintree (Opens in a new tab)and PayPal (Opens in a new tab). You can also configure basic payment settings here, including limiting what information is collected during payment.
If you don’t already have an account set up with one of the compatible payment gateways, you’ll need to do that first. Our guide to the best payment gateways (Opens in a new tab) Defines leading options.
Once this is set up, you can also configure things like recurring payments. Your invoices will also include a payment button that enables your customers to pay instantly.
Step 3: Configure your email settings
Before you can automatically send customer invoices, you will need to configure your email settings. To do this, head to Settings > Advanced Settings > Email Settings.
Here, you can specify important details like sender name, BCC email, and reply email. You can also select an email template or upload your own HTML design, and can automatically attach PDFs and other documents to emails if needed.
Step 4: Add your existing customers
If your business already has customers, you can add them to your Invoice Ninja account for simplified future billing. To do this, head over to the Clients tab on the left of the screen and hit the plus sign to add a new profile.
Here, you can add information about the new customer. This includes basic information such as name, website, and VAT number, along with more detailed settings such as billing currency, invoice payment terms, and quote validity.
To manage existing clients, use the main client window.
Fifth Step: Create your first invoice!
Invoice Ninja has a lot of additional features, but by now you should have covered the basics to create your first invoice. To get started, head over to the Billing tab.
To add a new invoice, tap the plus sign at the top right of the screen. Then, you’ll be able to add a customer and set the invoice due date and other information. You fill out the invoice itself, describing each item and clearly stating the costs.
When you’re done, we suggest you save your bill. You can view it as a PDF to make sure everything looks right before sending it as an email. It is also possible to customize the content of the email before it is sent.
summary
In this guide, we have provided step by step instructions to get started with Invoice Ninja. This powerful invoice creation and management tool works as a self-hosted program. Invoice Ninja is a little trickier to use than some of the alternatives, but it’s definitely worth a look.
Our guide to the best invoicing software (Opens in a new tab) It contains more information about leading alternatives to Invoice Ninja, and we recommend reading it. You may also like to read about Mastering Business Accounting and Billing (Opens in a new tab) Or check out our Hostinger review (Opens in a new tab) Find out why we rate this web host so highly.
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