InvoiceShelf

InvoiceShelf is an open-source web and mobile application for creating professional invoices and estimates, tracking expenses and payments, and automating common billing workflows. It provides a web UI plus mobile app sources and a REST API for integrations.

Key Features

• Create, send and manage invoices and estimates with configurable PDF templates and a template generator/CLI.
• Expense and payment tracking with attachments and categories, plus dashboard stats for revenue and cashflow.
• RESTful API (token-based) covering customers, invoices, expenses, recurring invoices and dashboard endpoints for integrations and automation.
• Recurring invoices support (API endpoints for scheduling and frequency control) and custom fields for extended data on models.
• Customizable PDF templates (blade-based) with a make:template command to preserve templates during upgrades.
• Installer and deployment options including manual install guides and Docker Compose instructions; configurable database drivers (SQLite used as default in examples).
• Mobile app sources provided (React Native) for iOS/Android and community-provided extensions and modules.

Use Cases

• Freelancers and small businesses needing a self-hosted invoicing and expense tracking solution.
• Teams integrating invoicing data with other systems via the provided REST API (automation, accounting sync, webhooks).
• Developers customizing invoice PDF templates, adding custom fields, or extending functionality via modules and open-source contributions.

Limitations and Considerations

• Hosted mobile apps are not universally available; mobile app source code exists but official app availability is listed as "coming soon" in project notes.
• Built-in payment processing is not bundled by default; payment integrations (e.g., Stripe) are listed on the roadmap rather than fully integrated out-of-the-box.
• Installation requires familiarity with PHP/Laravel environment requirements (PHP 8.2+ and typical PHP extensions) or Docker tooling for easier deployment.

InvoiceShelf is a practical open-source alternative for self-hosted invoicing, with an extensible codebase and API-first design that supports customization and integrations. It is maintained as an AGPL-licensed project with community contributions and documentation for installation and developer workflows.