Question 1

Both projects are open source. What is the real difference?

Accepted Answer

Both are free if you self-host, and both publish their full source on GitHub. The two practical differences are the license and the hosting model. SolidInvoice uses the MIT license, which is one of the most permissive in software and has no copyleft clause. InvoiceShelf uses AGPLv3, which can require you to publish your own modifications under the same license if you expose a modified version to users over a network. Most SolidInvoice users skip self-hosting entirely and use the managed cloud plan from $9/mo instead; InvoiceShelf is self-host only.

Question 2

Is SolidInvoice's self-hosted version really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The self-hosted edition is the same codebase as the cloud version, with no usage caps and no license keys. Unlimited invoices, unlimited clients, recurring billing, online payments, multi-currency, team roles, and the REST API are all included. Invoice and quote templates are the one cloud-only feature. Otherwise the cloud plans add managed hosting, automatic updates, and backups.

Question 3

Why does AGPLv3 vs MIT matter for businesses?

Accepted Answer

If you only run InvoiceShelf for internal invoicing without modifying it, AGPLv3 has no practical impact. The license becomes relevant when you change the code or build a product on top of it. AGPLv3 can require you to publish your modifications under the same license, including changes you only expose over a network. MIT has no such requirement, which is why many agencies, SaaS teams, and businesses with compliance reviews prefer it.

Question 4

How do I move from InvoiceShelf to SolidInvoice?

Accepted Answer

SolidInvoice does not yet have a built-in InvoiceShelf importer. The fastest path is to add your active clients into SolidInvoice manually, then start sending new invoices from the new system while keeping your InvoiceShelf instance for historical records. Most users complete the switch in an afternoon.

Question 5

Does SolidInvoice have mobile apps like InvoiceShelf?

Accepted Answer

InvoiceShelf has dedicated iOS and Android apps. SolidInvoice does not currently ship a native mobile app, but the web app is fully responsive and works well on phones and tablets. If a native mobile app is a hard requirement for you, that is one area where InvoiceShelf is currently ahead.

Question 6

Is SolidInvoice actively maintained?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SolidInvoice has been in active development since 2014, with the full commit history and release notes available on GitHub. The same team maintains the open source repo and the hosted cloud product, so the codebase is exercised in production every day.

Plan	Monthly Price	Annual Cost	Your Savings
InvoiceShelf	Self-host only	Plus VPS + ops time	N/A
SolidInvoice ✓	From $9/mo	From $90/year	Skip the server, hosted from $9/mo

Feature	SolidInvoice	InvoiceShelf
Open source codebase
Free self-hosted option
Open source licenseAdvantage	MIT (permissive)	AGPLv3 (copyleft)
Managed cloud / hosted planAdvantage	from $9/mo
GDPR-compliant EU hosting optionAdvantage
Built-in Stripe and PayPal payments
Recurring and subscription billing		Limited
Quote to invoice workflow
Client management
Multi-currency support
REST API access	Pro and up
Native iOS and Android apps
Active development historyAdvantage	Since 2014	Crater fork (2022)
No server admin requiredAdvantage

The Open-Source Invoicing Core, Hosted for You From $9/mo.

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