Invoice Ninja v5 on Ubuntu 24.04

(PHP 8.4 + MariaDB/MySQL + Nginx/Apache + SSL)

Invoice Ninja v5 is a modern, open-source invoicing, billing, and payment management platform designed for freelancers, agencies, and small to medium-sized businesses. It enables you to create professional invoices, manage clients and products, track payments and expenses, and automate recurring billing — all from a clean, web-based interface.

Unlike SaaS invoicing tools, Invoice Ninja can be fully self-hosted, giving you complete control over your financial data, clients, and workflows. This is especially important for businesses that value data ownership, privacy, and predictable long-term costs.

Running Invoice Ninja v5 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) provides a secure, modern, and long-term supported environment. Ubuntu 24.04 pairs perfectly with PHP 8.4, modern databases, and current web servers, making it an excellent foundation for a stable, production-ready invoicing system.

Architecture Overview

LayerComponentRole
OSUbuntu 24.04 LTSSecure, long-term supported Linux base
Web ServerNginx or ApacheServes the Invoice Ninja web application
RuntimePHP 8.4 (FPM)Executes Invoice Ninja backend logic
DatabaseMariaDB / MySQLStores invoices, clients, payments, settings
ApplicationInvoice Ninja v5 (Laravel)Invoicing, billing, reporting
TLSLet’s Encrypt / PKIEncrypted HTTPS access
PaymentsStripe, PayPal, etc.Online payment processing

Invoice Ninja v5 is built on Laravel, ensuring clean architecture, extensibility, and long-term maintainability.

Why Use Invoice Ninja?

  • Open-source & self-hosted – no vendor lock-in
  • Professional invoices & quotes – customizable templates
  • Recurring billing & subscriptions – automate repeat invoices
  • Online payments – Stripe, PayPal, and more
  • Client portal – clients can view and pay invoices online
  • Expense tracking – monitor business costs
  • Multi-currency & tax support – ideal for international clients
  • Multi-company support – manage several businesses from one instance
  • REST API – integrate with other systems

Invoice Ninja is ideal for users who want full control over invoicing without monthly SaaS fees.

Invoice Ninja vs Other Invoicing Platforms

Feature / CapabilityInvoice NinjaFreshBooksQuickBooksZoho Invoice
HostingSelf-hostedCloud onlyCloud onlyCloud only
Open-source✅ Yes❌ No❌ No❌ No
Data ownershipFull controlVendor-controlledVendor-controlledVendor-controlled
Recurring invoices✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
Online payments✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
CostFree (self-hosted)PaidPaidFree / Paid

Invoice Ninja stands out for flexibility, transparency, and cost control.

Security & Best Practices on Ubuntu 24.04

  • Serve Invoice Ninja only over HTTPS.
  • Use PHP-FPM with a dedicated pool for better isolation.
  • Keep database access restricted to localhost or internal networks.
  • Store secrets (APP_KEY, DB credentials, mail passwords) in .env only.
  • Set proper file permissions for storage/ and bootstrap/cache/.
  • Enable UFW and allow only ports 80 and 443.
  • Schedule cron jobs for recurring invoices and background tasks.
  • Regularly update:
    • Ubuntu packages
    • PHP extensions
    • Invoice Ninja core
  • Back up:
    • Database
    • .env file
    • Uploaded assets and PDFs
  • Restrict admin access and use strong passwords + 2FA where possible.

Typical Use Cases

  • Freelancers issuing invoices and tracking payments
  • Agencies managing multiple clients and recurring services
  • Small businesses replacing SaaS invoicing tools
  • Consultants billing hourly or per project
  • International businesses using multiple currencies and tax rules
  • Self-hosted business stacks combined with CRM or ERP tools

Deploying Invoice Ninja v5 on Ubuntu 24.04 gives you a powerful, professional, and fully self-hosted invoicing platform — combining modern Laravel architecture with full financial data ownership, strong security, and long-term OS stability.

Step 1: Create a Server Instance on Shape.Host

Before installing Invoice Ninja, you need a VPS.

Log in to your Shape.Host account at https://shape.host.

Click Create → Instance.

Shape.host Resources dashboard with Create > Instance highlighted.

Choose a data center location close to your users.

Shape.host instance form with the data center location selector highlighted.

Select a VPS plan with at least:

2 CPU cores

4 GB RAM

40 GB SSD storage

Choose Ubuntu 24.04 (64-bit) as the operating system.

Shape.host instance form with the operating system image selector highlighted.

Create the instance and wait for provisioning.

Shape.host instance form with the Create Instance button highlighted.

Copy the public IP address of the server.

Shape.host Resources dashboard with the server IP address highlighted.

Step 2: Connect to the Server

Linux / macOS

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Windows

Use PowerShell, Windows Terminal, or PuTTY:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

You should now be logged in as root.

Step 3: Install Apache Web Server

apt update

apt upgrade -y
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
apt install apache2
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
systemctl enable apache2

systemctl start apache2

Apache is now installed and running.

Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

Step 4: Install and Configure MariaDB

apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
systemctl enable mariadb

systemctl start mariadb
Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

Secure the MariaDB installation:

mysql_secure_installation
Terminal showing mariadb commands or output during Install and Configure MariaDB.

Log in to MariaDB:

mysql -u root -p

Create the database and user:

CREATE DATABASE invoiceninja;

CREATE USER 'invoiceninja'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE';

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON invoiceninja.* TO 'invoiceninja'@'localhost';

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Terminal showing SQL database and user configuration commands.

Step 5: Install PHP 8.4 and Required Extensions

apt install software-properties-common
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

apt update

apt install php8.4 php8.4-cli php8.4-common php8.4-fpm php8.4-mysql php8.4-xml php8.4-curl php8.4-zip php8.4-mbstring php8.4-bcmath php8.4-gd php8.4-intl php8.4-opcache

Enable PHP-FPM and required Apache modules:

Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
a2enconf php8.4-fpm

a2enmod proxy_fcgi setenvif rewrite

systemctl restart apache2

Verify PHP:

php -v
Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

Step 6: Download and Prepare Invoice Ninja

mkdir -p /var/www/html/invoiceninja

cd /var/www/html/invoiceninja

wget https://github.com/invoiceninja/invoiceninja/releases/latest/download/invoiceninja.tar
Terminal showing file download commands and transfer output.
tar -xvzf invoiceninja.tar

rm invoiceninja.tar

Set permissions:

chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/invoiceninja

chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/invoiceninja

chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap/cache
Terminal showing file ownership or permission commands.

Step 7: Configure Apache Virtual Host

nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/invoiceninja.conf

Paste:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName invoices.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/invoiceninja/public

    <Directory /var/www/html/invoiceninja/public>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
Terminal showing web server configuration text.

Enable the site and reload Apache:

a2ensite invoiceninja.conf

a2dissite 000-default.conf

apachectl configtest

systemctl reload apache2
Terminal showing an Apache configuration test.

Step 8: Configure Invoice Ninja Environment

cd /var/www/html/invoiceninja

cp .env.example .env

nano .env

Edit:

APP_NAME=InvoiceNinja
APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_URL=http://invoices.example.com

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=invoiceninja
DB_USERNAME=invoiceninja
DB_PASSWORD=STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE
Terminal showing application configuration settings.

Set permissions:

chown www-data:www-data .env
Terminal showing file and directory setup commands.

Step 9: Finalize Invoice Ninja Setup

php artisan key:generate
Terminal showing file ownership or permission commands.
php artisan optimize:clear
Terminal showing php commands or output during Finalize Invoice Ninja Setup.
php artisan migrate
Terminal showing php commands or output during Finalize Invoice Ninja Setup.

Step 10: Configure Cron Job

crontab -e

Add:

* * * * * cd /var/www/html/invoiceninja && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1
Terminal showing file and directory setup commands.

Step 11: Enable SSL with Let’s Encrypt

apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
certbot --apache -d ubuntu-tutorials.shape.host

Replace with your real domain:

yourdomain.com
Terminal showing Certbot certificate commands and messages.

Step 12:Permissions Fix

chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/invoiceninja

chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/invoiceninja/storage

chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/invoiceninja/bootstrap/cache

Step 13: Access Invoice Ninja

Open your browser:

https://invoices.example.com

Complete the web installer:

Application Settings and Database Configuration

On the Invoice Ninja Setup page, configure the application settings and database connection.
Make sure the URL matches your domain and that HTTPS is enabled (highly recommended for production environments).
In the database section, enter your MySQL credentials, including host, port, database name, username, and password, then click Test connection to verify connectivity.

Invoice Ninja installation form with application and database settings.

Create the First Administrator Account

In this step, create the first administrator user account for Invoice Ninja.
Fill in the first name, last name, email address, and password.
Accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click Submit to finalize the installation and user creation.

Invoice Ninja initial administrator account form.

Invoice Ninja Login Page

After completing the setup, you are redirected to the Invoice Ninja login page.
Enter the administrator email address and password created during installation.
If enabled, you can also use 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) for additional security.
Click Login to access the Invoice Ninja dashboard.

Invoice Ninja sign-in form.

Welcome to Invoice Ninja – Initial Company Setup

After the first login, Invoice Ninja displays a welcome dialog where you configure the basic company information.
Here, enter your Company Name, select the preferred Language, and choose the default Currency.
Click Save to complete the initial setup and access the main dashboard.

Invoice Ninja company setup dialog over the dashboard.

Invoice Ninja Dashboard Overview

Once the setup is complete, you are redirected to the Invoice Ninja dashboard.
This interface provides a complete overview of your business activity, including recent transactions, payments, outstanding invoices, and financial charts.
From the left sidebar, you can manage clients, products, invoices, recurring billing, reports, and application settings.

Invoice Ninja dashboard with invoice statistics and financial charts.

You installed Invoice Ninja v5 on Ubuntu 24.04 using Apache, MariaDB, PHP 8.4, and secured it with Let’s Encrypt SSL. This setup is robust, secure, and suitable for production billing and invoicing workloads.

For hosting business-critical applications like Invoice Ninja with full control, scalability, and high performance, Shape.Host Linux SSD VPS is a reliable choice for modern self-hosted environments.