Xolo vs Invoice Ninja: Whose Freelancer Invoice Tool is Best?

Freelancers need to get paid smoothly, invoice professionally, and stay compliant — preferably, without losing billable hours to pesky admin tasks. 

It’s not always been an easy task, finding the solution that meets these understandable needs. Thankfully, Invoice Ninja and Xolo both offer assistance in two very unique ways.

On one side, Invoice Ninja offers a free, open-source invoicing tool popular with tech-savvy freelancers who love control and flexibility. On the other, Xolo provides a comprehensive invoicing and compliance service designed for those who want everything handled for them — from tax compliance to client payments.

Which route suits you best: building your own invoicing setup or letting a service handle the heavy lifting?

What does Invoice Ninja’s service offer freelancers?

Invoice Ninja is a free invoicing and expense-tracking tool available both as open-source software (which you can self-host) and as a cloud-based SaaS.

It’s packed with features for freelancers and small businesses:

• Customizable invoices and quotes
• Recurring billing and automatic reminders
• Time tracking for projects and billable tasks
• Expense and profit reporting
• Multiple currencies and languages
• Integrations with Stripe, PayPal, and 40+ other payment gateways.

The open-source version gives you full control — unlimited invoices, clients, and users — if you’re willing to set it up yourself. The hosted cloud plan, meanwhile, offers a free tier (typically for up to 20 clients) and paid plans from around $10–15/month, removing Invoice Ninja branding and unlocking additional features.

The trade-off: Invoice Ninja gives you tools, not a service. You still need your own registered business, tax setup, and accounting process.

What we love about Invoice Ninja: A truly comprehensive service for invoicing, with some strong features

What we don’t love about Invoice Ninja: You have to register a business to send self-created invoices.

What is Xolo?

Xolo takes a different approach. Rather than just offering software, Xolo acts as your business partner and compliance layer. It handles invoicing, payments, accounting and taxes.

There are two main offerings from Xolo, each designed to meet your unique needs as a freelancer or solopreneur:

• Xolo Go – A pay-per-invoice model (5.9% fee per payout). You send compliant invoices for free using Xolo’s platform, and Xolo issues them under its legal entity with an Estonian VAT ID. Perfect for freelancers who don’t yet have a registered company.
• Xolo Leap – A full-service package (€59/month) that sets up your own EU (Estonian) company through e-residency, provides full-on accounting, and manages taxes (including fillings) and compliance for you.

Instead of managing your own software or worrying about VAT rules, Xolo handles it all and lets you focus purely on your work.

A feature comparison of Xolo & Invoice Ninja

Control vs convenience: What do you value most?

Think of Invoice Ninja as a toolbox and Xolo as a service provider. If you’re a larger business, already registered and looking to save around €39 a month on costs, Invoice Ninja is a true, viable option. 

• Invoice Ninja = Control and customization. You manage everything yourself, from invoice templates to hosting and tax settings. You can self-host it, integrate it with your workflow, and pay almost nothing. But you’ll also be your own accountant and compliance officer, spending billable hours in admin
• Xolo = Convenience and compliance. You give up some customization control but gain peace of mind. Xolo ensures your invoices are legally compliant, payments flow smoothly, and taxes are handled in the background all year long.

Xolo and Invoice Ninja’s focus on reliability, security & support

Invoice Ninja is open source, which means you can inspect the code and host your own data — a plus for privacy-minded or technically skilled users. However! Updates, maintenance and backups are your responsibility alone.

Xolo is GDPR-compliant and offers live and personal customer support with real accountants on staff. You’re trusting a regulated service rather than managing infrastructure yourself.

If something breaks in Invoice Ninja, you troubleshoot. With Xolo, someone has your back.

Choosing between Invoice Ninja & Xolo for your freelance business

It depends on your business’ needs (and size). Freelancers and solopreneurs at any stage in their career will find that Xolo’s products meet their needs in a convenient way that offers peace of mind. 

But where Invoice Ninja doesn’t shine, it glows with a unique set of customizable tools and robust service offerings for invoicing and receiving payments from around the world –– especially if your business has grown into a team.

We think you’d love Invoice Ninja if:

• You already have a registered business
• You’re comfortable managing software or self-hosting
• You want a free or very low-cost invoicing solution
• You enjoy customizing tools and workflows.

Example: A freelance developer running their own small business uses Invoice Ninja on their VPS, integrating it with Stripe and project management tools.

Xolo is a great choice if:

• You want to invoice clients across Europe legally and easily
• You prefer an all-in-one service that handles compliance and taxes
• You value support and don’t want to manage accounting
• You’d rather pay a small fee for peace of mind

Example: A marketing consultant working with EU clients uses Xolo Go to send VAT-compliant invoices without registering a business locally — and gets paid directly to their bank account.

Both tools help freelancers get paid — but their philosophies differ. It’s a big choice on saving time, or saving money. In some cases it may even cost more to start a business (depending on where you reside). 

👉 Try Xolo Go for free – start invoicing international clients in minutes without opening a company.

Read next:

• Xolo Go vs Xolo Leap: Which Is Right for Your Freelance Setup?
• Xolo vs Wave: Simplifying Freelance Invoicing and Accounting