Crater: Free Open-source Billing & Invoicing Platform
When running a business, managing finances can quickly become overwhelming. That's where Crater, a free open-source billing and invoicing platform, steps in to simplify the process.
Ideal for freelancers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs looking for an efficient way to track invoices, estimates, and payments. Crater offers a feature-rich solution for free with their open-source self-hosted version.
Let’s dive into how this platform can simplify your financial management.
Watch our Crater platform overview on YouTube
Customers, Estimates, and Invoices
Crater provides an intuitive system for managing your customers, allowing you to create detailed customer profiles with ease.
The platform enables the seamless creation of professional estimates and invoices. You can send estimates to clients, and once approved, convert them into invoices with just a click.
The invoices are customizable, ensuring they reflect your brand’s identity. Crater also allows multiple currencies, making it ideal for businesses dealing with international clients.
Customer Portal
One of Crater’s standout features is its Customer Portal, where your clients can view and download invoices and estimates, and even track their payments online.
This dedicated portal enhances customer experience by providing transparency and easy access to their billing history. It also helps you maintain a professional relationship, keeping interactions smooth and organized.
Recurring Payments
For businesses that operate on subscription models or provide services requiring regular payments, Crater’s Recurring Payments feature is a game-changer. You can set up automated invoices generation on a predefined schedule, reducing the manual effort required to chase payments.
Expenses & Payments
Crater goes beyond just invoicing by allowing you to manage your business’s expenses directly within the platform. You can track both expenses and payments, categorize them, and associate them with specific clients or projects. The ability to upload receipts and track payments ensures that you have a clear view of your financial health, all from a single dashboard.
Reports
Financial data can be complex, but Crater makes it easy to get a bird’s-eye view with its detailed Reports section. From profit and loss statements to tax summaries, Crater provides comprehensive reports that help you understand your business’s financial position.
This feature is particularly useful for end-of-year accounting or when you need to assess performance trends.
Users & Roles
Managing a team? Crater supports multiple users and roles, enabling you to assign permissions based on your team members’ responsibilities. Whether it's granting full access to your accountant or limited access to a project manager, you can control who sees what. This ensures data security while streamlining workflow collaboration.
Conclusion
Crater proves that managing finances doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With features ranging from customer management and recurring payments to expense tracking and reports, it provides a comprehensive solution for businesses of all sizes. If you're looking for a free, customizable invoicing platform, Crater might just be the perfect tool for you.