Who this is not for
If you want to self-host, own the database, audit the code, or keep invoicing inside your own infrastructure for policy reasons, keep Invoice Ninja. Flowzivo cannot be self-hosted and never will be — that is not a roadmap gap, it is a different product.
Same if you need deep configurability: many payment gateways, custom fields everywhere, templates rebuilt to your own design. A tool with fewer choices is faster for the person who wants the default and worse for the person who wants control.
Scritta con cura e senza numeri sul prodotto altrui: prezzi e funzioni cambiano, quindi per quelli si rimanda alla loro pagina. Se qualcosa qui e' diventato inesatto, scrivetemelo e lo correggo.
What self-hosting actually costs
Not money — attention. A server that needs updating, a database that needs backing up and, more to the point, backups you have actually tested restoring. Mail delivery that has to be configured so invoices do not land in spam. A version upgrade that arrives on the week you are busiest.
None of that is hard. All of it is on you, and it competes with billable work. For some people that trade is obviously worth it. For others it is the reason invoices went out late for two months.
What Flowzivo does differently
Nothing to run. One page that loads once, with invoices, quotes, clients, time, contracts and expenses as views rather than modules. Your data lives in your browser and, if you make an account, synchronises to a hosted database so the same workspace follows you to a phone or a new laptop.
And there is a middle position worth knowing about: you can use it without any account at all. Nothing leaves the browser, nothing is stored on a server, and you export a complete JSON backup whenever you want. Not self-hosting, but not a black box either.
Pricing, honestly
Flowzivo is 30 days free, then €9 a month or €90 a year, everything included; €19 a month with automatic chasing of overdue invoices. Invoice Ninja is free to self-host and also offers a hosted plan, so the real comparison is against the hosted version plus your own time — check their site for current terms.
How to actually choose
One question: do you enjoy running things? Not «can you» — most freelancers who ask this question can. Whether you want to is a different matter, and it is the one that predicts whether the server gets updated in March.
The case against switching
If your instance is running and you have restored a backup at least once, you have the better setup and should keep it. Ownership of your own data is worth more than a shorter path from quote to invoice, and nothing here beats it.
Try it with your own numbers
The demo runs the real product with example data. Nothing to install, no account, and anything you type is yours to keep.
No account to look around. Example data, and anything you add is yours to keep.
Questions
Can I self-host Flowzivo?
No, and it is not planned. If self-hosting is a requirement, Invoice Ninja is the better answer and this page will not argue otherwise.
Where does my data live?
In your browser if you use it without an account — nothing leaves the device. With an account it synchronises to a hosted database so the same workspace follows you across devices. Either way you can export a complete JSON backup at any time.
Can I export everything if I leave?
Yes: a complete JSON backup plus CSV exports of clients, invoices, time entries, expenses and reports. No export limits and no active subscription required.
Can I import from Invoice Ninja?
No. Clients and open invoices are re-entered by hand; the rest stays in your export.
Is it open source?
No. If that is what you are looking for, this is the wrong product and the comparison ends there.