Mavri FAQ: free self-hosted invoicing software

Straight answers about Mavri, free open-source self-hosted invoicing and quotes software: what it does, what it does not do, how to install it and how it handles data.

About Mavri

What is Mavri?

Mavri is free, open-source, self-hosted invoicing and quotes software for freelancers and small businesses. It runs as one Docker container with a SQLite database, so your invoices, customers and payment records stay on a server you control.

Is Mavri free?

Yes. Mavri is open-source software under the AGPL-3.0 license. There is no paid plan, no hosted version and no per-user or per-invoice fee.

Who makes Mavri?

Mavri is created and led by Raktim Ranjit at NodeDR Infotech Private Limited. The source code is on GitHub at Raktim94/mavri.

Who is Mavri for?

Freelancers, consultants, agencies and small businesses that want to create invoices and quotes, track payments, and keep business records on their own server instead of in a hosted billing service. It suits people who are comfortable running Docker or a home server such as CasaOS or ZimaOS.

Is there a hosted or paid version?

No. There is no hosted Mavri and no paid plan. You run it yourself.

Can I use Mavri for my business?

Yes, under the AGPL-3.0. If you modify Mavri and let other people use it over a network, the license requires you to offer them your modified source. Read the license page for the full terms.

Invoices and quotes

Can I create quotes as well as invoices?

Yes. You can prepare quotes and convert an accepted quote into an invoice. Any document can also be duplicated.

How do I create an invoice in Mavri?

Open the invoice editor, pick a customer, add items from your catalog or type them freely, set tax, dates and payment details, and check the live preview. A review lists what is required, recommended and optional. Invoices start as drafts and are locked when issued.

Can I fix a mistake on an issued invoice?

Issued invoices are locked so their amounts cannot change quietly. Use credit and debit notes to correct mistakes. Payments, refunds and voiding still work on issued invoices.

How does Mavri handle taxes, discounts and totals?

Tax can be set per line and per document and can be added, included or withheld. You can add a discount, surcharge and shipping. Totals are kept per currency.

Can I print or save invoices as PDF?

Yes. Print or save the invoice as PDF from your browser.

Does Mavri send invoices by email?

No. Save the invoice as PDF or print it, then send it yourself.

How many invoice templates are there?

Mavri ships fifteen templates, from a ledger grid to GST, VAT and thermal receipt layouts. A template changes how a document looks, never its amounts.

Can I invoice in other currencies and languages?

Yes. Mavri supports multiple currencies, with totals kept per currency. Documents can be printed in a customer’s language using draft translations of the printed labels for nineteen languages, with Arabic and Urdu right to left. The app interface itself is in English, and the translations are drafts.

Payments and getting paid

Does Mavri process card or bank payments?

No. Mavri is not a payment processor. It tracks invoice and payment records. It can record a card payment when Stripe confirms it on Stripe’s own Checkout page.

Can I record partial payments?

Yes. Record each payment and the status becomes Partly paid or Paid by itself. Void cancels an invoice.

Does Mavri have payment QR codes?

Yes. UPI and SEPA payment QR codes are shown for the remaining balance, always beside the same details as text. Scanning a QR code never marks an invoice paid; you record the payment when the money arrives.

Can Mavri chase overdue invoices?

Yes. A Needs attention list shows what is overdue, most urgent first, with a suggested next step. Automatic reminders, promises to pay, disputes and pauses can be set per invoice. Mavri never adds late fees.

Can Mavri match bank statements to invoices?

Yes. Mavri suggests matches between a bank statement and unpaid invoices and you confirm each line.

Taxes and e-invoicing

Can I export electronic invoice formats?

Yes. Mavri can download UBL 2.1 (Peppol BIS 3.0) and XRechnung 3.0 XML, and tells you which required field is missing if a document is incomplete. Generated files do not replace review for your own jurisdiction’s rules.

Does Mavri support GST, VAT and sales tax?

Mavri includes tax guidance for India GST, UK VAT, EU VAT, UAE VAT and US sales tax, with rates and the date each began. It never applies a rate by itself and files nothing, so you decide what applies. No tax pack has been reviewed by a person yet; verify your setup with a qualified local adviser.

Can Mavri check VAT or GST numbers?

Yes. It checks the check characters of India and UK tax numbers, the shape of others, and can run VIES checks of EU VAT numbers.

Does Mavri file taxes or generate an e-invoice IRN or e-way bill?

No. Mavri files no returns and generates no e-invoice IRN, e-way bill or VIES filing. It is a billing record tool, not tax software.

Installing and running

How do I install Mavri?

Copy the one-line installer for your system from the quick start. It installs Docker and git if they are missing, downloads Mavri and starts it; then open http://localhost:3001. If you already have Docker, run git clone https://github.com/Raktim94/mavri.git, cd mavri and docker compose up -d --build.

Which operating systems can run Mavri?

Mavri runs in Docker, so it runs on Windows 10/11, macOS and Linux wherever Docker with Compose is available. For home servers there is also a CasaOS and ZimaOS app for amd64 and arm64 hardware.

Where is my invoice data stored?

In a SQLite database in the deployment’s data directory or volume. You choose and administer the server where it runs.

Do I need to create an account with Mavri?

No Mavri account is needed. You create the owner account inside your own installation; there is no hosted billing account.

Does Mavri work without internet?

Once installed, creating and tracking invoices does not need the internet. The only automatic outside connection is an optional version check to GitHub, which you can switch off with UPDATE_CHECK=off. Mavri has no analytics or tracking.

How do I update Mavri?

If you installed from source, run git pull and docker compose up -d --build in the project folder; your data stays in the data volume. On CasaOS with the bundled updater, use Settings → Updates → Update now. Download a backup first.

How do I back up Mavri?

Use Settings → Backup to download your records as one file, and copy the whole data folder if you also want the keys and store connections, which a backup file does not include. Keep backups somewhere separate and check that you can restore them.

Can I open Mavri on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The interface has a mobile layout, so you can open it in a phone or tablet browser if the device can reach your server, for example on the same network.

Is Mavri available as a Debian or Ubuntu package?

Yes. A .deb package is attached to each GitHub release: download mavri_2.5.0_all.deb and run sudo apt install ./mavri_2.5.0_all.deb. It needs Docker with the Compose plugin and runs Mavri as a systemd service called mavri. It is a release download and is not in the official Debian or Ubuntu apt archives.

Where is Mavri available?

Mavri is available as a Docker image (ghcr.io/raktim94/mavri, amd64 and arm64), with Docker Compose, as a .deb package for Debian and Ubuntu, on CasaOS and ZimaOS through Custom Install, and on Windows and macOS through Docker. A listing in the official CasaOS App Store has been submitted and is awaiting review. Mavri is not available in the Microsoft Store.

Is Mavri in the Microsoft Store?

No. Mavri is not published in the Microsoft Store. On Windows, run it through Docker Desktop or WSL2 with Docker Engine, using the one-line installer from the quick start.

Integrations and automation

Does Mavri have an API?

Yes. Mavri has a versioned REST API with an API reference at /docs/api/.

Does Mavri support webhooks?

Yes. Mavri accepts signed webhooks from Shopify, WooCommerce or any sender that can sign a JSON body.

Does Mavri have an MCP server?

Yes. Mavri includes an MCP server so AI assistants and agents can work with your invoicing data when you connect one.

Which database does Mavri use?

SQLite only. This keeps Mavri to a single container with one data folder.

Comparison and fit

How is Mavri different from hosted invoicing software?

Hosted invoicing services keep your records on their servers and usually charge a subscription. Mavri is self-hosted and free: your records stay on infrastructure you control, there are no per-seat or per-invoice fees, and the code is open for inspection. The trade-off is that you run, secure and back up the server yourself.

What is Mavri best suited for?

Mavri is best suited to freelancers and small businesses that want free, open-source, self-hosted invoicing and quotes with e-invoice export (UBL, XRechnung), tax guidance for several regions, an API and an MCP server, and that are comfortable running Docker. It is not a good fit if you need a hosted service, built-in payment processing beyond recording Stripe Checkout payments, email sending, or full accounting.

Is Mavri accounting software?

No. Reports show billed, paid and outstanding by month and client for a chosen year. They are views of your records, not accounting statements.

What are Mavri’s main limits?

Mavri does not email invoices, is not a payment processor, files no taxes, supports only SQLite, and has an English interface. Other payment providers, refunds and chargebacks through a provider are not built. Tax packs and translations are drafts not yet reviewed by a person.

Quick facts

• Name: Mavri. Type: invoicing and quotes software.
• License: AGPL-3.0. Price: free, no paid plan.
• Deployment: self-hosted, one Docker container, SQLite.
• Platforms: Docker image, Docker Compose, Debian and Ubuntu .deb, CasaOS and ZimaOS, Windows and macOS via Docker. Not in the Microsoft Store.
• Exports: print or PDF, UBL 2.1 (Peppol BIS 3.0), XRechnung 3.0.
• Integrations: REST API, signed webhooks, MCP server.
• Not included: email sending, payment processing, tax filing, hosted service.
• Source: github.com/Raktim94/mavri. Machine-readable summary: llms.txt.

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