How to Install InvoicePlane on Windows 10

InvoicePlane is a free and open-source invoicing platform that helps manage clients, invoices, payments, and more. This guide will show you how to set up InvoicePlane on your Windows 10 machine using a local web server.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following components installed on your Windows 10 machine:

• XAMPP or any other local web server software that includes Apache, PHP, and MySQL.
• A web browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

Note: XAMPP is used in this tutorial, but other web server software that supports InvoicePlane can also be used.

Step 1 - Download InvoicePlane

Download the latest version of InvoicePlane from the official Github repository. Click on the green "Code" button and select "Download ZIP".

Once downloaded, extract the ZIP file to the root directory (htdocs) of your local web server.

Alternatively, you can clone the repository using Git with the following command:

git clone https://github.com/InvoicePlane/InvoicePlane.git

Step 2 - Create a MySQL Database

Before installing InvoicePlane, create a new MySQL database to store the application data.

Open the XAMPP Control Panel and start Apache and MySQL services. Then, open your web browser and go to:

http://localhost/phpmyadmin/

Click on the "New" button in the left sidebar, enter a name for your new database, select "utf8_general_ci" as the collation, and hit the "Create" button.

Step 3 - Configure InvoicePlane

With the database ready, start the installation process. Open your web browser and go to:

http://localhost/invoiceplane/

Replace "invoiceplane" with the folder name where you extracted or cloned InvoicePlane. You should see the "Welcome to InvoicePlane" page. Click on the "Let's Go" button to continue.

Enter the database details using the following settings:

• Database Type: MySQL
• Database Name: the name of the database you created in Step 2
• Username: root (or any other MySQL user with administrative privileges)
• Password: leave blank (or enter the password for the MySQL user)

Click on the "Test Connection" button to verify the database connection. If successful, click on the "Save and Continue" button.

On the next page, enter the details for the first admin user. Use a strong username and password. Click on the "Save and Continue" button.

InvoicePlane will start the installation process. This may take a minute or two, depending on your system's performance.

Once complete, you should see the "Congratulations!" page. Click on the "Login" button to access your new InvoicePlane installation.

Step 4 - Login to InvoicePlane

To log in to InvoicePlane, go to:

http://localhost/invoiceplane/

Enter the admin username and password you set up in Step 3 to access the Dashboard, where you can create clients, invoices, quotes, and more.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed InvoicePlane on your Windows 10 machine. Now you can start managing your invoicing and billing tasks with ease.

If you encounter any issues during the installation process, consult the official InvoicePlane documentation or seek help from the community forums. Happy invoicing!