Documentation — Onboard

Getting Started

Introduction

What is Onboard?

Onboard is an open-source client operating system built for freelancers and small agencies. It replaces the messy stack of WhatsApp, Google Drive, email threads, and spreadsheets that most freelancers use to manage clients after a project is signed.

Everything that happens after a client says yes — contracts, project progress, messages, invoices, and documents — lives in one clean workspace. Your client gets a private portal. You get your sanity back.

Tip

Onboard is fully free and open-source under the MIT license. You can self-host it or use the hosted version at onboard.qzz.io.

Core concepts

Freelancer workspace

When you sign up, you get a private dashboard at /dashboard. This is your command centre — clients, projects, invoices, messages and documents all live here.

Client portal

Every client you add gets a dedicated portal at onboard.qzz.io/client/[id]. They can log in and see their project progress, download invoices, review contracts, and send messages — without ever emailing you.

Projects

A project ties everything together. Each project has its own progress stages, message thread, invoice list, and document folder. Nothing gets mixed up across clients.