Free Accounting and Bookkeeping Software
Which accounting and bookkeeping software a startup can keep its books in for free today, how far the free plan goes on invoices, users and bank accounts, where it works, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Accounting apps change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you move your books.
Accounting software a startup can use for free today includes ZipBooks (Free Starter: unlimited invoices), Akaunting (Free to self-host (Standard plan)), Brightbook (Free online accounting for small businesses), GnuCash (Free and open source (GNU GPL)), and Odoo (One app free forever, unlimited users). Each of the 12 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, where it works, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
Every startup needs books: invoices out, bills in, bank transactions matched and a balance sheet at year end. Several cloud accounting apps have a free plan, and open-source and desktop accounting software is free to install or self-host.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free plans may cap invoices or bank accounts, allow one user or keep reports for paid plans, and open-source tools leave hosting and upkeep to you. Each app below shows what is free, its main limit, where it works, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it. Wave and Zoho Books, which also send invoices, are compared in our free invoicing software guide.
Which apps we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which apps are listed or where.
Cloud accounting software with a free plan
Bookkeeping, invoicing and bank reconciliation in the cloud, free to start.
- 1
ZipBooks
Unlimited invoices with one bank account
The Starter plan is free, with unlimited invoices and one connected bank account. Its paid plans are listed on the same pricing page.
- 2
Brightbook
Freelancers and sole traders, free to start
Brightbook is free online accounting that lets you create and send an unlimited number of invoices, and no credit card is required to start.
Start free at BrightbookTerms read on mybrightbook.com on Brightbook: the free allowance and how to start - 3
Odoo
One business app on Odoo Online, free forever
One App Free covers one full app for unlimited users, free forever. Installing additional apps moves you to the paid Standard plan.
- 4
ProfitBooks
Freelancers and very small businesses, one user
The Startup plan is free forever for one user, with 10 invoices a month. Essential, the first paid plan, is $9.95 a month.
- Where it works
- Any country (source: profitbooks.net)
Start free at ProfitBooksReferral linkTerms read on profitbooks.net on ProfitBooks: the free allowance and how to start - 5
Tailride
Up to 10 supplier invoices a month, indefinitely
The free tier covers up to 10 invoices a month and can be used indefinitely. Once the monthly allowance is used, new invoices wait for the next billing cycle.
Start free at TailrideReferral linkTerms read on tailride.so on Tailride: the free allowance and how to start
Open-source and desktop accounting
Accounting software you install or self-host, free.
- 1
Akaunting
Self-hosting for one company, up to 1,000 invoices
Akaunting is free to download and run on your own server. The free On-Premise Standard plan covers 1,000 invoices, and Premium On-Premise costs $72 a year.
- First paid plan
- Premium On-Premise: $72 a year (source: akaunting.com)
Start free at AkauntingTerms read on akaunting.com on Akaunting: the free allowance and how to start - 2
GnuCash
Double-entry books on your own computer
GnuCash is freely licensed under the GNU GPL, so the software costs nothing. It is available for GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.
- 3
Manager.io
One person keeping books on a desktop
Manager's desktop edition is fully featured and free forever. It is single-user, and the Cloud Edition, which is not free, is the multi-user option.
- Main limit
- Single user only (source: manager.io)
- First paid plan
- Cloud Edition: paid, for multi-user (source: manager.io)
- 4
Frappe Books
Quotes, invoices and bills, with no subscription
Frappe Books is free and open-source accounting software, and it has no subscription, so keeping the books costs nothing.
- 5
ERPNext
Accounting and ERP for teams that can self-host
ERPNext is free and open-source software, and its FAQ says it always will remain so. Frappe Cloud hosting starts at $5 a month.
- First paid plan
- Frappe Cloud hosting from $5 a month (source: frappe.io)
- 6
Dolibarr
Self-hosted ERP and CRM for small teams
Dolibarr is open-source ERP and CRM software built on a Free Open Source Software model, so the software itself is free.
- 7
LedgerSMB
Open-source accounting, invoicing and orders
LedgerSMB is open-source accounting software for small and mid-size businesses. The project states that its source code is freely available.
Start free at LedgerSMBTerms read on ledgersmb.org on LedgerSMB: the free allowance and how to start
Also useful for bookkeeping, tax and finance
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Katana Cloud InventoryCloud inventory and production software for small makersFree plan (30 SKUs)Referral link
KickBookkeeping that categorizes transactions and matches receipts for you10% off for 12 monthsReferral link
DeelGlobal payroll, contractor payments and EOR hiring in 150+ countriesFreeReferral linkCompare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers accounting and bookkeeping software a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each app's terms. Every term comes from the app's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on invoices or bank connections, or a free plan offered only in some countries, can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these apps pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a app appears, and no app pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free accounting software for a startup?
It depends on how you work. By the terms each provider states, ZipBooks' free Starter plan includes unlimited invoices, Odoo gives one app free forever with unlimited users, Manager.io's desktop edition is free and fully featured for a single user, and Akaunting is free to self-host.
Is there free open-source accounting software?
Yes. GnuCash is free under the GNU GPL, Frappe Books is free and open source, Akaunting can be self-hosted free, and ERPNext, Dolibarr and LedgerSMB are free open-source ERPs with accounting.
Is Manager.io free?
Manager.io's desktop edition is free and fully featured for a single user; its Cloud Edition, for several users, is paid.
What does ProfitBooks' free plan include?
ProfitBooks is free forever for 1 user, with 10 invoices and 10 vouchers a month; its Essential plan is $9.95 a month, or $99 a year.
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