GnuCash vs Akaunting
Our verdict
It depends on your prioritiesFree desktop double-entry against open-core accounting you can host or buy.
TechBigs verdict, published Sep 4, 2026
GnuCash costs nothing for ever and expects you to run it on one machine. Akaunting is the better choice when several people need the books, bank feeds matter, or you want the option of paying someone to host it.
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What free means in each case
GnuCash is free software under the GNU General Public License, installed on Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD or Solaris. There is no hosted edition and no subscription. Akaunting's published plans are cloud subscriptions from US$12 a month; a self-hosted deployment is offered separately. The free part of Akaunting is the code, not the service.
Multi-user and bank data
Akaunting counts users and companies per plan, from one user and one company on Standard to unlimited on Ultimate, and lists bank feeds from Premium. GnuCash is a desktop application: it reconciles statements and imports files, but there is no shared account or automatic feed in the official feature list.
Scope
Both state invoicing, expenses, multi-currency and double-entry books. Akaunting additionally lists inventory, payroll, projects and sales tax packs for GST, Making Tax Digital and Form 1099 on its higher tiers. GnuCash covers customer and vendor tracking, jobs, invoicing and bill payment, and can manage payroll through accounts payable and receivable rather than as a feature.
Where they differ
4 facts that can decide it; identical facts are below- PricingGnuCash: FreeAkaunting: Flat rate from $12/mo
- Free optionGnuCash: Free planAkaunting: None
- DeploymentGnuCash: Self-hostedAkaunting: Cloud, Self-hosted
- Team sizeGnuCash: Solo, Small teams (2–50)Akaunting: Solo, Small teams (2–50), Mid-size (51–500)
Everything else
Same on both unless markedBasics
Scroll sideways to see every product.
| Basics | GnuCash | Akaunting |
|---|---|---|
| Product type (products differ) | Desktop app | SaaS |
| Pricing (products differ) | Free | Flat rate from $12/mo |
| Pricing model (products differ) | Free | Flat rate |
| Free plan (products differ) | Yes | No |
| Deployment (products differ) | Self-hosted | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Team size (products differ) | Solo, Small teams (2–50) | Solo, Small teams (2–50), Mid-size (51–500) |
| Category | Accounting Software | Accounting Software |
| Free trial | No | No |
Pricing
GnuCash
- FreeFree
Free
Akaunting
- Standard Cloud$12/mo
Flat rate
- Premium Cloud$36/mo
Flat rate
- Elite Cloud$84/mo
Flat rate
- Ultimate Cloud$218/mo
Flat rate
Features
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| Feature | GnuCash | Akaunting |
|---|---|---|
| Tax and VAT reporting (products differ) | Not verified | Yes |
| Inventory tracking (products differ) | Not verified | Yes |
| Payroll (products differ) | Not verified | Yes |
| Invoicing and quotes | Yes | Yes |
| Bank feeds and reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Expense and receipt tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes |
| Project and time tracking | Not verified | Not verified |
Integrations
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| Integration | GnuCash | Akaunting |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub (products differ) | Not listed | Native |
| QuickBooks (products differ) | Not listed | Native |
| Xero (products differ) | Not listed | Native |
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