Alternatives · Accounting
GnuCash alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best GnuCash alternative for most people is Zoho Books (3.4 GPA), first in our ranking of accounting and invoicing tools. It's also the best free one.
GnuCash compared with 5 alternatives: Manager.io, Akaunting, Wave, Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books.
GnuCash is free to use. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| GnuCashThis tool | Free | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Manager.io | Free plan · from $59/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Akaunting | Free plan · from $72/yr | Yes | Web |
| Wave | Free plan · from $19/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Invoice Ninja | Free plan · from $14/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Books | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android |
Price against what you get
GnuCash has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Akaunting, Wave, Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from GnuCash
Manager.io
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud
- Manager.io starts at $59 per month, billed monthly.
- Manager.io also lists a web app.
- Manager.io is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Manager.io also covers expense tracking.
Suits: Sole traders who want full double-entry books without a subscription
Akaunting
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud
- Akaunting starts at $72 per year, self-hosted.
- Akaunting also lists a web app.
- Akaunting lists no Windows, macOS and Linux apps, which GnuCash has.
- Akaunting is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Akaunting also covers expense tracking.
Suits: Businesses that want to own and host their accounting data
Wave
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses
- Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave also lists a web app and iOS and Android apps.
- Wave lists no Windows, macOS and Linux apps, which GnuCash has.
- Wave also covers expense tracking and payroll.
Suits: Sole proprietors in the US or Canada who mainly need to send invoices
Invoice Ninja
Invoicing, expenses and time tracking with a free plan
- Invoice Ninja starts at $14 per month, billed monthly ($140 billed annually).
- Invoice Ninja also lists a web app and iOS and Android apps.
- Invoice Ninja is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Invoice Ninja also covers time tracking, expense tracking and quotes and estimates.
- Invoice Ninja does not cover reports and bookkeeping, which GnuCash does.
Suits: Freelancers with a handful of clients who want a free invoicing tool
Zoho Books
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers
- Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books also lists a web app and iOS and Android apps.
- Zoho Books lists no macOS and Linux apps, which GnuCash has.
- Zoho Books also covers expense tracking.
Suits: Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books
Limits worth knowing in GnuCash
- It is desktop software for Windows, macOS and Linux; there is no browser version or hosted option.
- Storing data in SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL is described as experimental, with reports of data loss in some cases.
- The features page says payroll is handled through accounts payable and receivable, not a payroll module.
- Support comes from volunteers through mailing lists, a wiki and bug reports.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to GnuCash?
The alternatives to GnuCash in this directory are Manager.io, Akaunting, Wave, Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with GnuCash.
Is there a free alternative to GnuCash?
Yes. Manager.io, Akaunting, Wave, Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which GnuCash alternatives work on Android?
The GnuCash listing does not include an Android app. Wave, Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books list one.
Which GnuCash alternatives work on iOS?
The GnuCash listing does not include an iOS app. Wave, Invoice Ninja and Zoho Books list one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.