Akaunting vs LedgerSMB (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Akaunting and LedgerSMB share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and LedgerSMB has no paid plan to buy, against $6 a month when paid by the year for Akaunting.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Akaunting grades higher on ease of use and platforms. LedgerSMB grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Akaunting
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud
LedgerSMB
Open-source double-entry accounting and ERP you install yourself
Which one is for you
Pick Akaunting if
- Fits if you want to own and host your accounting data yourself
- Works for you if you keep the books for several small companies, with 10 on Premium
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you've never run a server and want the free edition
- Tight if you stay on Standard Cloud, which has no double-entry reports or bank feeds
- Pricey if you self-host and need lots of apps, since none are included and each is bought
- Tight if you need payroll, inventory, projects or estimates, which need Elite Cloud at $56 or paid apps
- Watch out: the free edition has forum support only, and the cloud trial's length isn't stated
Pick LedgerSMB if
- Fits if you want a double-entry ledger and have IT help to install it
- Works for multi-currency businesses that would rather not pay a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't have someone to install and maintain it
- Watch out: version 1.12 reaches end of life on 14 December 2026
- Not for you if you need paid support from the project, as only outside professionals offer it
- Too light for convenience: no hosted version, no integrations listed
- Watch out: version 1.13 gets community support only until 4 October 2027
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAkauntingFair | 2.2GPALedgerSMBFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe entry prices leave out the main parts. Self-hosting is free or $72 a year and Standard Cloud is $8 a month, but double-entry and bank feeds start on Premium Cloud at $24 a month yearly, about this category's middle. | CFree to download, but you host it yourself, which needs a server. Paid help comes from outside professionals with no published prices. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe open-source edition is free, but you run it on your own server, and it's 1 company, 1 user plus an accountant and 1,000 invoices, with no double-entry reports or bank feeds. Cloud plans have a trial of unstated length. | BNo limits listed and no paid edition. Free community support covers only releases under active support. |
| Features | CInvoices, bills, sales tax, currencies and reports in the core, with double-entry, bank feeds, payroll, inventory and projects as apps. The listing's own notes say the free and cheapest plans go without the ledger and bank feeds. | BGeneral ledger, sales and purchasing, multi-currency, cash management, inventory, fixed assets and budgets. The core job is covered. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You either sign up for the cloud version or set up your own server, then choose which apps to add before the books are complete. That's a learning curve. | DYou install and maintain it: an installer, Docker images or release archives. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no phone or desktop app. It connects to Shopify, Stripe and Google, and has bank feeds in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. | CWeb only, with no integrations or apps listed. |
| Best for | open-source books you can host yourself | self-hosted double-entry accounting and ERP |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Akaunting and LedgerSMB. How we grade
Price against what you get
Akaunting starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LedgerSMB has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Akaunting scores higher, and starts $6 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 7 score higher than Akaunting for less, and none scores higher than LedgerSMB for less.
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
Where they differ
- Akaunting also covers expense tracking.
- LedgerSMB also covers inventory and quotes and estimates.
At a glance
| Akaunting | LedgerSMB | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $72 per year, self-hosted | Free |
| Free plan | Standard On-Premise: the free, open-source edition you host yourself, for 1 company, 1 user plus 1 accountant and 1,000 invoices, with forum support. Apps cost extra. | Free to download and run yourself; community support is free for the releases still under active support. |
| Free trial | Free trial of each cloud plan; the length is not stated | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Akaunting | LedgerSMB |
| Price read from | akaunting.com | ledgersmb.org |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Akaunting
- The free self-hosted edition and Standard Cloud lack double-entry reports and bank feeds; those come from Premium Cloud or as paid apps.
- Self-hosted plans include no apps at all; Elite and Ultimate On-Premise cost $168 and $684 a year before any apps.
- Payroll, inventory, projects and estimates need Elite Cloud or separate app purchases on lower plans.
- The free self-hosted edition is supported only through the community forum; ticket support comes with the paid plans.
LedgerSMB
- You install and run it yourself; the project lists a Debian and Fedora installer, Docker images and release archives.
- Free community support only covers releases under active support; version 1.12 reaches end of life on Dec 14, 2026.
- Paid support is available from outside professionals, not published as plans by the project.
- Version 1.13, the current stable release, has community support until Oct 4, 2027.
Key features
Akaunting
- Invoices, bills and payments
- Unlimited customers, vendors and products, recurring payment reminders, sales tax calculation and multiple currencies on every plan.
- Double-entry accounting
- Chart of accounts, general ledger, balance sheet, trial balance and manual journals come with the Double-Entry app, included from Premium Cloud.
- Bank feeds
- Connect bank accounts in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe to import transactions; included from Premium Cloud.
- App store
- 50+ apps add payroll with payslips, inventory, projects, CRM, expense claims and more. Self-hosted plans include no apps, so each is bought.
- Multiple companies
- Run the books of several businesses from one account: 10 on Premium, 30 on Elite and unlimited on Ultimate.
- Self-hosting
- Install it on your own server with the source code available, and Akaunting says it collects none of your financial data.
LedgerSMB
- General ledger
- Double-entry accounting with journal entries, transfers between accounts and a picture of financial health.
- Sales and purchasing
- Tracks customers, quotations, sales orders and invoices, plus vendors, purchase orders and bills.
- Multiple currencies
- Transactions, invoices and payments can be entered in different currencies with different conversion rates.
- Cash management
- Handles cash in and out, writes checks, tracks receipts and reconciles against bank statements.
- Inventory and fixed assets
- Tracks goods, services and assemblies, and fixed assets with depreciation and disposal.
- Time tracking and budgets
- Turns billable hours into invoices and tracks budgets by project or department with variance reports.
Plans
Akaunting
Standard On-Premise$0
Free and open source, hosted on your own server. 1 company, 1 user plus 1 accountant, 1,000 invoices and forum support.
Premium On-Premise$72
per year, self-hosted
Hosted on your own server. 10 companies, 10 users, 10,000 invoices and ticket support. Apps are bought separately. $756 as a one-time lifetime license.
Standard Cloud$8
per month, billed yearly
$12 billed monthly. Hosted by Akaunting for 1 company, 1 user plus 1 accountant and 1,000 invoices, with 4 apps included.
Premium Cloud$24
per month, billed yearly
$36 billed monthly. 10 companies, 10 users and 10,000 invoices, adding double-entry, bank feeds, expense claims, roles and a client portal.
Elite Cloud$56
per month, billed yearly
$84 billed monthly. 30 companies, 30 users and 30,000 invoices, adding estimates, payroll, projects, inventory, CRM, receipt scanning, Shopify and Stripe.
Ultimate Cloud$145
per month, billed yearly
$218 billed monthly. Unlimited companies, users and invoices, and all 50+ apps, including budgeting, purchase orders, point of sale and 1099 tools.
LedgerSMB
Self-hosted$0
Free open-source download; install with the project's installer, Docker images or release archive.
Ways to pay less
Akaunting
- Annual discount
4 months free with yearly cloud billing
Yearly billing brings Standard Cloud from $12 to $8 a month, Premium from $36 to $24, Elite from $84 to $56 and Ultimate from $218 to $145.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime licenses for the self-hosted plans
Pay once instead of yearly: $756 for Premium On-Premise, $1,764 for Elite and $7,224 for Ultimate.
LedgerSMB
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Akaunting or LedgerSMB?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LedgerSMB is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $6 a month when paid by the year for Akaunting. Akaunting starts at $72 per year, self-hosted, and LedgerSMB is free.
Which has a free plan, Akaunting or LedgerSMB?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Akaunting and LedgerSMB have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.