Bigcapital vs Manager.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Manager.io grades higher than Bigcapital: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bigcapital grades higher on features. Manager.io grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bigcapital
Open-source accounting you host yourself, with a cloud version planned
Manager.io
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud
Which one is for you
Pick Bigcapital if
- Fits if you can run Docker and want your books on your own server
- Works for developers who want open-source accounting they can modify
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as the cloud version is only 'coming soon'
- Not for you if you need paid support, since none is published
- Watch out: you handle updates, backups and security yourself
- Watch out: AGPL-3.0 source-sharing rules apply if you modify and offer it to others
Pick Manager.io if
- Fits if you want full books without a subscription and don't mind importing statements
- Works for accountants keeping many client businesses on one Cloud account at $59 a month
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want bank transactions to flow in by themselves, as statements are imported by hand
- Not for you if you want a phone app: there's none, and Cloud runs in a phone browser
- Pricey if just two of you need the books, as that means Cloud at $59 a month or your own server
- Watch out: the Server Edition has no published price, and Manager.io won't install it for you
- Skip it if you need payroll, as payslips are records only, with no payroll tax filing
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABigcapitalFair | 2.8GPAManager.ioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under AGPL-3.0, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. No paid plans are published. | AThe desktop edition is free, with every feature and no limit on data, and it's a program anyone can download and run. You only pay for Cloud, $59 a month or $590 a year, when several people need the books, and that covers unlimited users and businesses. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to run with no limits listed, though the only way to run it today is your own server. | AFree with every feature, no time limit, no usage cap and no ads. The only things it won't do are let a second person in or open the books away from that one computer. |
| Features | BSales and purchase invoicing, general ledger, bank reconciliation, inventory, multi-currency and branches. Nothing core is missing. | CQuotes through to delivery notes, bank rules and reconciliation, inventory, fixed assets with depreciation and payslips. The listing names the gaps: bank transactions come in by importing statements, not live feeds, and payslips are records only, with no payroll tax filing. |
| Ease of use | DSelf-hosting with Docker, and updates and backups are yours. | CNo store rating on record. You download it and start, but it's double-entry books where you import bank statements and set up bank rules yourself, so there's a bit to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. It runs on macOS, Windows or Linux servers and the site names no integrations. | CWindows, Mac and Linux, plus a web version on Cloud or on a server you run. There's no phone app, the browser has to do on a phone, and the listing names no integrations. |
| Best for | self-hosted open-source bookkeeping | full double-entry books free on your own computer |
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: Bigcapital and Manager.io. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bigcapital has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Manager.io starts at $59 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Bigcapital starts $59 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Bigcapital for less, and 70 score higher than Manager.io 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
- Bigcapital is open source, according to its own site.
- Bigcapital also covers inventory.
- Manager.io also covers expense tracking.
At a glance
| Bigcapital | Manager.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $59 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | The self-hosted edition is free under the AGPL-3.0 license; you pay only for your own server. | Desktop edition for Windows, Mac and Linux: every feature, no time or usage limits and no ads, for a single user with no remote access. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Manager Cloud, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Bigcapital Technology, Inc. | Manager.io |
| Price read from | bigcapital.app | manager.cloud |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bigcapital
- Bigcapital Cloud is marked as coming soon, so the only way to run it today is to self-host.
- Self-hosting means you handle servers, updates and backups yourself.
- The AGPL-3.0 license has network-use source-sharing terms that apply if you modify and offer it to others.
- The site publishes no paid plans or support tiers.
Manager.io
- The free desktop edition is single-user; several users or remote access need the paid Cloud Edition or a self-run Server Edition.
- The Server Edition page names no price, and Manager.io does not install it for you.
- There is no phone app; the Cloud Edition is used in a phone or tablet browser.
- Bank transactions come in by importing statements, and payslips are records only, with no payroll tax filing described.
Key features
Bigcapital
- Sales and purchase invoicing
- Creates customizable sales invoices and purchase invoices, and tracks receivable and payable accounts.
- General ledger and reports
- Keeps a general ledger and runs financial reports such as balance sheet, profit and loss and cash flow statements.
- Bank feeds and reconciliation
- The site lists bank feed syncing and bank reconciliation among its accounting modules.
- Multi-currency accounting
- Records transactions and manual journals in different currencies and uses exchange rates for conversion.
- Inventory and expenses
- Tracks inventory items and expense accounting alongside sales, with accrual and cash accounting both listed.
- Teams and branches
- Role-based permissions limit what each invited accountant or teammate can view or edit, and branches and warehouses sit in one ledger.
Manager.io
- Sales and purchases
- Quotes, orders, invoices, credit notes, delivery notes, late payment fees and billable time on the sales side, with matching purchase documents.
- Bank imports and bank rules
- Import bank statements, then let bank rules allocate matching receipts and payments to accounts. Reconcile accounts against statements.
- Inventory and fixed assets
- Inventory items, kits and locations, plus fixed and intangible assets with depreciation and amortization entries.
- Employees and payslips
- Record employees and create payslips with earnings, deductions and employer contributions for each pay period.
- Works offline
- The desktop edition keeps the books on your computer, and a file made on Windows opens on Mac or Linux.
- Cloud and server editions
- Manager Cloud adds simultaneous users with permissions. The Server Edition runs the same web app on your own server.
Plans
Bigcapital
Self-hosted$0
Free under AGPL-3.0; you run it yourself with Docker on macOS, Windows or Linux.
Manager.io
Desktop Edition$0
Single-user software installed on your own computer. Every feature, works offline, no time or usage limits.
Cloud Edition$59
per month for unlimited users and businesses, billed monthly
The same software hosted by Manager.io at your own address, with multi-user access, user permissions, automatic backups and updates.
Ways to pay less
Bigcapital
No public discounts listed.
Manager.io
- Annual discount
Pay ten months for a year of Cloud
Annual billing for Manager Cloud is ten times the monthly price: $590 a year instead of $708.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bigcapital or Manager.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bigcapital is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $59 a month for Manager.io. Bigcapital is free, and Manager.io starts at $59 per month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Bigcapital or Manager.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Bigcapital and Manager.io have a free plan.
Which platforms do Bigcapital and Manager.io run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Manager.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.