The Akaunting Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Akaunting in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Akaunting
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among accounting and invoicing tools, read from Akaunting’s own pages.
Made by Akaunting · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Akaunting’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Akaunting’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 1 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade
Akaunting is open-source accounting software for small businesses and freelancers. The core handles invoices, bills, customers, vendors, sales tax, several currencies and reports, and features such as double-entry, bank feeds, payroll and inventory are added as apps. It can be installed free on your own server or used as a paid cloud service hosted by Akaunting.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Akaunting, taken from its own pages and our grades.
That's the catch: double-entry reports and bank feeds aren't in the free edition or the cheapest cloud plan.
- 1
Best for open-source books you can host yourself
The core does invoices, bills, sales tax and several currencies, and everything else comes as apps.
- 2
Paid plans start at $6 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $72 per year, self-hosted.
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Invoices, bills and payments
Unlimited customers, vendors and products, recurring payment reminders, sales tax calculation and multiple currencies on every plan.
- 6
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.
- 7
Bank feeds
Connect bank accounts in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe to import transactions; included from Premium Cloud.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 1 of 17
That is against the other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Akaunting you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Akaunting at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $72 per year, self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Free trial of each cloud plan; the length is not stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Akaunting, since 2017
- Category
- Accounting & Invoicing
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for open-source books you can host yourself
Akaunting is open-source accounting you can run on your own server for nothing, or have them host from $8 a month. The core does invoices, bills, sales tax and several currencies, and everything else comes as apps. That's the catch: double-entry reports and bank feeds aren't in the free edition or the cheapest cloud plan.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | The cheap prices leave out the main bits. 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The 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. |
| Features | C | Invoices, 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with no phone or desktop app. What lifts it is the connections: Shopify, Stripe and Google, plus bank feeds in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Akaunting is for
- Great if you want to own and host your accounting data yourself
- Handy when you keep the books for several small companies, with 10 on Premium
- Good for businesses outside the US, with translations in 50+ languages
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Businesses that want to own and host their accounting data
- Accountants managing books for many small companies
- Teams outside the US, with translations in 50+ languages
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$6
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Akaunting has a free plan. Paid plans start at $72 per year, self-hosted.
The cheap prices leave out the main bits.
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.
The 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.
Trying it first
Free trial of each cloud plan; the length is not stated
Read from akaunting.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on akaunting.comLifetime 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.
Stated on akaunting.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, invoicing, reports, bookkeeping, expense tracking.
Invoices, bills, sales tax, currencies and reports in the core, with double-entry, bank feeds, payroll, inventory and projects as apps.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Shopify
- Stripe
Akaunting is made by Akaunting, and has been around since 2017.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
1/17
Other accounting and invoicing tools it is graded above
Akaunting's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 1 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 2 of 17) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $6 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 1 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Akaunting’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 17
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 17
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 17
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 17
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 17
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 18 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Akaunting is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Akaunting you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 14 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools grade higher. It costs $72 a year. Akaunting is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Invoicing, expense tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
What this rests on. Akaunting’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Manager.io, Odoo, Wave, Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online
The 5 tools Akaunting is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Manager.io
Free plan · from $59/mo
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud.
- Only Manager.io lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Akaunting is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Odoo
Free plan · from $31.10/mo
Business app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own.
- Only Odoo lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.4GPA
Wave
Free plan · from $19/mo
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses.
- Only Wave lists iOS and Android apps.
- Akaunting is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Wave also covers payroll.
- 3.4GPA
Zoho Books
Free plan · from $15/mo
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers.
- Only Zoho Books lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Akaunting is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
QuickBooks Online
Free plan · from $38/mo
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced.
- Only QuickBooks Online lists iOS and Android apps.
- Akaunting is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Akaunting free?
Akaunting has a 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.
How much does Akaunting cost?
Akaunting lists 6 plans. Standard On-Premise: $0.
What platforms does Akaunting work on?
Akaunting is available on Web.
Does Akaunting offer any discounts?
Akaunting publicly lists the following: 4 months free with yearly cloud billing; Lifetime licenses for the self-hosted plans.
Does Akaunting have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Akaunting is listed for Web.
Does Akaunting have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Akaunting is listed for Web.
Is Akaunting open source?
Yes. Akaunting is open source, according to its own site.
What does Akaunting integrate with?
Akaunting's listing names Shopify, Stripe and Google. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Akaunting have a free trial?
Yes. Free trial of each cloud plan; the length is not stated.
Who makes Akaunting?
Akaunting is made by Akaunting. It dates from 2017.
What are the alternatives to Akaunting?
The closest alternatives to Akaunting in our directory are Manager.io, Odoo, Wave, Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online.
How does Akaunting compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?
Akaunting's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 1 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 2.
Is Akaunting good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Akaunting C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $6 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 1 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Akaunting?
To replace Akaunting you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Akaunting’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Akaunting's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Akaunting. Prices change, so check akaunting.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Akaunting, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/akaunting
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Akaunting: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/akaunting
Know someone choosing between accounting and invoicing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/akaunting/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded accounting and invoicing tools after Akaunting, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Accounting & Invoicing Insider's GuideEvery one of the 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Invoice Insider's GuideFree invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses3.6 GPA
- Zoho Books Insider's GuideOnline accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers3.4 GPA
- Odoo Insider's GuideBusiness app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Akaunting’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Akaunting is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Akaunting. Prices and plans change: check akaunting.com before you buy.