Free accounting software may be an excellent option if you are an independent contractor or you own a small company.
*This free accounting apps list comes from an in-depth analysis of real-user reviews from accountants using the platforms as of August 2018.
Most free plans offer essential features such as invoicing, sales and purchasing, or banking and payments, which are usually more than enough for most small companies.
Many free accounting solutions providers also offer paid plans, which can vary a lot regarding features and price. In some cases, vendors also provide paid services that can help buyers with payroll or credit card payments.
At first glance, most free accounting solutions may look alike since they all offer the features you need to manage a small business. Upon closer inspection, however, you will notice that each vendor has its own unique way to differentiate itself from the competition.
Other than offering free versions, vendors try to attract customers by combining features with the number of users, paid versions and services, as well as the number of transactions available or the size of the cloud storage included.
Very few of the solutions described below offer everything for free, for an unlimited number of users and transactions, with no storage limitations.
TIP: Check out these impressive accounting statistics to help your finance team work more efficiently in 2019. |
Since choosing a free accounting solution isn’t as simple as it may seem, it is critical to know what to consider when comparing free accounting solutions:
Product | Delivery Model | Users | Transactions | Customers |
Akaunting | Cloud & on-premises | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Brightbook | Cloud | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
GnuCash | On-premises | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Kiwili | Cloud | 1 | 20 | 3 |
Momenteo | Cloud | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2 |
Officewise | Cloud | Unlimited | 3 | Unlimited |
QuickFile | Cloud | Unlimited | 1,000 | Unlimited |
SlickPie | Cloud | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Wave | Cloud | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
ZipBooks | Cloud | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Zoho Invoice | Cloud | 1 | Unlimited | 5 |
The list we’ve outlined here includes any accounting solution with an available free offering. It should be noted that this does not include products that are only free on a temporary basis, such as limited trial versions for new users.
These products alone have well over 280 validated user reviews on G2 Crowd as of July 2, 2018, and only represent a portion of the 180-plus accounting software offerings listed on our platform. Here is an in-depth analysis of those 11 accounting SaaS products.
TIP: Over 1,600 companies are managing software spend, usage, contracts, compliance, and more through G2 Track. Fight the SaaS sprawl and get deeper financial insights today. |
Image courtesy of Akaunting
Akaunting provides one single offering that is completely free. Available in 28 languages, Akaunting is delivered both on-premises and in the cloud. Customers who need advanced features can benefit from paid apps for a dozen types of business needs including accounting, inventory, project management, CRM, POS and time tracking. Some apps are free, and the paid ones cost between $49 and $99. There are no limitations in terms of the number of users or number of transactions.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
Image courtesy of Brightbook
Brightbook allows users to invite up to 10 people to use the system; a credit card or any other payment method is not necessary to create an account. The system is populated with demo data so you can try it without creating transactions or importing your own data. It allows data export and provides an audit trail for all the changes you make.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
Image courtesy of GnuCash
GnuCash is an open-source accounting software and can only be used on-premises. The solution can handle internationalized dates and currencies, and the interface is available in 50 languages. An important feature that isn’t offered in many other free solutions is the option to create and schedule recurring transactions. Another useful feature is the ability to reconcile transactions against bank statements, which can help companies avoid data entry errors.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
What users say
“GNU Cash is updated often enough to keep it up to date and fresh. GNU Cash works well and is no nonsense, simply being an accounting system, without any fluff or offers or ads.”
— GNUCash review from a user in health, wellness and fitness
Image courtesy of Kiwili
The free option of Kiwili is limited in terms of the number of users and transactions. Only one user can benefit from the free version, and it costs $5 to add additional users. The system is limited to 20 invoices, expenses and estimates. The maximum number of contacts is 20, and users can create three projects, limited to only three customers and vendors. Besides accounting features, the free plan includes contact management so you don’t need a separate solution if your CRM requirements are minimal. The paid plans include many more features, such as project management and time tracking, inventory management and cash flow analysis.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
Image courtesy of Momenteo
The free version of Momenteo is limited to two clients and only allows for offline payments such as check or cash. Invoices and quotes include a “Powered by Momenteo” footer, which can be removed when customers choose a paid plan. Besides accounting features, the solution also includes functionality to schedule activities as well as for time tracking.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
What users say
“-Good selection of features, including the ability to make invoices and track expenses. Very easy to use. Nice interface that has some quirky illustrations that make the boring task of entering data more interesting! Fast and quick interface that loads quickly.”
— Momenteo review from a user in accounting
Image courtesy of Officewise
All features are included in the free plan but users can only create three transactions per month. Only one user is included, but unlimited additional users can be added at no extra cost. Three user roles are available in all plans, except for the Professional plan. Officewise allows companies to manage their inventory, purchasing and receiving, as well as sales and shipping. As opposed to most other free solutions, functionality for budgeting and forecasting is also included.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
What users say
“We have 100 items of inventory that need a way place orders and track inventory levels. This software meets the needs of our nonprofit and is easy to use.”
— Officewise review from Win N.
Image courtesy of Quickfile
Free plans include an unlimited number of users, 1 GB of storage, year-end tools, free updates and backups and API access. There are three free plans and the only difference between them is the number of ledger entries created over the previous 12-month period. To help customers keep track of the number of entries available, QuickFile offers an account size calculator that track all transactions.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
Image courtesy of SlickPie
SlickPie is one of the few solutions that offer PayPal, Stripe and credit card processing as part of its free solution. Another unusual feature for free software is the ability to link to an unlimited number of bank accounts from most major banks. This option is delivered through live bank feeds that allow companies to track bank account balances and optimize bank reconciliation. For those who want to integrate SlickPie with other systems or create their own apps, the vendor provides open APIs.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
What users say
“I used Xero for more than 2 years and switched to SlickPie around 3 months ago in order to save money (almost $700 a year, which is a significant amount for my small consulting business). I use free solution that I find is good enough for most small businesses. SlickPie is super easy to use. I started entering my invoices and generating trends from day 1. SlickPie is especially helpful for sales analysis and trending. The great looking interface, modern design and user-friendly buttons convinced me to make the switch. I make sure to accept online payments on each invoice I send out. I also collaborate with my business partner and accountant using multi-user access feature. These all features help us collaborate with each other and avoid clashes.
“Best thing I like is the design or user interface, I found it refreshing and different than I am used to.”
— SlickPie review from Saqib N.
Image courtesy of Wave
Wave provides all features for free and only charges for services such as online payment processing and payroll. Email support is included, but live chat support is only available for customers using paid services. Accountants can list their company on the Wave Pro Network for free. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of accountants and accounting companies listed.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
What users say
“There is literally no downside to trying Wave, it's 100 percent free to use all the features, no trial, no tiered packages. Their paid version is exactly the same, except you get priority support. You can also pay for a payroll service for $24/month, which I think is more than fair. Wave has transformed my business and I look even more professional because of its billing options. I can set my clients up with any type of billing schedule they like just like a larger company could and it's all automated!”
— Wave review from Katie T.
Image courtesy of ZipBooks
The free version of ZipBooks includes unlimited customers or vendors; there are no limitations in number of transactions, but users can only manage one bank account. While the option to process credit card payments is included in the free plan, you can only use it if you pay the fees mentioned below. A marketplace of services from 100,000 companies includes all types of companies, from web design and marketing to cleaning services and furniture refinishing.
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
What users say
“I love the fact that I can set up and send an invoice in a few minutes, pulling in existing products and services (complete with description). The addition of a time tracker was unexpected and very appreciated! I use it to keep track of the hours spent on certain projects with those clients that prefer hourly payment over per-project pricing. ZipBooks also allows for past hours tracked that are unpaid to be automatically pulled into a new or an existing invoice, making it super simple to make sure everything is included in an invoice before sendoff. The invoices are simple, clean, beautiful and there is an ‘include PDF’ option when sending out the invoice to clients (for those that prefer to print out and save their invoices). The customer support is phenomenal — the support staff is friendly and helpful.”
— ZipBooks review from Diego L.
Image courtesy of Zoho
The free plan from Zoho Invoice is available for one user and five automated workflows, and you can invoice up to five customers. G Suite integration, APIs, payment gateways and CRM integration are also provided. The features are the same for all plans; the only differences are the number of customers, number of users and the ability to use a custom domain (only available in the Professional plan).
Pricing
Delivery model
Free features
What users say
“This software has been a lifesaver to me and I can't praise it enough! Also, I can't begin to explain how great it is having mobile apps that you can actually work with!
The software is very easy to use, feature-rich and doesn't require you to be an accountant to use it. It strikes a perfect balance between usability and simplicity, so it's great for freelancers and consultants.”
— Zoho Invoice review from Martin R.
If you used any of these solutions, please leave a review with your feedback on what you liked and disliked, what can be improved and what business problems you solved using the software.
Next steps? Sign up for your free G2 Track plan and get unlimited spend tracking, monthly spending reports, and more.
* Please note: Reviews may have been edited for spelling and grammar.
Gabriel’s background includes more than 15 years of experience in all aspects of business software selection and implementation. His research work has involved detailed functional analyses of software vendors from various areas such as ERP, CRM, and HCM. Gheorghiu holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest (Romania), and a master's degree in territorial project management from Université Paris XII Val de Marne (France).
There’s no better feeling then getting paid. That moment — when you get a notification that...
There’s a reason accountability has the word “account” in it.
When running a business, success often boils down to the numbers that dictate a company’s...
There’s no better feeling then getting paid. That moment — when you get a notification that...
There’s a reason accountability has the word “account” in it.
Never miss a post.
Subscribe to keep your fingers on the tech pulse.