Free for individuals; Collect plan starts at $5 per member per month
Free (self-hosted or up to 5 clients); hosted Pro from $14/month
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Web, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Free self-hosting sets Akaunting and Invoice Ninja apart
Both Akaunting and Invoice Ninja can be run on a user's own server at no licensing cost with no artificial limits, while Expensify is cloud-only with no self-hosted option.
Akaunting, Invoice Ninja
Expensify leads on receipt automation and reimbursement
Expensify's SmartScan OCR technology and multi-level approval workflows automate expense report creation and payout in a way neither Akaunting nor Invoice Ninja is built to do.
Expensify
Invoice Ninja covers the most payment gateways
Invoice Ninja connects to more than 40 payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Braintree, giving clients more ways to pay directly from the invoice.
Invoice Ninja
Akaunting extends further into full-suite accounting
Akaunting's app marketplace adds payroll, projects, CRM, and point-of-sale modules on top of its core double-entry ledger, going beyond simple invoicing.
Akaunting
Only Expensify bundles a corporate card and travel booking
Expensify Card and Expensify Travel let companies manage spend and business trips inside the same platform used for expense reports, a category neither competitor addresses.
Expensify
Feature-by-Feature
Core Bookkeeping and Invoicing
Feature
Akaunting
Expensify
Invoice Ninja
Double-entry bookkeeping and general ledger
Available
Unavailable
Unavailable
Client invoicing
Available
Unavailable
Available
Expense and receipt tracking
Available
Available
Available
REST API
Available
Not documented
Available
Deployment and Extras
Feature
Akaunting
Expensify
Invoice Ninja
Self-hosting option
Available
Unavailable
Available
Native iOS and Android apps
Limited
Available
Available
Corporate card and reimbursement
Unavailable
Available
Unavailable
Free plan or free self-hosted tier
Available
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Akaunting
Standard Cloud — $12/month ($8/month billed yearly) monthly or yearly
Premium Cloud — $36/month ($24/month billed yearly) monthly or yearly
Elite Cloud — $84/month ($56/month billed yearly) monthly or yearly
Ultimate Cloud — $218/month ($145/month billed yearly) monthly or yearly
Expensify
Free (Individual) — Free N/A
Collect — $5 per member per month Monthly, no annual commitment
Control (Annual with Card) — $9 per active member per month Annual commitment, requires Expensify Card usage
Control (Annual, no Card) — $18 per member per month Annual commitment
Control (Pay-Per-Use) — $36 per member per month Month-to-month, no annual commitment
Invoice Ninja
Free (Hosted or Self-Hosted) — Free N/A
Ninja Pro — $14/month or $140/year Monthly or annual
Enterprise — $18-$300/month (by user count) Monthly
Premium Business — Custom (from $280/year) Annual
Pros & Cons
Akaunting
Pros
Free, open-source self-hosted option with no per-user licensing cost
Low-cost cloud plans compared with mainstream accounting software
Translated into 50+ languages, useful for international freelancers and small businesses
Cons
Self-hosting requires technical setup and ongoing server maintenance
Entry-level cloud plan (Standard) is limited to one user and 1,000 invoices
Official Android app functions largely as a wrapper around the mobile web interface, and there's no dedicated native iOS app
Smaller ecosystem and support resources compared with larger incumbents like QuickBooks or Xero
Expensify
Pros
Genuinely free tier for individuals with 25 SmartScans per month and no team features required
Long track record as the pioneer of automated receipt scanning, with a mature and reliable OCR engine
Simpler interface and setup than legacy enterprise tools like SAP Concur
Bundled corporate card, travel booking and bill pay reduce the need for separate point solutions
Cons
Collect plan charges per member added to a workspace regardless of whether that member submits expenses that month
Control plan's full feature set (SSO, payroll integrations, custom rules) requires the higher-priced annual commitment
Stock price has declined substantially since its 2021 IPO, reflecting increased competition from card-led spend platforms like Ramp and Brex
Advanced compliance and enterprise integrations are gated behind the Control tier, which can be costly for larger teams without the Expensify Card
Invoice Ninja
Pros
Free, unlimited self-hosted version with no artificial feature caps
Affordable hosted plans compared to FreshBooks or QuickBooks
Supports 40-plus payment gateways and multi-currency invoicing
Native desktop and mobile apps alongside the web app
Bootstrapped company with a long track record and stable pricing
Cons
Self-hosting requires technical setup with a PHP/Laravel server and database maintenance
The Elastic License v2 restricts reselling or offering it as a hosted service to others
Interface feels less polished than some modern SaaS competitors
Free hosted plan is capped at just 5 clients
Advanced features like bank sync and e-invoicing credits are reserved for higher tiers
Use Cases
Choose Akaunting: Small businesses and accountants who want full double-entry bookkeeping with a free self-hosted option or low-cost cloud plans
Choose Expensify: Teams and individuals who need automated receipt scanning and streamlined expense report reimbursement
Choose Invoice Ninja: Freelancers and agencies who want unlimited, free self-hosted client invoicing with broad payment gateway support
Akaunting
Freelancer Invoicing — Sending professional invoices and tracking payments as a solo freelancer.
Self-Hosted Small Business Accounting — Running accounting software on a company's own infrastructure for data control and no subscription fees.
Multi-Client Bookkeeping — Accountants managing books for multiple client companies from one account.
Expensify
Freelancer and sole proprietor expense tracking — Individuals use the free Expensify tier to photograph receipts, automatically extract expense data and export records for tax filing without needing a paid team plan.
Small business expense approval and reimbursement — Small teams use the Collect plan to give employees a simple way to submit receipts, route them through basic approval workflows and get reimbursed without heavy IT setup.
Enterprise-grade spend control and compliance — Larger organizations use the Control plan's multi-level approvals, ERP and payroll integrations, custom policy rules and SSO to manage spend across departments while meeting compliance requirements.
Invoice Ninja
Freelance and consultant billing — Freelancers and consultants bill clients directly with recurring invoices and online payments.
Agency time and billing management — Small agencies track billable time and expenses across client projects and invoice accordingly.
Self-hosted, privacy-focused billing — Privacy-conscious businesses self-host their billing data instead of using a third-party SaaS provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Akaunting or Invoice Ninja better for self-hosting?
Both are free to self-host with no artificial limits. Akaunting is the better pick if you need full double-entry accounting, inventory, and an app marketplace, while Invoice Ninja is stronger if your main need is client invoicing, quotes, and online payments across many gateways.
Does Expensify replace an accounting system like Akaunting?
No. Expensify is built for expense reports, receipt capture, and reimbursement, not for double-entry bookkeeping. It integrates with accounting platforms like QuickBooks and Xero rather than replacing them, so most teams pair it with a general ledger tool.
Which tool is cheapest for a freelancer just starting out?
All three have a free tier. Akaunting and Invoice Ninja can be self-hosted for free with unlimited use, while Expensify's free plan is for individuals and caps SmartScan receipt captures at 25 per month.
Can Invoice Ninja handle expense tracking like Expensify?
Invoice Ninja includes basic expense and time tracking tied to projects and tasks, but it lacks Expensify's OCR-based SmartScan, multi-level approval workflows, and corporate card, which are Expensify's core specialty.
Does Akaunting support corporate card reimbursement like Expensify?
No. Akaunting handles bill and expense tracking within its accounting workflow but does not offer a corporate card product or an automated employee reimbursement pipeline the way Expensify does.
Which tool integrates with the most payment gateways?
Invoice Ninja supports more than 40 payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Braintree, giving it the broadest direct payment coverage of the three for getting invoices paid online.