Akaunting is a free, open-source online accounting platform for small businesses and freelancers, built on Laravel and Vue.js. It can be self-hosted at no cost, or accessed through Akaunting's own paid cloud hosting.
The company reports more than 300,000 users across 100+ countries and over 10 million invoices sent through the platform, with translations into 50+ languages contributed by volunteers.
Key Features
Core functionality includes double-entry accounting with a full chart of accounts, invoicing, bill and expense tracking, and bank feed reconciliation. A marketplace of 50+ apps extends the platform with payroll, project management, CRM, inventory management, point of sale, and payment gateway integrations like Stripe.
Akaunting also exposes a RESTful API for custom integrations and offers a client portal so customers can view their invoices and transaction history directly.
Pricing Overview
The open-source version is free to self-host on your own server. The cloud-hosted version has four tiers billed monthly or yearly: Standard ($12/mo or $8/mo yearly, 1 user), Premium ($36/mo or $24/mo yearly, 10 users), Elite ($84/mo or $56/mo yearly, 30 users), and Ultimate ($218/mo or $145/mo yearly, unlimited users), with higher tiers unlocking more apps and modules like payroll and CRM.
Key Features
Double-Entry Accounting — Full chart of accounts, general ledger, and balance sheet reporting.
Invoicing & Billing — Create, send, and track professional invoices.
Expense & Bill Tracking — Record and manage bills and business expenses.
Bank Feed Reconciliation — Connect bank feeds for automated transaction reconciliation on paid tiers.
App Marketplace — 50+ add-on apps including Payroll, Projects, CRM, Inventory, and POS.
Client Portal — Secure portal for clients to view invoices and transactions.
Self-Hosted or Cloud — Deploy on your own server for free or use Akaunting's paid cloud hosting.
RESTful API — Build custom integrations against Akaunting's API.
Pros & Cons
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
Pricing
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Akaunting really free?
The open-source, self-hosted version of Akaunting is free to download and run on your own server. Akaunting also sells a paid cloud-hosted version starting around $8/month when billed yearly.
Can I self-host Akaunting?
Yes, Akaunting's source code is available on GitHub and can be self-hosted, though this requires setting up and maintaining your own server environment.
Does Akaunting support multiple languages?
Yes, Akaunting is translated into 50+ languages through volunteer contributors.
Does Akaunting have a mobile app?
Akaunting has an Android app, though it functions largely as a wrapper around the mobile web interface; there is no dedicated native iOS app, but the web app is mobile-responsive.
What's included in the paid cloud plans?
Paid cloud plans add features like double-entry accounting, bank feeds, expense claims, client portals, payroll, projects, inventory, and CRM depending on the tier.