Frappe Books is a free, open-source, offline-first desktop accounting application built by Frappe Technologies, the Mumbai-based company behind ERPNext and Frappe HR. It publicly launched in May 2020 and targets freelancers and small businesses that want full double-entry bookkeeping without a monthly subscription.
The application runs entirely on the user's computer using Electron and stores data locally in a SQLite file, meaning it works fully offline and gives users complete ownership of their financial data instead of storing it on a vendor's servers.
Key Features
Core capabilities include customer and vendor invoicing, double-entry journal entries, bank reconciliation, multi-currency support, and a Point of Sale module for retail transactions.
Financial reporting covers Profit and Loss statements, Balance Sheet, Trial Balance, and General Ledger, alongside a dashboard that summarizes cash flow, receivables, and profitability at a glance.
Pricing
Frappe Books has no paid tiers. The entire desktop application, including every accounting and reporting feature, is free under an open-source license with no seat limits, ads, or feature gates.
There is no official hosted or cloud version of Frappe Books itself; businesses that need multi-user or cloud access typically move to ERPNext, which is a separate paid-hosting product from the same company.
Key Features
Double-entry accounting — Full double-entry bookkeeping engine with journal entries, ledgers, and automatic balancing for accurate financial records.
Offline-first desktop app — Runs entirely on Windows, macOS, or Linux with data stored locally in SQLite, requiring no internet connection or account signup.
Invoicing and billing — Customizable sales and purchase invoice templates with support for recurring invoices and payment tracking against open balances.
Point of Sale — A built-in POS mode for recording retail-style, in-person transactions directly against inventory and accounts.
Multi-currency support — Invoice and transact in multiple currencies with automatic exchange-rate conversion for reporting.
Financial reports — Generates Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Trial Balance, and General Ledger reports out of the box.
GST and tax support — Includes India-specific GST compliance fields and tax templates alongside general tax configuration.
Data ownership and portability — All data lives in a local file the user controls, which can be backed up, moved, or exported without vendor lock-in.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free with no subscription, seat limits, or feature paywalls
Works fully offline, which suits users who want privacy and independence from cloud outages
Clean, modern interface built with Vue.js, unusual for free accounting software
Open-source codebase on GitHub that can be audited, self-hosted, or extended by developers
Data stored locally, giving users full ownership and easy backup or migration
Cons
No native multi-user or team collaboration support within the desktop app
No built-in payroll or advanced ERP modules found in sibling product ERPNext
No official mobile app for on-the-go invoicing or bookkeeping
Relies on community and GitHub-based support rather than dedicated customer service
Local-only data storage means users are responsible for their own backups and device security
Pricing
Free (Open Source) Free N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Frappe Books really free?
Yes. Frappe Books is fully open-source and free to download and use, with no subscription fees, seat limits, or locked features.
Does Frappe Books work offline?
Yes. It is an offline-first desktop application that stores all data locally in a SQLite database file, so an internet connection is not required to use it.
What platforms does Frappe Books support?
Frappe Books is available as a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, built using Electron.
Is Frappe Books the same company as ERPNext?
Yes. Both are built and maintained by Frappe Technologies, the Mumbai-based open-source software company founded by Rushabh Mehta.
Can multiple people use Frappe Books at once?
Frappe Books is designed as a single-user, single-device desktop application and does not include built-in real-time multi-user collaboration; businesses needing that typically use ERPNext instead.
Does Frappe Books support GST or other regional taxes?
Yes, it includes India-specific GST support along with general multi-currency and tax configuration options for other regions.