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Indie alternatives to QuickBooks

7 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what QuickBooks does, 6 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.

At a glance

Product	Price	Open source	Self-host	Platforms
Frappe Books	Free	Yes	–	Mac, Windows, Linux
GnuCash	Free	Yes	–	Mac, Windows, Linux
Akaunting	Free plan	Yes	Yes	Web, Self-hosted
Invoice Ninja	Free plan	Yes	Yes	Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux
Manager	Free plan	–	Yes	Windows, Mac, Linux, Web, Self-hosted
Wave	Free plan	–	–	Web, iOS, Android
FreeAgent	Paid	–	–	Web, iOS, Android

The alternatives

1. Frappe Books

Free open-source desktop accounting

Frappe Books is a free, open-source desktop accounting app for small businesses and freelancers.

Free · Mac, Windows, Linux · Website ↗

2. GnuCash

Free double-entry accounting for personal and small business use

GnuCash is free, open-source double-entry accounting software for personal finances and small businesses.

Free · Mac, Windows, Linux · Website ↗

3. Akaunting

Open-source online accounting for small businesses

Akaunting is open-source accounting software for small businesses and freelancers, covering invoicing, expenses, bank accounts and financial reports. It can be used in the cloud or self-hosted.

Free plan · Web, Self-hosted · Website ↗

4. Invoice Ninja

Open-source invoicing, quotes, payments and time tracking

Invoice Ninja is an invoicing and billing app for freelancers and small businesses, with quotes, recurring invoices, online payments, expenses and time tracking. Available hosted or self-hosted.

Free plan · Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux · Website ↗

5. Manager

Accounting software for small businesses, desktop or cloud

Manager is accounting software for small businesses with invoicing, bookkeeping, inventory, payroll and reports. A free desktop edition is available alongside server and cloud editions.

Free plan · Windows, Mac, Linux, Web, Self-hosted · Website ↗

6. Wave

Invoicing and accounting for small businesses

Wave offers invoicing, bookkeeping and payments for small businesses and freelancers.

Free plan · Web, iOS, Android · Website ↗

7. FreeAgent

Accounting software for freelancers and small businesses

FreeAgent is accounting software covering invoicing, expenses, bank feeds and tax for small businesses, mainly in the UK.

Paid · Web, iOS, Android · Website ↗

Questions

Is there a free alternative to QuickBooks?

Yes. 6 of the 7 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: Frappe Books, GnuCash, Akaunting, Invoice Ninja and 2 more.

Is there an open-source alternative to QuickBooks?

Frappe Books, GnuCash, Akaunting and Invoice Ninja are open source.

Can I self-host an alternative to QuickBooks?

Yes: Akaunting, Invoice Ninja and Manager can run on your own server.

Which QuickBooks alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?

On Mac: Frappe Books, GnuCash, Invoice Ninja and 1 more. On Windows: Frappe Books, GnuCash, Invoice Ninja and 1 more. On Linux: Frappe Books, GnuCash, Invoice Ninja and 1 more. On iPhone and iPad: Invoice Ninja, Wave and FreeAgent. On Android: Invoice Ninja, Wave and FreeAgent. On the web: Akaunting, Invoice Ninja, Manager and 2 more.

What makes these alternatives to QuickBooks “indie”?

They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as QuickBooks.

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Browse: Invoicing & Accounting · Personal Finance

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