Best Free Bookkeeping Software 2026: 6 Options Compared

Free bookkeeping software splits into cloud services that give you a limited free tier and desktop or self-hosted programs that cost nothing but ask more of you. The cloud tools, Wave and Zoho Books, connect to bank accounts and send invoices from a browser, so most sole traders will be happier with them. Their free tiers have a ceiling you should read first: Zoho Books is free only while annual revenue stays under $50K, and Wave makes its money on payment processing, so card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 a transaction. Desktop and self-hosted options such as GNUCash, Manager and ERPNext remove those ceilings, but they take more setup and have weaker bank feeds. If you are in a country with strict tax rules, check that the tool produces the reports your accountant expects before you enter a year of data. Double-entry accounting underlies all of these, and learning that concept matters more than the brand you choose. Pick the one that matches how you actually work: bank-connected and browser-based, or offline and in your control. Whichever you use, export your ledger every quarter, since an export file is the only real protection against a free plan being changed.

Wave

Starter is $0 for invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records, and its main income is payment processing at 2.9% + $0.60 a card payment. Processing is for US customers and needs approval, which is the main restriction.

Price: Free (Starter plan at $0 for invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records; card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 a transaction); paid from $19 per month, billed monthly (Pro; $190 billed annually) (Wave pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary.

Best for: Freelancers and sole traders who invoice often.

Worth knowing: Pricing is shown in USD and CAD; online payment processing is for US customers and needs approval.

Compare: Wave alternatives

Zoho Books

The free plan covers 1 user plus 1 accountant and up to 1,000 invoices a year, but only while annual revenue stays under $50K. Above that you move to Standard at $15 a month billed annually.

Price: Free (Free plan while annual revenue stays under $50K: 1 user plus 1 accountant and up to 1,000 invoices a year); paid from $15 per organization/month, billed annually (Standard; $20 billed monthly) (Zoho Books pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.

Best for: Small businesses under the revenue cap.

Compare: Zoho Books alternatives

Manager

The desktop edition has no time or usage limits and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it is single-user. Remote or multi-user access needs the cloud edition, whose price we did not find.

Price: Free (Desktop edition with no time or usage limits but single-user) (Manager pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. License not stated on the download page.

Best for: Sole traders who prefer an offline desktop app.

GnuCash

GPL double-entry accounting for Windows, macOS and Linux with no price. It is a desktop program with no built-in bank feeds or online invoicing, so entry is manual or by file import.

Price: Free (double-entry accounting program with no price on its site) (GnuCash pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. GNU GPL (open source).

Best for: People who want free, proper double-entry books.

Worth knowing: It is a desktop program, so it has no built-in bank feeds or online invoicing.

ERPNext

GPL-3.0 and free to self-host, with an accounting module that runs from transactions to financial reports. It is a full ERP, so setup is heavy and you handle hosting, upgrades and backups yourself.

Price: Free (Free to self-host; Frappe Cloud is the managed option) (ERPNext pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web, Self-hosted. GPL-3.0 (open source).

Project activity: 40.7k GitHub stars · latest release v15.124.1 (Oct 22, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Growing firms that also need stock and sales.

Worth knowing: Its Accounting module covers recording transactions through financial reporting. Running it yourself means handling hosting, upgrades and backups.

Bigcapital

AGPL-3.0 accounting and inventory software you can host with Docker for free. Bigcapital Cloud has a 14-day trial and no free plan, starting at $20 a month, so the free route means running it yourself.

Price: Free (open-source edition is free to self-host with Docker; Bigcapital Cloud has a 14-day trial and no free plan); paid from $20 per month (Capital Basic, cloud) (Bigcapital pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Web, Self-hosted. AGPL-3.0 (open source).

Project activity: 4k GitHub stars · latest release v0.25.45 (Oct 23, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Developers who want open-source books.

Which one to pick

• You send invoices and want bank-connected books in a browser: Wave
• Your revenue is under $50K and you want an accountant seat: Zoho Books
• You want offline books on one computer: Manager
• You want free double-entry accounting with no company behind it: GnuCash
• You run a business that needs accounts plus stock: ERPNext