Akaunting — Free Self-Hosted Accounting Software

Introduction

Akaunting is a free, open-source online accounting application designed for small businesses, freelancers, and anyone who needs to track their finances. Built on Laravel, it provides invoicing, expense tracking, banking, and financial reporting through a clean web interface.

What Akaunting Does

• Creates and sends professional invoices with customizable templates
• Tracks expenses and categorizes transactions automatically via bank feeds
• Generates profit/loss statements, balance sheets, and tax summary reports
• Manages multiple companies from a single installation
• Supports multi-currency transactions with automatic exchange rate updates

Architecture Overview

Akaunting is a Laravel application using a modular architecture. Each feature (invoicing, banking, reporting) is implemented as an internal module. The frontend uses Blade templates with Livewire for interactive components. Data is stored in MySQL or PostgreSQL. The app-store system lets users install third-party modules that hook into the core via Laravel events.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Requires PHP 8.1+, MySQL 8.0+ or PostgreSQL, and Composer
• Run the web-based installer after deploying the application files
• Configure SMTP for email delivery of invoices and notifications
• Docker image available for quick containerized deployment
• Set up cron for recurring invoices and scheduled reports

Key Features

• Double-entry accounting with a chart of accounts
• Client portal for customers to view and pay invoices online
• Bank connection via Plaid or manual CSV import for reconciliation
• App store with modules for inventory, payroll, and point-of-sale
• REST API for integration with external systems

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Firefly III — Personal finance focused; no invoicing or client management
• Invoice Ninja — Stronger invoicing features; less accounting depth
• Dolibarr — Full ERP/CRM; heavier and more complex to set up
• GnuCash — Desktop-first; no web interface by default
• Wave — Free SaaS; closed-source with ads and payment processing fees

FAQ

Q: Is Akaunting really free? A: The core application is free and open-source. Premium modules in the app store are paid.

Q: Can I manage multiple businesses? A: Yes. Akaunting supports multi-company management with a single login and separate data for each company.

Q: What accounting standards does it follow? A: Akaunting implements double-entry bookkeeping and generates standard financial statements compatible with most jurisdictions.

Q: Is there a mobile app? A: The web interface is responsive and works well on mobile browsers. Native mobile apps are not yet available.

Sources

• https://github.com/akaunting/akaunting
• https://akaunting.com/docs