Productivity & Business · Finance, Billing & Accounting

GnuCash

GnuCash is free, open-source double-entry accounting software for personal finance and small businesses on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Our take: GnuCash costs nothing and covers double-entry books, invoicing, multiple currencies and investments.

Best forFree desktop bookkeeping

ReviewedOct 2026Free

6.75 criteria · see breakdown

Try GnuCashFree; donations optional

GnuCash is free, open-source accounting software for personal finances and small businesses. It uses double-entry bookkeeping and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It costs nothing, volunteers run the project and optional donations fund it, and it is a desktop program that does not support several people editing at once.

The bottom line

A capable free option for one person or a tiny team on a single desktop; look elsewhere for shared or mobile access.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isFree, volunteer-built double-entry accounting software that runs on your own computer.

Our takeGnuCash costs nothing and covers double-entry books, invoicing, multiple currencies and investments.

The price is the work: it is a desktop program built around debits and credits, with no support for several people editing at once, no direct QuickBooks import and no mobile version from the project. It rewards people who want control of their own books and are willing to learn how double-entry works.

Why we rate itGnuCash lists a broad feature set for a free program: a checkbook-style register, reconciliation, scheduled transactions, invoicing and bill payment, multi-currency accounts and stock portfolios.

A new stable release has shipped about every three months, most recently 5.17 on 27 September 2026.

The catchDesktop only, no simultaneous multi-user editing, SQL storage still labeled experimental, no direct QuickBooks import and no business setup wizard, all stated in GnuCash's own FAQ and features page.

Best / not good for

Best for

Individuals tracking accounts, investments and budgets with double-entry
Freelancers and very small businesses that invoice from one computer
People who want open-source accounting software with no subscription

Not good for

Teams that need several people editing the same books at the same time
Anyone who needs a web or mobile app from the project itself
Businesses that want to import a QuickBooks file directly

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
Install on Windows, macOS or Linux, then set up your own accounts; the New Account Hierarchy assistant can create a starter set.
Scale breakpoint
A second person who needs to edit the books at the same time: the FAQ says only one user at a time should have the file open.
Walled garden
Low: data is stored as XML by default or in SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL, and the FAQ has a section on exporting data.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, start on the free plan.

Try GnuCash

GnuCash at a glance

Item	What GnuCash states
Price	Free of charge; donations are optional
Licence	GNU GPL
Platforms	Windows 8, 10 and 11; macOS on Apple Silicon (11 or later) and Intel (10.13 or later); Linux through distributions or Flatpak; source code
Latest stable release	5.17, announced 27 September 2026
Who maintains it	Volunteers (The GnuCash Project); donations cover running costs such as servers
Data storage	XML by default; SQLite3, MySQL or PostgreSQL, labeled experimental on the features page
Several users at once	No simultaneous editing; a shared file allows one user at a time
Mobile	Built only for desktop operating systems; GnuCash for Android is a separate project

From gnucash.org (home, download, features, donations and news pages) and the GnuCash wiki FAQ, checked 28 October 2026. GnuCash publishes no pricing page and has no paid plan.

Moving to GnuCash from other software

From	What GnuCash documents
Quicken	QIF import assistant; the FAQ links a Quicken migration page
QuickBooks	No direct import. The FAQ says there is no way to import QuickBooks files and no plan to add one; export your data as CSV, then import the CSV or convert it to QIF
Microsoft Money and YNAB 4	The FAQ links a migration page for each
Bank files	OFX and QIF import with duplicate matching; German HBCI banking support
Spreadsheets and other CSV files	File, Import, Import Transactions from CSV

From the GnuCash features page and wiki FAQ, checked 28 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GnuCash?

GnuCash is personal and small-business accounting software that is freely licensed under the GNU GPL. It uses double-entry bookkeeping and tracks bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses, with a checkbook-style register, reports, scheduled transactions and invoicing. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. As of 28 October 2026 the latest stable release is 5.17, announced on 27 September 2026.

Is GnuCash really free?

Yes (checked 28 October 2026). GnuCash's donation page says it is free software made available free of charge, and that a donation is purely optional. There is no pricing page and no paid plan. The same page says donations go toward the costs of keeping the project's servers running.

Does GnuCash have a chart of accounts?

Yes. GnuCash's guide says it does not impose any specific account tree layout, so you design your own, built on five account types: Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income and Expenses. The New Account Hierarchy assistant (Actions, New Account Hierarchy) can create a starter set, such as the Common Accounts option. GnuCash's wiki adds that the New file wizard includes basic business template accounts, for example for Germany, India and the US.

Can GnuCash replace QuickBooks?

It depends on how you use QuickBooks. GnuCash covers double-entry books, invoicing and bill payment, customer and vendor tracking, multiple currencies and standard reports. Its own FAQ says it cannot import QuickBooks files directly (the route is a CSV export), that it is built only for desktop operating systems and that it does not support several people editing at once. QuickBooks Online's pricing page lists a free plan for one user with limits (2 invoices a month), paid plans for 1, 3, 5 and 25 users, a 30-day free trial and an optional payroll step (checked 28 October 2026). Check GnuCash's three limits before you switch.

Is GnuCash safe?

GnuCash is open-source software under the GNU GPL. Its download page offers the Windows and macOS installers and the source code, and Linux users usually install it from their distribution or as a Flatpak from Flathub. For your data, GnuCash's FAQ says it creates backup and log files to prevent data loss. Its features page calls the SQL database storage experimental and warns of data-loss corner cases, and XML is the default. Download only from gnucash.org and keep your own backups.

Who makes GnuCash and how is it funded?

GnuCash says it is developed, maintained, documented and translated entirely by volunteers (The GnuCash Project). Its donation page says donations are optional and cover running costs such as servers; donations go in through a Sourceforge tip jar or a bank transfer. The News page lists a stable release roughly every three months, from 5.13 on 28 September 2025 to 5.17 on 27 September 2026.