Best free apps for bookkeeping for small businesses


 Here are some of the best free (or free-tier) bookkeeping/accounting apps for small businesses — plus pros, cons, and things to watch out for.

Top Free Bookkeeping / Accounting Apps

AppWhat it offers for freeBest for / ProsLimitations / Cons
Wave AccountingInvoicing, accounting, expense tracking — free forever. U.S. Chamber of Commerce+3Wave+3Forbes+3Great for freelancers, very small businesses, simple bookkeeping. Clean, easy to use. Forbes+2Wave+2Lacks some more advanced features. Support might be less responsive. Some payment features cost money. NerdWallet+1
Zoho Books (free plan)A robust free-tier with essentials (invoicing, expenses etc.). NerdWallet+2Accounting & Invoicing data migration+2Good if you expect to scale; integrates with other Zoho tools. The CFO Club+1The free plan often has limits (number of users, revenue caps etc.). Some features only in paid plans. Need to check whether the free plan is available in your country. NerdWallet
ZipBooksFree “Starter” plan: unlimited invoices, basic reporting, one bank connection etc. U.S. Chamber of Commerce+2ZipBooks+2Very user-friendly; good for simple bookkeeping and invoicing. ZipBooks+2NerdWallet+2More advanced features (team access, more integrations) are gated. Sometimes transaction-volume or features are limited. ZipBooks+1
AkauntingOpen-source, free online accounting: invoicing, expense tracking, etc. No cost for core functionality. AkauntingFully free / open source; good if you want more control or want to host or customize. Multiple languages. AkauntingMight require more manual setup; possibly fewer integrations; support mainly via community. Some features missing compared to paid commercial tools. Akaunting
GnuCashFree / open source desktop accounting, double-entry bookkeeping, etc. Wikipedia+1Very trustworthy; works offline; good for people comfortable with desktop apps. WikipediaLess polished UI; fewer cloud/mobile features; may require more manual work and technical comfort. Wikipedia
ManagerDesktop version free; good for small businesses; covers invoicing, expense tracking, etc. Capterra+1If you prefer a locally installed app, or want full control. Also a good option where internet/cloud access is unreliable. NerdWalletCloud version (if needed) may cost; local backups are your responsibility; less “automagic” features (bank sync, etc.) in some versions. NerdWallet
BrightbookA simple free option aimed at freelancers and small teams. NerdWalletVery lightweight & fast setup. Good if you just need very basic things. NerdWalletVery limited features; not as scalable; fewer extras. NerdWallet

What to Consider / What to Watch Out For

When choosing a bookkeeping app, use these criteria to decide what matters for your business:

  1. Currency & Taxes

    • Does it support your local currency?

    • Does it handle local tax rules (VAT etc.)?

    • Will you need multi-currency features?

  2. Bank integrations

    • Can you connect your business bank(s) for automatic importing of transactions? If not, manual imports needed (CSV etc.).

  3. Invoice / Payment features

    • Can you send invoices, set recurring invoices?

    • Can you accept payments via credit card, PayPal etc. (and how are fees handled)?

  4. Number of users / collaborators

    • Will more people (e.g. accountant, bookkeeper) need access? Free plans often limit users.

  5. Mobile / Cloud vs Desktop

    • If you or your staff need to work on-the-go, mobile/cloud is essential.

    • If internet is spotty or you prefer local control, desktop apps may be better.

  6. Scalability

    • As business grows, you might need inventory, payroll, more advanced reporting. Check whether these are available (maybe as paid add-ons/upgrades).

  7. Support & Documentation

    • Free plans sometimes have only community or limited support.

    • Good documentation/blogs/tutorials help.

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