Akaunting vs Invoice Ninja: Which Free Accounting Tool Should You Use?
A side-by-side comparison of Akaunting and Invoice Ninja — two open-source, self-hostable alternatives to paid accounting and invoicing software — covering pricing, features, and migration.
Updated 2026-09 · 2026
Akaunting
Free, open-source online accounting software
Strengths
- +Full double-entry accounting, not just invoicing
- +Free and open-source self-hosted version with no user limits
- +Built-in bank reconciliation and multi-currency support
Weaknesses
- -Cloud plans get expensive as you add users/companies
- -Smaller ecosystem of accountants familiar with it vs QuickBooks
- -Some marketplace apps are paid add-ons
Best for
Small businesses that want real double-entry bookkeeping and are comfortable self-hosting or paying for managed cloud.
Invoice Ninja
Open-source invoicing, billing, and payments platform
Strengths
- +Free self-hosted version with unlimited clients and invoices
- +Strong recurring billing and subscription/quote features
- +Native client portal for payments and approvals
Weaknesses
- -Not a full accounting system — no general ledger or bank reconciliation
- -Multi-user hosted plans scale in price quickly
- -UI feels dated in some workflow areas
Best for
Freelancers and small teams that mainly need invoicing, recurring billing, and payment collection rather than full bookkeeping.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted free version | Yes, full accounting suite | Yes, full invoicing suite |
| Double-entry accounting / ledger | Yes | No |
| Bank reconciliation | Yes | No |
| Recurring invoices | Yes | Yes, more advanced |
| Client portal | Basic | Yes, detailed with payments/approvals |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes |
| Payment gateway integrations | PayPal, Stripe (via add-ons) | 40+ gateways natively |
| Expense tracking | Yes, built-in | Yes, basic |
| Free hosted tier | No (only self-hosted is free) | Yes, limited (1 user) |
| Marketplace/add-ons | Yes, paid modules | Limited |
| Reports (P&L, balance sheet) | Yes | No |
The Verdict
If you need actual accounting — ledgers, reconciliation, financial statements — Akaunting is the more complete free tool. If you just need to send invoices, get paid fast, and manage recurring billing, Invoice Ninja does that job better and its free self-hosted tier is more generous for solo users. Many small teams end up running both: Invoice Ninja for client-facing billing, Akaunting (or a real accountant) for the books.
How to switch from Akaunting to Invoice Ninja
- 1In Akaunting, go to Settings > Backup and generate a full database backup (SQL file), then export invoices, expenses, and contacts as CSV from their respective list views for easier remapping.
- 2In Invoice Ninja, go to Settings > Import/Export and use the CSV import tool to bring in your client list, then invoices and expenses, matching fields to Invoice Ninja's schema.
- 3Recreate recurring invoice templates and payment gateway connections (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) manually in Invoice Ninja, since these don't transfer via CSV import.
- 4Set up your client portal branding and payment terms in Invoice Ninja to match what customers were used to seeing in Akaunting.
- 5Run both systems in parallel for one billing cycle to confirm invoices, taxes, and totals match before fully cutting over.
- 6Once verified, disable new invoice creation in Akaunting, notify your team of the switch, and archive the Akaunting instance instead of deleting it in case you need historical data.
Akaunting vs Invoice Ninja: common questions
How do I export my data from Akaunting before switching?+
Akaunting lets you export invoices, expenses, and contacts as CSV files from each module's list view (Sales > Invoices > Export, etc.). For a full backup, use the built-in Backup feature under Settings > Backup, which creates a downloadable SQL dump of your entire database. Keep both the CSV exports and the SQL backup before migrating.
What do I lose if I move from Akaunting to Invoice Ninja?+
You lose double-entry bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, and financial statement reports (P&L, balance sheet) since Invoice Ninja isn't a full accounting system. If you need those, you'll have to keep a separate accounting tool or track expenses manually alongside Invoice Ninja.
Is Invoice Ninja's free tier enough for a small team?+
The free hosted tier is capped at 1 user, which won't work if multiple people need access to invoicing. The self-hosted version is free with unlimited users and clients, but you'll need to manage your own server. For most small teams, either self-hosting or a paid hosted plan (from $10/month) is the practical choice.
Does Invoice Ninja integrate with the same tools as Akaunting?+
Invoice Ninja has stronger native payment gateway support (Stripe, PayPal, Square, and 40+ others) but fewer accounting-specific integrations. Akaunting relies more on its app marketplace for add-ons like payroll or POS. Check your specific payment processor and any accounting software you use before switching.
Will switching actually save money over time?+
If you self-host both, cost is roughly equal (just server hosting). If you use hosted plans, Invoice Ninja's paid tiers start cheaper ($10/month for 1 user) than Akaunting Cloud, but scale up per-user, while Akaunting Cloud pricing tends to bundle more users per tier. Compare current pricing pages directly based on your team size before deciding.
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