Akaunting vs Beancount
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Akaunting
Free open-source accounting software online
VS
Beancount
Double-entry bookkeeping in plain text with a query language
| Feature | Akaunting | Beancount |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,133 | ★ 6,028 |
| First released | 2017 | 2008 |
| Replaces | QuickBooks, Xero | QuickBooks, Xero |
What are Akaunting and Beancount?
Akaunting
Akaunting is a free, open-source accounting software for small businesses and freelancers. It handles invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting with a modular app store.
- Double-entry accounting
- Invoicing and billing
- App store for extensions
- Multi-company support
Beancount
Beancount is a double-entry plain-text accounting system that parses ledger files written in its own syntax. It includes a SQL-like query language and integrates with the Fava web interface.
- Plain-text ledgers
- SQL-like query language
- Strict validation
- Fava web companion
Akaunting vs Beancount: key differences
Akaunting is written in PHP, while Beancount is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Akaunting versus GPL-2.0 for Beancount. Beancount is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Akaunting. Beancount is the more established project (first released 2008), while Akaunting arrived in 2017. Akaunting lists first-class Docker deployment; Beancount does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Akaunting if…
- Full accounting feature set
- Extensible via apps
Watch out for
- Many features are paid apps
- Reporting could be deeper
Choose Beancount if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Mature project with 6k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Akaunting or Beancount better?
Akaunting is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Beancount if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Akaunting and Beancount free and open-source?
Yes. Akaunting is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Beancount under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Akaunting and Beancount with Docker?
Akaunting: yes. Beancount: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Akaunting or Beancount?
Beancount has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Akaunting. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.