Akaunting vs Lightning Network+
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Akaunting
Free open-source accounting software online
VS
Lightning Network+
Get incoming liquidity and double your channels for free
| Feature | Akaunting | Lightning Network+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | GPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | PHP | Haml |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,041 | ★ 2 |
| First released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Replaces | QuickBooks, Xero | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Lightning Network+ if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in Haml
Frequently asked questions
Is Akaunting or Lightning Network+ better?
Neither is universally better. Akaunting has the larger community, while Lightning Network+ is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Akaunting and Lightning Network+ free and open-source?
Yes. Akaunting is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Lightning Network+ under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Akaunting and Lightning Network+ with Docker?
Akaunting: yes. Lightning Network+: yes.