Growing businesses need the $24/mo Premium plan for bank feeds, while smaller users can manage finances with the free on-premise version.
Best for: A free, self-hosted solution perfect for users comfortable with managing their own server
Best for: One-person businesses
Best for: Small businesses
Best for: Mid-sized businesses
Best for: Accountants
Best for: For businesses needing enhanced on-premise features beyond the free version
Independent analysis · Akaunting
Akaunting pitches itself as a budget-friendly option, but its true cost escalates rapidly compared to the $37/mo category median. While the Standard On-Premise plan is free, the Elite Cloud plan with payroll jumps to $672/year (roughly $56/mo), pushing it well above the market average. The entry-level tiers look attractive, but they limit you to 1,000 invoices and restrict essential double-entry bookkeeping to the Premium Cloud tier and above. For growing businesses, the core software is a loss-leader designed to push you into expensive proprietary upgrades.
The platform's modular pricing model is highly deceptive, as the free self-hosted version is virtually unusable without purchasing expensive proprietary apps. Users report getting trapped by billing issues and finding themselves locked into high annual fees just to access basic accounting functions.
"All additional apps are paid and fairly expensive once added up"
"I couldn't really get started without more addons that I didn't want to buy"
Based on analysis of recent Reddit and G2 discussions.
Even the free tier offers open-source core allows for full customization and self-hosting - strong value at no cost.
"Users consistently praise the software for its user-friendly interface and affordability"
G2
""One of the best and easy accounting software"
" - Capterra
"Double entry accounting, the most basic and critical of features, is an up charge"
User review
"Free for basic features, probably sufficient for your level."
"The pricing model makes it very difficult to nail down actual costs."
"Stay the hell away from Akaunting. Issues after issues."
If you have the technical skills to self-host and only need basic invoicing, the free Standard On-Premise plan is worth a look. However, growing businesses requiring automated workflows should avoid the cloud plans, as add-on fees quickly add up. For a more predictable all-in-one experience, choose QuickBooks Online starting at $30/mo to avoid the app-store tax.
List price covers the subscription. Total cost of ownership for Akaunting typically includes additional line items that don't appear on the pricing page.
How does Akaunting pricing compare?
See how Akaunting's 8 pricing plans stack up against similar Accounting tools.
Research Reports