GnuCash vs GNUKhata
GnuCash
gnucash.orgGNUKhata
gnukhata.orgSide by side
| Figure | GnuCash | GNUKhata |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Bookkeeper Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.8 (#6) |
| Spec score · Financial Management | 8.8 (#4) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 9.0 (#12) | 8.7 (#21) |
| Spec score · General Ledger Software | 8.7 (#5) | 8.7 (#6) |
| API | A C API in the libgnucash engine abstracts XML and SQL backends for GUI and plugin programmers. | gkcore is GNUKhata's REST API server and exposes Swagger documentation locally at /docs/. |
| Founded | 1997 | 2009 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| License | The software is freely licensed under the GNU GPL and is available free of charge. | The gkcore repository identifies the software as licensed under GNU AGPL-3.0. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.2 out of 5 from 23 reviews | 0 out of 5 from 0 reviews. |
| Support | The project points users to public mailing lists, IRC, a wiki, documentation, and bug reports for help. | User support is offered through community discussions, documentation and video tutorials. |
| What it does | GnuCash is free accounting software for personal and small-business finances, including bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. | GNUKhata provides accounting and inventory management for small and medium-sized businesses, traders, startups and NGOs. |
Plans
In their own words
GnuCash
GnuCash is free personal and small-business accounting software for tracking bank accounts, stocks, income, and expenses. Its double-entry accounting requires every transaction’s debits and credits to balance. Small-business tools cover customers, vendors, jobs, invoicing, bill payment, tax and billing terms, and budgeting. Users can create customizable balance sheets, profit and loss, and portfolio valuation reports, as well as charts. GnuCash imports QIF and OFX files with transaction matching; German users can use HBCI to download statements and initiate transfers and direct debits. Data is stored in XML by default. Support for SQLite3, MySQL, and PostgreSQL databases is experimental, and some reported corner cases can cause data loss. The GNU GPL-licensed software has installation options for Linux and installers for macOS and Windows. The main application is unavailable for iOS and iPadOS, while the separate Android app appears abandoned according to the project FAQ. The project is maintained, documented, and translated by volunteers.
GNUKhata
GNUKhata is free, open-source financial accounting and inventory software for SMEs, traders, startups, and NGOs, with a focus on Indian GST requirements. It handles sales and purchase invoices, point-of-sale entries, delivery notes, debit and credit notes, payments, and receipts. Accounting tools include a customizable chart of accounts, journal and other vouchers, and year-end book closing and rollover. Inventory records cover products and services, tax details, HSN search, and stock across multiple godowns. Reports include Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and stock summaries. GNUKhata can prepare GSTR-1 reports as JSON for upload to the GST portal, and it has multiple user roles, including Admin, Manager, Operator, Internal Auditor, and Godown In charge. Version 8.0 is distributed as Docker images; Windows installation is possible, but the project says it is not well tested. The project reports fixed SQL injection issues, while also noting that the code has not had a security audit and recommending use in a private environment. It does not currently support online e-way billing or e-invoicing, or GST-2A/GSTR-2B reconciliation. The listed plan is GNUKhata at free.