Important: none replaces Xero fully
These tools cover invoicing and basic bookkeeping. None offers Xero's automated bank feeds, payroll, or accountant network, so check your accounting needs and local compliance before moving.
Alternatives / Xero
4 open-source alternatives
4 Best Open Source Xero Alternatives in 2026
Looking for an open source Xero alternative? We compared 4 open source accounting and invoicing tools by license, self-hosting, features, and maintenance. None is a full Xero replacement with bank feeds and payroll, and every project here has a license or maintenance caveat.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
Best Xero alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Akaunting | Self-hosted accounting with a client portal | BSL 1.1 |
| Invoice Ninja | Invoicing with payments and time tracking | Elastic License 2.0 |
| Crater | Invoicing app (unmaintained) | AGPL-3.0 |
| Frappe Books | Offline desktop accounting (archived) | AGPL-3.0 |
How we chose these Xero alternatives
We looked for open-source tools that handle small-business accounting jobs: invoicing, expenses, reports, and bookkeeping. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository, and flag source-available, archived, and stale projects. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Closest options
Akaunting is self-hostable accounting software for invoicing, expenses, and a client portal, with 50+ languages. Invoice Ninja is an invoicing platform with online payments, time tracking, and many payment gateways, available as a free plan or self-hosted.
Important: licenses and maintenance
Akaunting uses the Business Source License 1.1 and Invoice Ninja uses the Elastic License 2.0, so neither is open source in the usual sense. Frappe Books is archived on GitHub, and Crater's last commit was in August 2024, so both are effectively unmaintained.
Desktop option
Frappe Books is a desktop accounting app that runs locally with offline access, stores data in a SQLite file, and produces profit and loss, balance sheet, and general ledger reports. It is archived and receives no updates.
License details
Akaunting is BSL-1.1, Invoice Ninja is Elastic License 2.0, and Crater and Frappe Books are AGPL-3.0.
Maintenance status
Akaunting and Invoice Ninja had commits within days of this update. Crater's last commit was in August 2024, and Frappe Books is archived.
Why look for a Xero alternative?
Xero is a proprietary subscription service with tiers by number of invoices, bills, and users, and your financial data lives on its servers. Open-source tools can be self-hosted and have no per-invoice limits, but they lack Xero's bank feeds, payroll, and app marketplace.
invoiceninja.com
Invoice Ninja is invoicing software with customizable templates, recurring invoices, payment reminders, client portals, expense and vendor management, time tracking, and e-signing. It runs as a hosted service or self-hosted, with desktop and mobile apps. The source is available under the Elastic License 2.0, which forbids offering it as a hosted service.
10.3K2.8KElastic License 2.0Self-hosted
Pricing: Free self-hosted with all Pro and Enterprise features in the source; optional white-label license from $40 per year; hosted plans are paid.
- Full invoicing with payments, expenses, and time tracking
- Web, desktop, and mobile apps
- Self-hosting includes all features
- Source available, not OSI-approved open source
- Invoicing-focused rather than full double-entry accounting
akaunting.com
Akaunting is accounting software covering invoicing, expense tracking, cash flow, a client portal, and transaction management, available in 50+ languages. It is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, which converts to GPLv3 after four years and limits free production use.
10.2K3KBSL 1.1Self-hosted
Pricing: Free for up to two users, one company, and 1,000 invoices; paid on-premise and cloud plans beyond that.
- Invoicing, expenses, cash flow, and client portal
- 50+ languages and an app ecosystem
- Active development
- Source available with usage limits, not standard open source
- No white-labeling or offering it as an accounting service without a license
craterapp.com
Crater is an AGPL-3.0 web and mobile app for tracking expenses and payments and creating professional invoices and estimates, built with Laravel and Vue. The repository has had no commits since August 2024.
8.4K1.7KAGPL-3.0Self-hosted
Pricing: Free and open source.
- Invoices, estimates, expenses, and payments
- Web and mobile apps
- AGPL-3.0 license
- No commits since August 2024
- Not a full accounting system
frappe.io
Frappe Books is a desktop accounting and bookkeeping app for small businesses and freelancers, with invoicing, customizable HTML templates, fuzzy search, financial reports, and a local SQLite database.
5K1.2KAGPL-3.0Local app
Pricing: Free and open source.
- Local data storage with no subscription
- Invoicing and financial reports
- Actively maintained
- Desktop only, with no cloud collaboration
- Fewer integrations than QuickBooks
Compare Xero alternatives
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akaunting | Accounting | BSL 1.1 | Yes | Small businesses |
| Invoice Ninja | Invoicing | Elastic License 2.0 | Yes | Freelancers |
| Crater | Invoicing | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Not recommended |
| Frappe Books | Desktop accounting | AGPL-3.0 (archived) | Local | Not recommended |
Which one should you choose?
Want self-hosted accounting with a client portal
Akaunting covers invoicing, expenses, and cash flow, under the Business Source License.
Want invoicing with many payment gateways
Invoice Ninja supports online payments and time tracking, under the Elastic License 2.0.