What it does
GnuCash is free desktop accounting software for personal and small-business records on Windows, Mac and Linux. It tracks bank accounts, income, expenses and investments using double-entry bookkeeping, where each transaction balances between accounts. There is no hosted subscription to buy.
Accounts kept in a desktop file
GnuCash uses a register-style interface for entering payments, receipts and split transactions. You can mark entries as cleared or reconciled, then compare the account against a bank statement. Scheduled transactions handle repeating entries and reminders.
For a small business, customer and vendor records sit alongside invoices, bills and reports. Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and portfolio reports show different parts of the same accounts. QIF and OFX imports include transaction matching when bringing in bank history.
Download and begin
Choose the Windows, macOS or Linux download from the official site. The application is released under the GNU GPL and runs locally, without an online account. Keep a copy of the accounts file when moving it between machines.
The standard data file uses XML. GnuCash labels its optional SQL database storage experimental and warns of possible data-loss cases, so that option deserves more care than the default file format.
Strengths
- QIF and OFX imports include transaction matching
- Scheduled entries and reconciliation support recurring bookkeeping
- Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux
Watch out for
- Entries need to balance between accounts, which requires learning double-entry bookkeeping
- Optional SQL database storage is marked experimental by the project
Best for
- Desktop users maintaining personal or small-business accounts
Sources
- GnuCash downloads and licence (Oct 27, 2026)
- GnuCash accounting and data-storage features (Oct 27, 2026)