GnuCash review: books on your computer

GnuCash is free open-source accounting software for household or small-business books on your own computer. It uses a checkbook-style register and double-entry accounting, which records each movement twice. The ledger is a file you save, so the day-to-day record is not held on a company website.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: Desktop accounting for personal finances and small businesses

Works on: Windows, macOS and Linux (the project also names BSD and Solaris)

Price: Free

Licence: GNU GPL version 2 or version 3, with some files under narrower terms

Best for: Someone who wants balanced books in a file on their own computer

Official site: gnucash.org

What GnuCash does (and how it protects your privacy)

GnuCash is personal and small-business financial-accounting software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL, for GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.¹ The same page compares it to a checkbook register built on professional accounting principles, so the books and reports stay balanced.¹

The stable release is GnuCash 5.17, announced on 27 September 2026.⁴ The download page offers GnuCash 5.17 for Windows 8/10/11.³ Apple silicon builds are for macOS 11 (“Big Sur”) or later.³ Intel builds are for macOS 10.13 (“High Sierra”) or later.³ The release note describes pre-built packages for Windows 10 and later and macOS 10.13 and later.⁴ A distribution package is not always the newest.³ The project still recommends that package.³ Flatpak bundles the libraries for you.³ The 5.17 announcement also points to Flathub.⁴

You save the books yourself. The default format is XML, and SQL storage can use SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL.⁶ The XML file is text, compressed by default.⁶ You choose the folder for an XML or SQLite file.⁶ Compression is not a password. Quote downloads and bank links are covered below.

Key GnuCash features

Double-entry bookkeeping. Each transaction debits one account and credits others by an equal amount, so the books balance.²
A checkbook-style register. Checking, credit-card, income, stock and currency lines.²
Repeating transactions. You can set the amount, the timing and a reminder for a transaction that repeats.²
Reports and graphs. Standard reports include a balance sheet, profit and loss, and a portfolio valuation.² Graphs include bar, pie and scatter charts.²
Reconciliation. Compare the register with a bank statement to spot an untracked transaction or a data entry error.²
Currencies and investments. Accounts can use different currencies.² Stocks can stand alone or in a portfolio.² Quotes can be fetched from websites.²
Small-business records. Customers, vendors, jobs, invoices, bills, and tax and billing terms.²
Import from other software. Quicken QIF files can be imported.² OFX is supported.² Duplicate lines are removed on import.²

Pros and cons

Pros

Freely licensed under the GNU GPL.¹ That licence is meant to let you share and change the program.⁵
The usual record is a file in a folder you choose.⁶
The download page offers a GnuCash 5.17 installer for Windows.³
Still updated: version 5.17 was released on 27 September 2026.⁴
Each save of an XML file also writes a dated copy of the previous file.⁸

Cons

The method is formal accounting. The Tutorial and Concepts guide explains how those rules appear in GnuCash.²
The FAQ says GnuCash can be built only for desktops.⁷ It is not available on Apple mobile devices.⁷ The separate Android app’s developer had not been heard from since 2015, and last interacted on GitHub in 2018.⁷
No password was added to the data file.⁷ The FAQ points you to an encrypted file system instead.⁷
Online banking stores account numbers and user IDs in plain text in the AqBanking settings.⁷
The features page still calls SQL storage experimental.² It says some corner cases have been reported to result in data loss.² The guide recommends XML for most people.⁶ It also says multi-user access is not implemented.⁶
A distribution copy is not always the newest.³ The project still recommends that package.³

Is GnuCash safe and private?

SQLite keeps the books in one file on the computer, like XML.⁶ MySQL and PostgreSQL are for experienced database administrators.⁶ The FAQ says a password feature was not implemented.⁷ It encourages an encrypted file system for critical files.⁷

Stock and mutual-fund quotes are fetched from websites.² HBCI can download German statements and start transfers and direct debits.² OFX import is supported.² Account numbers and user IDs are stored in plain text in the AqBanking settings: ~/.banking/settings.conf on old versions, and somewhere in ~/.aqbanking/ on newer ones.⁷ The FAQ says to encrypt that as well as the books.⁷

For most purposes the licence is GPL version 2 or, at your option, version 3.⁵ Almost all files are GPL version 2 or any later version.⁵ Some files are version 2 and/or version 3 only.⁵ The FAQ calls the developers volunteers.⁷ They shipped 5.17 in the stable 5.x series.⁴

How to get started with GnuCash

Download GnuCash 5.17 from the official download page for your operating system.³
The first launch shows a “Welcome to GnuCash!” screen.⁶ File, then New File, starts the New Account Hierarchy assistant.⁶
Save as XML, which is the default.⁶ GnuCash adds .gnucash.⁶ One file is enough for one household.⁶
Reconcile a register against your bank statement.² You can import a Quicken QIF file with the import assistant.²
Save before you quit. Each XML save stores a dated copy of the previous file.⁸ Those copies and the log files are deleted after 30 days unless you change that.⁸ A copy to another disk only needs the main file.⁸ Duplicati can send that file to a place you choose. If you use online banking, encrypt the AqBanking settings as well as the books.⁷

Who should use GnuCash (and who might prefer something else)

GnuCash fits a home or small business that wants invoices, several currencies and a balance sheet in one file. Back up the .gnucash file, and use an encrypted disk if the computer is shared or travels.

Other tools fit a different job. Firefly III is a spending dashboard you host yourself. Actual Budget is local-first budgeting. Ghostfolio tracks an investment portfolio. The guide says multi-user access is not implemented.⁶

Frequently asked questions

Is GnuCash free?

Yes. The official site calls it free accounting software.¹ It is freely licensed under the GNU GPL.¹ For most purposes that is version 2 or, at your option, version 3.⁵

Is GnuCash safe for private finances?

The default format is XML, and SQL storage can use SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL.⁶ A password feature was not implemented.⁷ Use an encrypted file system for the books.⁷ Account numbers and user IDs are plain text in the AqBanking settings if you use online banking.⁷ Stock and mutual-fund quotes are fetched from websites.²

Does GnuCash work on iPhone or Android?

No. The FAQ says GnuCash can be built only for desktops.⁷ It is not available on Apple mobile devices.⁷ The FAQ says one App Store app misappropriated the GnuCash name and logo.⁷ Those developers have no connection to the project.⁷ The separate Android developer had not been heard from since 2015, and last interacted on GitHub in 2018.⁷

Does GnuCash encrypt the account file?

No. A password feature was not implemented.⁷ The FAQ’s answer is an encrypted file system.⁷ The default XML file is compressed, and that setting lives in preferences.⁶ Dated backup files sit in the same folder as the main file.⁸