[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":454},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Fcompare\u002Fvs-akaunting":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"competitor":43,"date":442,"description":443,"extension":444,"logo":445,"meta":446,"navigation":447,"path":448,"pricingChecked":449,"seo":450,"stem":451,"updated":452,"__hash__":453},"comparisons\u002Fcompare\u002Fvs-akaunting.md","Billebly vs Akaunting: full accounting or simple invoicing?",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":421},"minimark",[9,13,21,26,145,149,152,159,163,166,170,173,176,180,302,310,314,317,328,331,334,338,341,344,348,351,355,358,361,365,368,372,375,379,382,386,389,393,396,400,403,407,411,414],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Akaunting is open-source accounting software for small businesses:\ndouble-entry bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking, and an app\nmarketplace for payments, payroll, and more, self-hostable for free or\navailable as a cloud subscription starting at $12\u002Fmonth. Billebly is a\nfree invoicing and payments tool with no accounting layer underneath.\nThis comparison is for anyone deciding whether they actually need real\nbookkeeping or just a simple way to invoice and get paid.",[10,14,15,16,20],{},"The key thing to know before comparing prices: Akaunting markets itself\nas free, but genuine double-entry accounting (the feature that\ndistinguishes it from a plain invoicing tool) is ",[17,18,19],"strong",{},"not included on its\ncheapest tier",". It's a separate paid app or a higher-tier cloud plan.",[22,23,25],"h2",{"id":24},"quick-comparison","Quick comparison",[27,28,29,44],"table",{},[30,31,32],"thead",{},[33,34,35,38,41],"tr",{},[36,37],"th",{},[36,39,40],{},"Billebly",[36,42,43],{},"Akaunting",[45,46,47,59,70,81,91,102,113,123,134],"tbody",{},[33,48,49,53,56],{},[50,51,52],"td",{},"Starting price",[50,54,55],{},"Free",[50,57,58],{},"Free (self-hosted, invoicing only) or $12\u002Fmo (Cloud Standard)",[33,60,61,64,67],{},[50,62,63],{},"Double-entry bookkeeping",[50,65,66],{},"No",[50,68,69],{},"Separate paid app ($9\u002Fmo) or Premium+ cloud plan ($36\u002Fmo)",[33,71,72,75,78],{},[50,73,74],{},"Pricing model",[50,76,77],{},"Free plan with no subscription and a 0.5% fee on payments processed; optional Premium at €9\u002Fmonth (0.2% fee)",[50,79,80],{},"Free core + paid apps, or tiered cloud subscription",[33,82,83,86,88],{},[50,84,85],{},"Self-hosting option",[50,87,66],{},[50,89,90],{},"Yes, free and open source",[33,92,93,96,99],{},[50,94,95],{},"Client portal",[50,97,98],{},"Payment link only, no login",[50,100,101],{},"Separate paid app",[33,103,104,107,110],{},[50,105,106],{},"Time tracking",[50,108,109],{},"Yes, feeds invoices directly",[50,111,112],{},"Separate paid app (Projects)",[33,114,115,118,120],{},[50,116,117],{},"Multi-company support",[50,119,66],{},[50,121,122],{},"Yes, from Premium plan",[33,124,125,128,131],{},[50,126,127],{},"Customer support",[50,129,130],{},"Email only",[50,132,133],{},"Chat\u002Fticket, rated weakly by reviewers (Capterra 2.7\u002F5)",[33,135,136,139,142],{},[50,137,138],{},"Best for",[50,140,141],{},"Fast, simple invoicing and getting paid",[50,143,144],{},"Real double-entry bookkeeping alongside invoicing",[22,146,148],{"id":147},"what-is-akaunting","What is Akaunting?",[10,150,151],{},"Akaunting is a Laravel\u002FVue-built, open-source accounting platform:\ninvoicing, expense tracking, cash flow monitoring, and, as its core\ndifferentiator, real double-entry accounting with a chart of accounts,\nmanual journals, a general ledger, trial balance, and balance sheet\nreports. It's self-hostable for free, or available as Akaunting Cloud,\nand extends functionality through a marketplace of 50+ apps covering\npayments, payroll, inventory, CRM, and more.",[10,153,154,155,158],{},"The honest caveat is in how that functionality is priced. Akaunting's\nfree\u002Fentry tier ($12\u002Fmonth Cloud Standard, or self-hosted core) does\n",[17,156,157],{},"not"," include double-entry accounting, a client portal, payroll, or\ninventory: those are separate paid apps (Double-Entry accounting is\n$9\u002Fmonth or $72\u002Fyear on its own) or require the $36\u002Fmonth Premium cloud\nplan and above. Reviews reflect a split experience: Capterra rates it\n3.8\u002F5 with Ease of Use at 4.1\u002F5, but Customer Service at just 2.7\u002F5, and\nG2's smaller review sample sits at 1.8\u002F5. Common complaints include\nbuggy paid modules, a confusing reporting system, and refund-policy\nfriction once a self-hosted module is downloaded.",[22,160,162],{"id":161},"what-is-billebly","What is Billebly?",[10,164,165],{},"Billebly is a free invoicing and payments tool for freelancers, coaches,\nand consultants: a client list, one-off and recurring invoices, time\ntracking that becomes invoice line items automatically, and a dashboard\nshowing paid, pending, and overdue amounts. It's built to answer one\nquestion quickly, who owes you money and have they paid, rather than to\ndouble as a bookkeeping system. That focus means there's no chart of\naccounts, journal entries, or trial balance to maintain, which is a\ndeliberate choice, not a missing checkbox: it keeps the product simple\nfor the freelancers, coaches, and consultants it's built for. Anyone who\nneeds a general ledger or an accountant-ready set of financial statements\nshould look at dedicated accounting software instead.",[22,167,169],{"id":168},"billebly-vs-akaunting-key-differences","Billebly vs Akaunting: key differences",[10,171,172],{},"The fundamental difference is depth of financial record-keeping. Akaunting\nis built to produce real financial statements, including a balance sheet,\na trial balance, and GAAP-style reporting: the kind of output an\naccountant or a tax authority might actually want to see. Billebly produces a payment status\ndashboard: what's paid, what's outstanding, what's overdue. That's useful\nfor knowing where you stand with clients, but it isn't bookkeeping.",[10,174,175],{},"The other difference is where the cost hides. Akaunting's marketing leads\nwith \"free,\" but the accounting depth that justifies choosing it over a\nsimpler tool is gated behind paid apps or higher cloud tiers. Billebly's\nfree plan includes the whole core product, and the tradeoff is that\nthere's no accounting layer to eventually unlock, because it was never\npart of the product.",[22,177,179],{"id":178},"features-comparison","Features comparison",[27,181,182,193],{},[30,183,184],{},[33,185,186,189,191],{},[36,187,188],{},"Feature",[36,190,40],{},[36,192,43],{},[45,194,195,206,215,224,234,244,254,264,273,282,291],{},[33,196,197,200,203],{},[50,198,199],{},"Client & prospect tracking",[50,201,202],{},"Basic client list",[50,204,205],{},"Yes",[33,207,208,211,213],{},[50,209,210],{},"One-off invoices",[50,212,205],{},[50,214,205],{},[33,216,217,220,222],{},[50,218,219],{},"Recurring \u002F subscription billing",[50,221,205],{},[50,223,205],{},[33,225,226,229,231],{},[50,227,228],{},"Estimates\u002Fquotes",[50,230,205],{},[50,232,233],{},"Separate app",[33,235,236,239,241],{},[50,237,238],{},"Time tracking → invoice line items",[50,240,205],{},[50,242,243],{},"Separate app (Projects)",[33,245,246,249,251],{},[50,247,248],{},"Double-entry accounting (ledger, trial balance, balance sheet)",[50,250,66],{},[50,252,253],{},"Separate app or Premium+ plan",[33,255,256,259,261],{},[50,257,258],{},"Expense tracking",[50,260,66],{},[50,262,263],{},"Yes, core feature",[33,265,266,268,271],{},[50,267,95],{},[50,269,270],{},"Payment link, no login",[50,272,253],{},[33,274,275,278,280],{},[50,276,277],{},"Multi-company management",[50,279,66],{},[50,281,122],{},[33,283,284,287,289],{},[50,285,286],{},"Self-hosting",[50,288,66],{},[50,290,90],{},[33,292,293,296,299],{},[50,294,295],{},"Payment processing",[50,297,298],{},"Stripe, built in",[50,300,301],{},"Via separate apps (Stripe, PayPal, others)",[303,304,307],"callout",{"title":305,"type":306},"When Akaunting's accounting depth is actually worth it","tip",[10,308,309],{},"If you're managing real books, working with an accountant who needs a\nproper ledger, or need GAAP-style financial statements, Akaunting's\ndouble-entry accounting covers that ground. It's a specific, narrower\nneed though: most freelancers, coaches, and consultants just want to\nknow who owes them money and get paid quickly, which is exactly what\nBillebly is built for, without an accounting layer to configure or pay\nextra for on top of it.",[22,311,313],{"id":312},"pricing-comparison","Pricing comparison",[10,315,316],{},"Akaunting self-hosted: free open-source core, but true double-entry\naccounting still costs extra even if self-hosted: $72\u002Fyear or a $756\none-time lifetime license for the Double-Entry app. Akaunting Cloud:\n$12\u002Fmonth (Standard, billed monthly) or $8\u002Fmonth annually, covering 1\ncompany and 1,000 invoices but not double-entry accounting or the client\nportal. $36\u002Fmonth (Premium) or $24\u002Fmonth annually includes double-entry\naccounting and the client portal. $84\u002Fmonth (Elite) adds payroll and\ninventory. $218\u002Fmonth (Ultimate) targets accountants managing multiple\nclient companies. Self-hosting requires PHP\u002FLaravel server management;\nthere's no automatic updates on self-hosted installs.",[10,318,319,320,327],{},"Source: ",[321,322,326],"a",{"href":323,"rel":324},"https:\u002F\u002Fakaunting.com\u002Fpricing",[325],"nofollow","Akaunting's pricing page",".",[10,329,330],{},"Billebly: free plan, no subscription. A 0.5% platform fee on payments\nactually processed, plus Stripe's standard rate (roughly 1.5% + €0.25 for\ncards, less for bank methods). No monthly minimum. An optional Premium\nplan costs €9\u002Fmonth (excl. VAT) and lowers the platform fee to 0.2%.",[10,332,333],{},"The practical comparison: if what you actually want is invoicing and\npayment collection, Akaunting's $12\u002Fmonth Standard plan doesn't even\ninclude the accounting depth that's its main selling point; you'd need\n$36\u002Fmonth (Premium) to get double-entry accounting, or pay for the app\nseparately on top of self-hosting. Billebly's free plan costs nothing\nuntil a payment is processed, at any usage level, because it isn't trying\nto sell you accounting software in the first place.",[22,335,337],{"id":336},"invoicing-and-billing","Invoicing and billing",[10,339,340],{},"Both support one-off and recurring invoices. Akaunting adds automated\nrecurring bills and payment reminders as core features, plus estimates\nand a client portal as separate apps. Billebly's recurring invoices\ncharge automatically until manually stopped, with an alert if a payment\nfails, and quotes\u002Festimates are built into the core product: clients\ncan accept a quote and it converts directly into an invoice, while\nAkaunting's estimates live in a separate add-on app.",[10,342,343],{},"Where Akaunting pulls ahead: once double-entry accounting is active,\ninvoices post directly into a real ledger, so revenue reporting and tax\nprep have accurate underlying books. Where Billebly pulls ahead: nothing\nto configure or pay extra for: the invoice-to-payment path works\nimmediately, with no app marketplace to shop through first.",[22,345,347],{"id":346},"payments","Payments",[10,349,350],{},"Akaunting itself doesn't charge a transaction commission; payments run\nthrough separate marketplace apps (Stripe, PayPal Express, and others),\neach charging its own standard processor rate, with no Akaunting markup.\nBillebly processes through Stripe directly, with a 0.5% platform fee (0.2%\non Premium) plus Stripe's rate, supporting cards, iDEAL, SEPA, Klarna,\nAmazon Pay, and bank transfers depending on the client's location.",[22,352,354],{"id":353},"ease-of-use","Ease of use",[10,356,357],{},"Reviewers are consistent that Akaunting's basic invoicing and expense\ntracking are genuinely approachable, even for non-accountants: Capterra\nrates Ease of Use at 4.1\u002F5. That changes once double-entry accounting,\npayroll, or multiple paid apps enter the picture: one reviewer described\nthe reporting system as \"either way too complex, or inept.\" Self-hosting\nadds a separate technical learning curve (server setup, no auto-updates),\nand customer support is a consistently weak point across review\nplatforms (Capterra 2.7\u002F5 for support specifically).",[10,359,360],{},"Billebly has no comparable complexity to grow into: add a client, build\nan invoice, send a link, check the dashboard, with no app marketplace or\naccounting module to eventually configure.",[22,362,364],{"id":363},"which-is-better-for-freelancers","Which is better for freelancers?",[10,366,367],{},"A freelancer who wants real books, because they're managing significant\nrevenue, working with an accountant who needs a proper ledger, or simply\nprefer GAAP-style reporting, is better served by Akaunting, once\ndouble-entry accounting is actually turned on (Premium plan or the\nseparate app). A freelancer who just wants to invoice, get paid, and see\na clear picture of what's owed, without accounting jargon or an app\nmarketplace to navigate, will find Billebly closer to what they actually\nneed.",[22,369,371],{"id":370},"which-is-better-for-small-businesses","Which is better for small businesses?",[10,373,374],{},"A small business that wants multi-company management, payroll, and\ninventory alongside real bookkeeping is better served by Akaunting's\nhigher-tier cloud plans, which were built for exactly that. Billebly is\nbuilt for solo operators and small client rosters, not multi-company or\npayroll management, and that's a deliberate scope decision rather than\nan oversight: it keeps the product fast and simple for the freelancer or\nsmall practice billing clients directly. A business that's grown past\nthat, with multiple entities or a payroll to run, will need the depth\nAkaunting's higher tiers provide.",[22,376,378],{"id":377},"who-should-choose-akaunting","Who should choose Akaunting?",[10,380,381],{},"A small business or freelancer who wants genuine double-entry\nbookkeeping (a chart of accounts, journal entries, a trial balance,\nGAAP-style financial statements) and is willing to either self-host or\npay for the cloud tier (or app) that actually includes it.",[22,383,385],{"id":384},"who-should-choose-billebly","Who should choose Billebly?",[10,387,388],{},"A freelancer, coach, or consultant who doesn't need a general ledger and\njust wants clients, invoices, time tracking, and payment status handled\nsimply, without shopping through an app marketplace to assemble the\nfunctionality they need.",[22,390,392],{"id":391},"is-billebly-a-good-akaunting-alternative","Is Billebly a good Akaunting alternative?",[10,394,395],{},"For double-entry accounting, no: that's Akaunting's core purpose, and\nBillebly doesn't attempt it at any tier. For simple invoicing and payment\ncollection, yes, and arguably more directly, since Akaunting's cheapest\ncloud tier doesn't even include the accounting features that justify\nchoosing accounting software in the first place. Someone using\nAkaunting's Standard plan purely to invoice and get paid, without\ndouble-entry accounting active, is likely paying for infrastructure they\naren't using, and would find Billebly simpler and cheaper for that exact\njob. Someone relying on Akaunting's ledger, trial balance, or multi-\ncompany reporting is not a good candidate to switch.",[22,397,399],{"id":398},"akaunting-alternatives","Akaunting alternatives",[10,401,402],{},"Within open-source and budget accounting software, Akaunting competes\nwith tools like Wave, Frappe Books, and, for more established mainstream\noptions, QuickBooks Online and Xero. Each trades off self-hosting,\naccounting depth, and price differently. If real bookkeeping is the\nactual goal, those are the right comparison set. If the appeal was\nsimply \"free,\" but the daily need is closer to \"invoice and get paid,\"\nwithout ever touching a chart of accounts, Billebly is worth trying\nbefore assembling an Akaunting setup around apps you may not need.",[404,405],"faq-block",{":faqs":406},"[{\"question\":\"Is Akaunting's accounting really free?\",\"answer\":\"The core software is free and open source, but true double-entry accounting (chart of accounts, journal entries, trial balance, balance sheet) is a separate paid app, roughly $9\u002Fmonth or $72\u002Fyear, or requires Akaunting's $36\u002Fmonth Premium cloud plan and above.\"},{\"question\":\"Can I self-host Akaunting for free?\",\"answer\":\"Yes, the core is free and open source (MIT-style license, PHP\u002FLaravel), but you're responsible for server setup, updates, and backups, and advanced apps like Double-Entry accounting or Payroll still cost extra even when self-hosted.\"},{\"question\":\"Does Akaunting charge fees on invoice payments?\",\"answer\":\"No transaction commission from Akaunting itself; payments run through separate apps like Stripe or PayPal, which charge their own standard processing rates.\"},{\"question\":\"Does Billebly have double-entry bookkeeping?\",\"answer\":\"No, Billebly focuses on a payment status dashboard (paid, pending, overdue) instead of a chart of accounts, journal entries, or financial statement reporting. That keeps it fast and simple for freelancers who mainly need to know who owes them money; pair it with an accountant or dedicated bookkeeping software if you need financial statements too.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do Akaunting's G2 and Capterra ratings differ so much?\",\"answer\":\"Capterra shows 3.8\u002F5 from 28 reviews, while G2 shows 1.8\u002F5 from a smaller sample of 12 reviews. The gap is worth noting but the G2 sample is small enough that it shouldn't be treated as fully representative on its own.\"}]",[22,408,410],{"id":409},"final-verdict","Final verdict",[10,412,413],{},"For most freelancers, coaches, and consultants, the actual daily need is\nsending invoices and getting paid, not maintaining a chart of accounts,\nand Billebly does that one job for free, with no accounting layer to\neventually pay for. If you need real bookkeeping, including a proper\nledger, a trial balance, and GAAP-style financial statements, Akaunting\ncan do that, but be clear-eyed that it costs more than the entry price\nonce you add the app or plan that actually delivers it.",[415,416],"cta-banner",{"button-label":417,"description":418,"href":419,"title":420},"Start for free","Billebly skips the accounting layer entirely: add a client, send an invoice, and track what's paid, with no app marketplace to shop through.","https:\u002F\u002Fapp.billebly.com\u002Fregister","Don't need a general ledger, just invoices that get paid?",{"title":422,"searchDepth":423,"depth":424,"links":425},"",2,3,[426,427,428,429,430,431,432,433,434,435,436,437,438,439,440,441],{"id":24,"depth":423,"text":25},{"id":147,"depth":423,"text":148},{"id":161,"depth":423,"text":162},{"id":168,"depth":423,"text":169},{"id":178,"depth":423,"text":179},{"id":312,"depth":423,"text":313},{"id":336,"depth":423,"text":337},{"id":346,"depth":423,"text":347},{"id":353,"depth":423,"text":354},{"id":363,"depth":423,"text":364},{"id":370,"depth":423,"text":371},{"id":377,"depth":423,"text":378},{"id":384,"depth":423,"text":385},{"id":391,"depth":423,"text":392},{"id":398,"depth":423,"text":399},{"id":409,"depth":423,"text":410},"2026-08-26","A comparison of Billebly and Akaunting for freelancers and small businesses deciding between double-entry accounting software and a focused invoicing and payments tool.","md","\u002Fimages\u002Fcompare\u002Fakaunting.svg",{},true,"\u002Fcompare\u002Fvs-akaunting","2026-09",{"title":5,"description":443},"compare\u002Fvs-akaunting","2026-09-28","0qBasLnc3_i1WXw_UF8YI37DAd6QSbENwcvJpNu8XIY",1792840628876]