In recent months, many of us have learned, confirmed, or started to become clearer that health is very important. Without good health we cannot do anything, but when we live in society, we also have to take care of the economy. Keep the books It is important, especially for the employer, but we have also recently learned that it does not hurt that we all do it, because prevention is better than cure so as not to get an unpleasant surprise after a setback.
Once we are clear that keeping the accounting is a good idea, now we have to remember the operating system that gives this blog its name. Ubuntu uses the Linux kernel, and developers don't spoil us as much as macOS, much less Windows. Although it is true that you can find the highest quality accounting software for Linux, or more specifically that some reputable company releases their software for us, the most common is to find free software developed by the community, among which the following stand out.
We leave a list with free software that you can use in Ubuntu, but if you need a very specific or advanced use, do not rule out using a professional accounting program, with which we would obtain all the functions and improved support.
Accounting: the 10 best programs for Ubuntu
All (almost) the software that we are going to include in this list is in the official Ubuntu repositories, so it can be installed from the software center.
GnuCash
One of the best options when we want to keep accounting in Linux is GnuCash. It has existed for more than 20 years and has the required functions to make it the perfect program for keeping bookkeeping in small and medium-sized businesses. GnuCash supports many currencies, you can see the stock from the same program and it is free and open source, so other developers can create software from it.
Home Bank
Home Bank It also has many functions that will allow us to record all our transactions and keep track of our accounting. It has a very intuitive interface, so the learning curve is small and we can control all our expenses as soon as we start the application. It works perfectly on Ubuntu and many other Linux distributions, and also information can be imported from Quicken, Microsoft Money and other standards. In addition, it has a function to avoid duplicates, something always important with files and more when what we are going to do is keep accounts.
KMyMoney
Also simple and intuitive is KMyMoney. If a program for Linux has a K, it was probably developed by KDE, as is the case. Like everything that this project develops, KMyMoney is full of features, and has a good design that looks good, especially in Plasma.
skooge
As we just mentioned, if a program has a K, it is probably KDE, and the project also develops Skrooge. This program is updated more frequently than KMyMoney, but it is a bit less intuitive to use. Sometimes when something has a slightly greater learning curve, what we have in hand is something more complete, and Skrooge is like a vitaminized KMyMoney. Between the two, this second is the one that offers more possibilities, but the previous one may be worth it if what we need are basic functions and ease of use.
Grisbi
Grisbi is one of the best open source software for Linux based operating systems. It has a large list of features for demanding users, all included after the installation from scratch, and its simple and elegant interface makes accounting easy and efficient. With Grisbi we can easily control several accounts, currencies and you can import data from QIF, OFX or GnuCash that we mentioned at the top of this list. In addition, in case we need it, it allows us to schedule future transactions.
Money Manager Former
If you look for this name in the software center of your Ubuntu-based system, you will not find it. It exists, but the package and application appear under the name mmex. Once installed, Money Manager Ex or mmex is a very capable solution for keeping personal accounting on Linux-based operating systems. It has a large number of functions so that non-expert users do not mess with the accounts and offers good performance. Money Manager Ex is cross-platform, but it is open source, the data is encrypted with AES and can be used, for example, on a USB or with a mobile app. Complete, this «mmex».
Economize!
Eqonomize! is another software developed for the KDE desktop, but it can be installed on any flavor of Ubuntu. It has many functions that are displayed in a "user-friendly" interface to help non-professional users to manage their accounts without difficulties. It is not a program designed for the most demanding or professional users, but it is perfect for those who basically want to write down their inputs and outputs and take a look at some graphs.
monent
This application is designed to keep personal accounts, but it can be used for something else. It's cross-platform and syncs data in the cloud with encryption. It is very simple to use, it supports several currencies, you can add custom categories, labels, it can be imported or exported to a CSV file and it also has mobile applications. Basically, although we can use it in Ubuntu, it is like a aplicación móvil to keep the accounting that is also available in Linux, and we already know that lately mobile applications offer many options and are simple to use.
LibreOffice Calc
This is not an accounting software itself, but it can serve us and is installed by default in Ubuntu and many other Linux-based operating systems. Calc is spreadsheet software from The Document Foundation, and for those who already know how to use it, adding the information in Calc and making graphs is just a few clicks away. Someone tells you that, despite working with management companies, used it to have things clearer.
Akaunting
And we end the list with Akaunting, a free and open source alternative that is available for Linux, but also for any other operating system with a supported web browser because it is a online service. Like Monento to come from a mobile app, Akaunting has a good design and is easy to use because it is a web application, but it does not stop there, but it allows us to record transactions, make invoices, receipts and reports, take a look expenses… everything, and everything from the browser.
Accounting in Ubuntu for free, from official repositories ... or from the browser
Everything exposed here is free software which can not only be used in Ubuntu, but is in the official repositories, in the case of Calc installed by default, or accounting can be carried out from the browser, as in the case of Akauting. That it is free means that its developers do not expect to charge for their work, beyond receiving donations or an investment from someone who wants to help the project, and also that they may not be as powerful options as proprietary ones.