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Free online invoicing software.
Frappe Books
Modern offline-first accounting software for small businesses
Free desktop accounting application with double-entry bookkeeping, invoicing, and point-of-sale. Works offline with SQLite storage, built for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Overview
Simplify Financial Management
Frappe Books is a desktop accounting application designed to address the gap between expensive enterprise tools and the needs of small to medium-sized businesses. Built with Vue.js and Electron, it delivers a clean, intuitive interface that runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Core Capabilities
The software provides essential accounting features including double-entry bookkeeping, professional invoicing, billing management, and payment tracking. An integrated point-of-sale system simplifies retail transactions, while comprehensive financial reports—general ledger, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and trial balances—give businesses complete visibility into their finances.
Offline-First Architecture
Unlike cloud-dependent alternatives, Frappe Books stores all financial data locally in SQLite, enabling uninterrupted work without internet connectivity. The dashboard surfaces key performance metrics at a glance, while journal entries support detailed transaction recording and adjustments. Ideal for businesses seeking control over their data and the flexibility to work anywhere, Frappe Books combines simplicity with the rigor of professional accounting standards.
Highlights
Offline-first desktop application with local SQLite database storage
Complete double-entry accounting with invoicing, billing, and POS
Comprehensive financial reports: general ledger, P&L, balance sheet, trial balance
Cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux via Electron
Pros
- Works completely offline with local data storage and control
- Clean, modern interface built with Vue.js for responsive user experience
- Free and open-source under AGPL-3.0 license
- Integrated point-of-sale system for retail businesses
Considerations
- AGPL-3.0 license requires derivative works to be open-sourced
- Local SQLite storage may complicate multi-user or remote team scenarios
- Limited to desktop platforms; no native mobile applications
- Smaller ecosystem compared to established commercial accounting software
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Fit guide
Great for
- Small to medium-sized businesses needing affordable accounting tools
- Retail operations requiring integrated point-of-sale functionality
- Businesses prioritizing data ownership and offline access
- Organizations seeking transparent, customizable accounting software
Not ideal when
- Large enterprises requiring multi-user concurrent access and collaboration
- Teams needing cloud-based mobile access from multiple locations
- Businesses requiring extensive third-party integrations or plugins
- Organizations needing commercial support contracts and SLAs
How teams use it
Retail Store Management
Process sales transactions through the integrated POS system while maintaining accurate inventory and financial records offline
Freelance Consulting
Create professional invoices, track payments, and generate profit and loss statements without subscription fees
Small Business Bookkeeping
Maintain compliant double-entry accounting records with balance sheets and trial balances for tax preparation
Remote Location Operations
Continue financial operations in areas with unreliable internet, syncing data when connectivity is restored
Tech snapshot
TypeScript57%
Vue40%
HTML1%
JavaScript1%
CSS1%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
Does Frappe Books require an internet connection?
No. Frappe Books is designed to work completely offline, storing all data locally in SQLite. You can continue working without internet and sync later if needed.
What operating systems are supported?
Frappe Books runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can install it via direct download, Homebrew (macOS/Linux), or Flatpak (Linux).
Is Frappe Books suitable for multi-user environments?
Frappe Books stores data locally in SQLite on a single machine, which may limit concurrent multi-user access. It's best suited for single-user or small team scenarios with one primary bookkeeper.
What accounting standards does it follow?
Frappe Books implements double-entry accounting principles, ensuring each transaction is recorded in two accounts for accurate financial tracking and compliance.
Can I contribute translations or features?
Yes. The project welcomes contributions including translations, bug reports, feature requests, and code contributions via GitHub pull requests.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 3,981
- Watchers
- 3,981
- Forks
- 964
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age8 years old
Last commitlast week
Primary languageTypeScript
Last synced 3 hours ago