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7 self-hosted options

Self-hosted alternatives to Zoho Books

The best open-source alternative to Zoho Books is Odoo (LGPL-3.0, 55,321 GitHub stars, Docker image). ERPNext stands out for the longest track record (since 2011), and IDURAR stands out for its JavaScript codebase.

Invoice Ninja and Akaunting are also listed but are source-available, so they come after the open-source picks.

About Zoho Books: Zoho's online accounting software for invoicing, expenses, inventory and tax.

Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily

Top picks

  1. Rank 1:

    Odoo

    odoo/odoo

    Free open source ERP system.

    Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026

    ERP & InventoryPythonDocker

    Stands out for the most GitHub stars.

  2. Rank 2:

    ERPNext

    frappe/erpnext

    ERP system to help you run your business.

    Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026

    ERP & InventoryPythonDocker

    Stands out for the longest track record (since 2011).

  3. Rank 3:

    IDURAR

    idurar/idurar-erp-crm

    Node.js and React ERP/CRM for invoices, quotes, payments and customer management.

    Maintained · last commit Aug 14, 2026

    ERP & InventoryJavaScript

    Stands out for its JavaScript codebase.

At a glance

Zoho Books alternatives compared

Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.

Zoho Books alternatives compared, data as of 2026-10-26
AppStands out forLicenseGitHub starsCommits (12 mo)Last commitDocker image
Odoothe most GitHub starsLGPL-3.055,32117,347Oct 26, 2026Yes
ERPNextthe longest track record (since 2011)GPL-3.040,60110,198Oct 26, 2026Yes
IDURARits JavaScript codebaseAGPL-3.08,91718Aug 14, 2026No
Bigcapitalits TypeScript codebaseAGPL-3.03,9601,131Oct 25, 2026Yes
ERPSAASa permissive MIT licenseMIT1,4766Mar 5, 2026No
Invoice Ninja–source-available, Elastic License 2.010,3232,259Oct 26, 2026Yes
Akaunting–source-available, BSL 1.110,216589Oct 25, 2026No

Full list

All 7 Zoho Books alternatives

Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.

  1. 1

    Odoo

    Free open source ERP system.

    Stands out for the most GitHub stars. Odoo has 55,321 GitHub stars, uses the LGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 17,347 commits in the last year.

  2. 2

    ERPNext

    ERP system to help you run your business.

    Stands out for the longest track record (since 2011). ERPNext has 40,601 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 10,198 commits in the last year.

  3. 3

    IDURAR

    Node.js and React ERP/CRM for invoices, quotes, payments and customer management.

    Stands out for its JavaScript codebase. IDURAR has 8,917 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 18 commits in the last year.

  4. 4

    Bigcapital

    Financial accounting and inventory management software for small to medium businesses.

    Stands out for its TypeScript codebase. Bigcapital has 3,960 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,131 commits in the last year.

  5. 5

    ERPSAAS

    Laravel and Filament accounting platform with double-entry accrual accounting, invoicing, bank connections and financial reports.

    Stands out for a permissive MIT license. ERPSAAS has 1,476 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 6 commits in the last year.

  6. 6

    Invoice Ninja

    Powerful tool to invoice clients online.

    Invoice Ninja has 10,323 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Elastic License 2.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 2,259 commits in the last year.

  7. 7

    Akaunting

    Accounting software designed for small businesses and freelancers.

    Akaunting has 10,216 GitHub stars, is source-available under the BSL 1.1 (not an open-source license) and had 589 commits in the last year.

FAQ

Zoho Books alternatives: FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

Is there a free alternative to Zoho Books?

Yes. 5 of the 7 apps on this page are open source; 2 are source-available. The open-source ones are free to self-host without per-user fees; source-available licenses add conditions such as user caps or limits on hosted use, so read them before you commit.

Can I self-host an alternative to Zoho Books with Docker?

Yes. 4 of the 7 apps here publish a Docker image, including Odoo, ERPNext and Bigcapital, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.

Which Zoho Books alternative is the most actively developed?

Odoo (LGPL-3.0), with 17,347 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.

How is this list ranked?

Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.