Do you want to manage your accounts on your own and are you looking for an economical tool to simplify your task? Open source accounting software may be your solution! Freely accessible and largely flexible, they allow you to manage your accounts from A to Z thanks to tailor-made functionalities, as long as you know how to master them.
Here is our selection of the best open source
accounting software and all our advice for choosing the one that will suit you
best.
A few reminders: open source software
Open source software is characterized by a software
source code that is accessible to everyone. We also speak of “free software”.
Anyone can read the code, modify it, develop it, share it without any
restriction. It is often based on collaborative work through a community of
developers and users who share their problems and seek solutions together.
Open source software has several advantages. They are
first of all accessible for free, no license is required (often to the
detriment of a not very modern design). By using open source software, you also
benefit from a great deal of independence, unlike the commitment to a publisher
of paid software. Finally, they are very flexible.
You thus obtain a tailor-made open source accounting
software.
On the side of the limits, open source software
generally does not include assistance or support when getting started or using
the code. Apart from forums to exchange with other users, you must manage on
your own and therefore master the computer techniques to work on this kind of
tool. They also benefit from rather innovative developments but which can take
time to see the light of day.
Our selection of the best open source accounting
software
odoo
Among its many management features, Odoo offers a free
Accounting module, accompanied by an invoicing tool (excluding quotes),
available online or hosted. From entering to editing account statements, Odoo
automates many tasks to save you time. If you need help, you can contact customer
service by messaging or consult the many documentations (in English). To find
out more, read our review of Odoo.
OpenConcerto
OpenConcerto is a French open source software which
contains a complete and easy-to-use Accounting module, despite its slightly
outdated ergonomics. The software can be downloaded and hosted for free on your
server or accessed online via a subscription. OpenConcerto then offers paid
services (support, maintenance, feature development, etc.). It is suitable for
VSEs and SMEs, particularly in the trade or service sectors. To find out more,
read our opinion on OpenConcerto.
Noalyss
Noalyss is a Belgian open source software, now
compatible with the legal obligations of the French market. It is aimed at the
self-employed, as well as at SMEs or associations who want to manage their
accounts alone. Its interface could be improved, but remains very easy to learn
and use. The strong point of Noalyss open source software is its active
community of users and the wealth of documentation to support you in using the
software.
Garradin
Specifically designed for associations (and by an
association), Garradin is a 100% online open source accounting software. You
therefore have quick, easy and free access to an associative accounting
management tool. The handling is done alone, but we appreciate the presence of
a chat for your questions and access to past discussions between users and
developers to help you find solutions. To learn more, read our opinion on
Garradin.
How to choose your open source accounting software?
The size of your business
The choice of your open source accounting software will depend on the size of your business for two reasons:
- the internal resources must be sufficient to implement, master and manage this type of tool (IT teams, accounting department, etc.) or you must call on an external service provider (chartered accountant, etc.);
- the volume of activity involves using appropriate accounting software that can deal with a certain amount of data (volume of turnover, number of employees, customers, suppliers, etc.).
Most open source accounting software is free with no
restrictions. Others become payable depending on the number of users, storage
space or even certain features.
Compatibility with your industry
Some open source accounting software this offer
particularly interesting functions for specific sectors of activity: logistics,
e-commerce, etc. Depending on your activity, certain functions are essential
such as bank synchronization, inventory management or the processing of expense
reports.
These depend on your activity: CRM software for
merchants, cash register software for restaurateurs, payroll software for
service providers, site monitoring software for construction companies, and
many more. others.
To choose your open source accounting software, you
must therefore ensure that your different tools are compatible and that they
work together.
Compliance with accounting and tax standards
Depending on your legal status, you are required to
comply with certain accounting and tax obligations. A self-entrepreneur does
not have the same accounting obligations as an SME or an association. First of
all, you must therefore ensure that the open source accounting software allows
you to keep and manage proper accounting according to your obligations.
Software features
As we mentioned, open source software is by nature very flexible. That said, its features must imperatively meet your current and future needs. To find out if open source accounting software is right for you, you must first define your needs and in particular those concerning the following points:
- chart of accounts;
- accounting entry;
- creation and editing of accounting documents;
- finance management ;
- procurement management ;
- invoicing;
- management of expense reports;
- VAT management;
- bank synchronization;
- export of accounting documents;
- access to an accountant;
- integrations.
By comparing these different elements, between your
needs and what open source accounting software offers, you will be able to
identify the one or those that best meet your needs.
The speed of handling
Using open source accounting software should above all
save you time on managing your accounting. Although some remain relatively
accessible, others often require programming expertise to get the most out of
them. So the more accustomed you are to open source software, the faster and
easier you'll get by.
If you do not have computer skills, it is better to
turn to another accounting software.
Alternatives to open source accounting software
Non-open source software
If you want to equip yourself with a tool to manage
your accounting, you can also choose accounting software from our comparison,
not open source.
They bring the same advantages, namely saving time in
your accounting management, better efficiency, a reduction in errors and
compliance with accounting and tax obligations. The advantage of non-open
source software is that it is designed for those of you who are the least
comfortable with computer tools, or even with accounting. They are intuitive,
well thought out, with modern ergonomics, and above all they generally have a
support team.
Among the best known, we recommend QuickBooks, or
Axonaut.
There are many accounting software on the market. In
particular, you can choose between online software or software to download.
Regarding the selection criteria, you can rely on our advice above to make your
choice!
Accounting on paper
A bit archaic but authorized method, it is possible to
keep your accounts on simple paper. In order not to expose yourself to risks in
the event of an inspection, you must however ensure that there are no erasures
or blanks. Paper accounting remains tedious, error-prone and therefore not the
most optimal way to manage your accounting in our opinion.
Excel
Many entrepreneurs are tempted to keep their accounts
alone on an Excel-type spreadsheet. However, this method is actually not allowed
since it does not comply with certain legal obligations. In Excel, data can
indeed be modified or deleted, without keeping track of it.
As a result, this does not comply with the data
validation procedure imposed by article 921-3 of the General Accounting Plan.
An online accountant
Last option, you can entrust all or part of your
accounting to an online accountant. These service providers offer modern and
cost-effective remote accounting management solutions. Reactive and available,
they offer their services to all companies, often with collaborative work on
dedicated accounting software. Their formulas generally include an
all-inclusive monthly subscription or à la carte services.