FrontAccounting

Name: FrontAccounting
Author: FrontAccounting

Free plan Self-hostedWeb

Visit FrontAccounting Alternatives Pricing

What FrontAccounting is

FrontAccounting is web-based accounting software for small companies, covering purchasing, sales, accounting, inventory, manufacturing and fixed assets. It runs as self-hosted web software and is free under the GNU General Public License. Its accounting tools include accounts payable and receivable, a general ledger with budget, and customer and supplier transactions. For sales, users can prepare quotations, orders, delivery notes, invoices and credit notes, handle batch invoicing, set up point-of-sale definitions and allocate payments. Purchasing includes purchase orders, goods receival notes, supplier price lists, debit and credit notes, payments and transaction attachments.

Inventory functions cover stock items and locations, transfers, reorder levels, average material cost and barcode scanner entry. Manufacturing includes bills of materials and work orders. The software supports multiple companies and users with different privileges, as well as backups, restore and simple audit trails. Tax options include multi-currency support and GST/VAT selection by customer, supplier and item, with related reports. Reports can be printed, emailed, converted to PDF, exported to Excel or OpenOffice Calc, and displayed as graphical analyses. Modules, extensions, themes, custom reports and languages can be installed or activated from within the software. Installation requires a web server, PHP and MySQL with InnoDB enabled; other database systems are unsupported.

Who it suits

FrontAccounting suits small companies looking for free, self-hosted web software that combines accounting with purchasing, sales, inventory and manufacturing. It may fit organizations that need multiple companies and user privileges, and can support teams comfortable installing and maintaining software on a PHP and MySQL server.

What it does well

Free software released under the GNU General Public License.
Covers sales, purchasing, payables, receivables and general ledger.
Includes stock controls and manufacturing work orders.
Supports multiple companies and users with different privileges.
Reports can be emailed and exported to PDF, Excel or OpenOffice Calc.
Extensions, themes, reports and languages can be installed or activated.

What to know first

Requires a web server, PHP and MySQL with InnoDB enabled.
Other database systems are unsupported.
Bank feeds and accountant access are unavailable.
Mobile use is web only.

Limits

The free plan is listed as free. Installation requires a web server, PHP and MySQL with InnoDB enabled, and other database systems are unsupported.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
FrontAccounting	Free accounting software released under the GNU General Public License	Free

As frontaccounting.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the FrontAccounting website.
Prepare a web server with PHP and MySQL with InnoDB enabled.
Download and install FrontAccounting on that server.
After installation, remove or rename the install directory as the installation guide advises.
Use the forum or wiki for help.

Verdict

Choose FrontAccounting if you want free, self-hosted accounting software that also handles inventory, purchasing, sales and manufacturing. Its breadth may suit small companies managing several entities or users. Consider another option if you need bank feeds, accountant access, a mobile platform beyond the web, or support for a database other than MySQL.

Questions

How much does FrontAccounting cost?

The FrontAccounting plan is listed as free. The pricing model is free.

Does FrontAccounting have a free plan?

Yes. The plan is free software released under the GNU General Public License.

Which platforms does it support?

It is self-hosted web software; mobile platforms are web only.

What database does FrontAccounting support?

The installation guide requires MySQL with InnoDB enabled. Other database systems are unsupported.

Can it handle inventory and manufacturing?

Yes. Inventory includes stock items, locations, transfers, reorder levels, average material cost and barcode scanner entry. Manufacturing includes bills of materials and work orders.

Where can users get support?

The contact page directs support requests to the website forum. The FAQ also points users to the forum and wiki.

Facts from FrontAccounting's own pages

Accountant access: No · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Accounting and ERP: The product covers purchasing, sales, accounts payable and receivable, inventory, stock, manufacturing, fixed assets, and general ledger with budget. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Automated reconciliation: Yes · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Bank feeds: No · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Extensions: Modules, extensions, themes, custom reports, and languages can be installed or activated from within FrontAccounting and downloaded from a central repository. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Founded: 2005 · frontaccounting.com, 28 Sept 2026
Free plan: Yes · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Hosting requirements: The installation guide requires a web server, PHP, and MySQL with InnoDB enabled, and says other database systems are unsupported. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Integrations and compatibility: The site lists report export to MS Excel/OpenOffice Calc and describes compatibility with MySQL; other databases are not supported. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Inventory and manufacturing: Inventory supports stock items, locations, transfers, reorder levels, average material cost, and barcode scanner entry; manufacturing includes bills of materials and work orders. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Inventory tracking: Yes · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Invoice creation: Yes · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Mobile platforms: web only · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Multi-company and users: The software supports multiple companies and multi-user access with different privileges, plus backups, restore, and simple audit trails. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Purchasing: Purchasing features include purchase orders, goods receival notes, supplier price lists, debit and credit notes, supplier payments, and transaction attachments. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Purpose: FrontAccounting describes itself as web based accounting software for small companies covering the entire ERP chain. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Receipt capture: Yes · frontaccounting.com, 20 Sept 2026
Release: The homepage lists release 2.4.20 as available for download on April 28, 2026. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Reporting: Reports can be printed, emailed, converted to PDF, exported to Excel or OpenOffice Calc, and shown as graphical analyses. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Sales: Sales features include quotations, orders, delivery notes, customer invoices and credit notes, batch invoicing, point of sale definitions, and payment allocation. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Security guidance: The installation guide says Register Globals and Magic Quotes PHP settings should be off for security reasons and advises removing or renaming the install directory after installation. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Support: The contact page directs support requests to the website forum; the FAQ also points users to the forum and wiki for help. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026
Tax and currencies: The site lists multi-currency support and GST/VAT selection by customer, supplier, and item, with GST/VAT reports. · frontaccounting.com, 5 Oct 2026