GnuCash

GnuCash is real accounting software: double-entry bookkeeping, invoicing, accounts receivable/payable, scheduled transactions, multi-currency, investment tracking, and reports. For freelancers and small operations that would otherwise buy QuickBooks Desktop, it covers the fundamentals with your data in an open format on your own disk — no subscription, no cloud requirement.

Double-entry is a paradigm, and if you’ve never done bookkeeping, the learning curve is genuine — budgeting-first apps feel friendlier. Bank sync is where it lags hardest: no Plaid-style automatic feeds in most regions, so expect OFX/QIF/CSV imports. The interface is old-school GTK and reports look dated. For simple envelope budgeting, HomeBank or Actual Budget fit better.