GnuCash is an accounting program that implements a double-entry bookkeeping system. It was initially aimed at developing capabilities similar to Intuit, Inc.'s Quicken application, but also has features for small business accounting. Recent development has been focused on adapting to modern desktop support-library requirements.
GnuCash is part of the GNU Project, and runs on Linux, GNU, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Solaris, macOS, and other Unix-like platforms. A Microsoft Windows (2000 or newer) port was made available starting with the 2.2.0 series.
GnuCash includes scripting support via Scheme, mostly used for creating custom reports.
Programming on GnuCash began in 1997, and its first stable release was in 1998. Small Business Accounting was added in 2001. A Mac installer became available in 2004. A Windows port was released in 2007.
GnuCash for Android was initially developed as part of a Google Summer of Code Project. This was an expense-tracking companion app for GnuCash, as opposed to a stand-alone accounting package, and is now discontinued. Currently, there are more than 100,000 downloads on the Play Store.
What is GnuCash?
GnuCash by GnuCash Development Team (developed by GNU Project) is open-source Windows software in the finance & crypto category. It ranks 1st by popularity among finance & crypto in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 1997. It is written in C, Scheme, and C++. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, GNU/Hurd and Android.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (Inno Setup) installers for 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 5.17, released on September 27, 2026. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 31 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 5.6 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 69,365 times. The source code on GitHub (Gnucash/gnucash) has 4,380 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 21 of our languages. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .gnucash. Similar programs include Binance, Electrum and Bisq.
Project description on GitHub: “GnuCash Double-Entry Accounting Program.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on GNU/Linux, BSD and macOS
- Mature project (since 1997)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: GnuCash is an open-source finance & crypto tool for 32-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Keep track of your day to day personal income and expenses.
- Manage your stock, bond and mutual fund accounts with ease.
- Keep your small business' accounting up to date.
- Create accurate reports and graphs from your financial data.
- Set up scheduled transactions to avoid repeated data entry.
- Process your bank data via online banking using FinTS.
- Download Transactions and Balances and initiate various SEPA Actions using AqBanking.
- Import accounts, business data, prices, and transactions from CSV and transactions and balances from many formats including CAMT, SWIFT-MT9xx, and OFX.
- Export the account tree or transactions as CSV.
- Perform financial calculations, such as a loan repayment.
AppStream · Flathub
Screenshots
Is GnuCash safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
A3E8049755E536F647640762A483EBE1B6C79CC50CC81A746FA64A404E98D271· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 31 versions ›31 versions over 5 years · about 5.6 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.17Latest | September 27, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 5.16 | June 28, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 5.15 | March 29, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 5.14 | December 21, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 5.13 | September 29, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 5.12 | June 30, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 5.11 | March 30, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 5.10 | September 29, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id GnuCash.GnuCash -echoco install gnucash -yscoop install extras/gnucashgnucash-5.17.setup.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask gnucashflatpak install flathub org.gnucash.GnuCashInformation
- Publisher
- GnuCash Development Team
- Developer
- GNU Project
- Category
- Finance & crypto
- Licence
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/Gnucash/gnucash
- Written in
- C, Scheme, and C++
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, GNU/Hurd, Android
- Version
- 5.17
- Released
- September 27, 2026
- First release
- 1997
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 31
- Updates / year
- 5.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 69,365
- GitHub stars
- 4,380
- GitHub forks
- 996
- Website
- gnucash.org
- winget ID
- GnuCash.GnuCash
- Chocolatey package
- gnucash
- Scoop package
- extras/gnucash
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is GnuCash free?
Yes. GnuCash is open-source software under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.
Is GnuCash safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install GnuCash with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can GnuCash be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does GnuCash run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of GnuCash?
The versions page lists all 31 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
What are alternatives to GnuCash?
Binance, Electrum, Bisq, Chia and Gridcoin. The alternatives page compares them.
