Maybe you run a small business or you’re creating a new personal budget, and you need some finance software, but you’re reluctant to spend the money. Are there programs that can meet your needs whilst remaining free? The answer is yes, and it lies in wonderful programs oft referred to as ‘opensource.’ Opensource software is often as sophisticated as ‘professional’ software-if not more-and free to download and use. Below is a list of the best opensource finance software.
1. GNUCash – this is a double entry book-keeping finance program, best used for personal book keeping. It comes complete with a mortgage and loan repayment druid, OFX and QIF import, HBCI support, transaction-import matching support, (Limited) multi-user SQL support, multi-currency transaction handling, stock/mutual Fund portfolios, and online stock & mutual fund quotes; it also comes with small business accounting features if you are running a small business and can’t afford a high end program. Mac OS X only
2. JCash – “JCash is a full featured, Java based money management application. It will provide all of the standard checking and expense account management functions, planning and budgeting capabilities and synchronization with the PCash PalmOS application” http://sourceforge.net/projects/jcash/
3. PayThyme – PayThyme is a payroll software package that is sophisticated and can easily keep track of any and all payrolls you may have. Useful for both the small and large business owner.
4. phpOrganisation – This is an SQL and PHP web-based organization system for small and medium sized businesses. It can be used to easily organization one or more accounts and can be accessed from anywhere via the web.
5. QuantLib – A full finance library, with many, many features. An excerpt from their website says “QuantLib offers tools that are useful both for practical implementation and for advanced modeling, with features such as market conventions, yield curve models, solvers, PDEs, Monte Carlo (low-discrepancy included), exotic options, VAR, and so on.”
7. QuotesViewer – Free Euronet Stock Browser software. “QuotesViewer is a graphical tool giving you easy and fast access to all quotes of shares on the Euronext stock exchange. Quotes information can be searched and sorted on different criteria, ie. market, ISIN code, mnemonic, name, price, volume. You can add your favourite stocks to a watchlist.” http://quotesviewer.sourceforge.net/
8. Grisbi – Grisbi is much like GNUCash, listed first in this article, save that it is simpler and with less features. Ideal if you do not need all the extra features; ie, personal book-keeping, not small business. It comes with some of the features offered by GNUCash, including: Multi-account and multi-currency handling, amongst others.
This is just a small list of the best opensource finance software I could find. There are several others I did not install and test, either because they weren’t compatible with a PC, or they seemed very similar to one already listed here. If you have any you think should be added to this list, feel free to leave me a note in the comments box.
