Best Open Source Expense Tracking Software for Small Business (2026): 6 Tools Compared

Expense tracking records what the business spends and who spent it. Small businesses usually need receipts, categories and reports for the accountant. Open source options range from invoicing apps with expense features to ERP expense claims.

We write for small businesses, freelancers and growing teams, not large enterprises. Every tool below was checked on GitHub for license, archive status and recent activity, and prices are never quoted because they change. Our picks are based on each project's documentation and repository data, not on hands-on benchmarks, so always try a tool with sample data first. This is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice.

Top picks at a glance

• InvoiceShelf: Invoicing with expense tracking.
• Frappe HR (HRMS): Employee expense claims.
• ERPNext: Expenses inside accounting.

What to look for in expense tracking software for a small business

• Receipt capture. Photo or file upload of receipts saves chasing paper later.
• Categories and tax. Expenses should map to accounts and tax categories your accountant uses.
• Approvals. If employees spend company money, you need submission and approval steps.
• Export. CSV or accounting export for your accountant is essential.
• Project health and license. Choose a project that is not archived, has recent releases and a real open source license. Check the LICENSE file, not just the website.

Comparison table: best open source expense tracking software

Stars and update dates are a snapshot from 16 October 2026 and change daily. They show activity, not quality.

The 6 best open source expense tracking tools, reviewed

1. InvoiceShelf

Best for: Invoicing with expense tracking
License: AGPL-3.0 · Stack: PHP (Laravel), Vue · GitHub: 1,857 stars, repo updated Oct 2026

InvoiceShelf records expenses alongside invoices and estimates, which is enough for many freelancers and small shops.

Source on GitHub · Official website

2. Frappe HR (HRMS)

Best for: Employee expense claims
License: GPL-3.0 · Stack: Python (Frappe) · GitHub: 8,929 stars, repo updated Oct 2026

Frappe HR includes expense claims for employees, linked to ERPNext accounting.

Source on GitHub · Official website

3. ERPNext

Best for: Expenses inside accounting
License: GPL-3.0 · Stack: Python (Frappe), MariaDB · GitHub: 40,232 stars, repo updated Oct 2026

Expenses and payments post straight to the ledger in a full ERP.

Read our full guide to ERPNext · Source on GitHub · Official website

4. Dolibarr ERP CRM

Best for: Expense reports for staff
License: GPL-3.0 · Stack: PHP, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL · GitHub: 7,732 stars, repo updated Oct 2026

Dolibarr includes expense reports as part of its modular business suite.

Read our full guide to Dolibarr ERP CRM · Source on GitHub · Official website

5. TaxHacker

Best for: AI receipt capture
License: MIT · Stack: TypeScript · GitHub: 6,749 stars, repo updated Sep 2026

A self-hosted app that reads receipts and invoices with an LLM into categorized records. A helpful capture tool.

Source on GitHub · Official website

6. Split Pro

Best for: Shared and group expenses
License: MIT · Stack: TypeScript · GitHub: 1,469 stars, repo updated Oct 2026

An open source Splitwise alternative for splitting shared costs. Better for teams sharing trip costs than for formal accounting.

Source on GitHub · Official website

Open source vs paid expense tracking software

Paid cloud products usually win on polish, mobile apps, automatic bank connections and support. Open source wins on running cost as you grow, data ownership and the freedom to customize. The real cost of open source is hosting, backups, updates and your own time, so count those honestly. Several of these projects also sell hosting or support if you would rather not run a server yourself.

How to choose the best expense tracking software

• You are a freelancer: InvoiceShelf.
• You have employees claiming expenses: Frappe HR with ERPNext.
• You want receipts read automatically: TaxHacker.
• You want everything in one suite: Dolibarr or ERPNext.

Mistakes to avoid

Firefly III and ezBookkeeping are great for personal budgets but are not built for business expense approval and tax. Keep original receipts as your local law requires.

Where to host it

All of these tools can be self-hosted. A small VPS or a web hosting plan from a provider such as Hostinger is enough to get started with most of them. Check each project's requirements first, and read our security and backup checklist before you add real data.

Related comparisons

• Best Open Source Spend Management Software (2026)
• Best Open Source Bookkeeping Software for Small Business
• Best Open Source Accounts Payable Software (2026)
• Best Open Source Accounting Software for Small Business

All open source business software comparisons

• Accounting
• Bookkeeping
• Billing
• Invoicing
• Payroll
• Inventory Management
• Warehouse Management
• Expense Tracking
• Spend Management
• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Cash Flow Management
• Bank Reconciliation
• Purchase Order
• Vendor Management
• Point of Sale (POS)
• Time Tracking
• Quotation & Estimates
• Revenue Recognition
• Financial Reporting
• Asset Management
• Lead Management
• Sales Pipeline
• ERP

Also see our directory of 50 open source CRMs.