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Personal Finance · head to head

GnuCash vs Rocket Money

GnuCash logo

GnuCash

Personal Finance

Personal finance and accounting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rocket Money logo

Rocket Money

Personal Finance

Cancel subscriptions and save money automatically

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GnuCash desktop only, with no mobile application; Rocket Money successful bill negotiation costs a one time fee of 35% to 60% of the first year's savings
  • They diverge on capability: GnuCash covers Double-entry bookkeeping, Rocket Money covers Subscription tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GnuCash and Rocket Money actually diverge.

Attributes where GnuCash and Rocket Money differ
AttributeGnuCashRocket Money
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxWeb, IOS, Android
Founded19972016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GnuCash

  • Double-entry bookkeeping
  • Multi-currency support
  • Reports and graphs
  • Budget tracking
  • Import/Export
  • OFX format
  • Windows support
  • Mac support

Only in Rocket Money

  • Subscription tracking
  • Bill negotiation
  • Automatic savings
  • Spending insights
  • Credit score monitoring
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Utility providers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GnuCash

  • Personal finance tracking with a checkbook register interfacenot Rocket Money
  • Double-entry bookkeeping for a small businessnot Rocket Money
  • Tracking stocks, bonds and mutual fund accountsnot Rocket Money
  • Importing transactions via QIF, OFX or HBCInot Rocket Money
  • Scheduled recurring transactions and financial reportsnot Rocket Money

Rocket Money

  • Finding and cancelling unwanted subscriptionsnot GnuCash
  • Tracking bills and spending in one appnot GnuCash
  • Having a third party negotiate down recurring billsnot GnuCash

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GnuCash

  • Desktop only, with no mobile application
  • Version 3.11 is the last release supporting Windows 7 and macOS 10.12 and earlier
  • Uses strict double-entry accounting, so every transaction needs two sides

Rocket Money

  • Successful bill negotiation costs a one time fee of 35% to 60% of the first year's savings
  • Premium is priced on a sliding scale and the help centre publishes no fixed monthly or annual amount, stating rates vary across platforms
  • Custom budget categories, financial goal plans, credit score tracking and real time account syncing are Premium only
  • The Premium free trial is 7 days

Pricing, plan by plan

GnuCash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Double-entry bookkeeping
    • Multi-currency support
    • Reports and graphs

Rocket Money

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Subscription tracking
    • Spending insights
    • Bill reminders
  • Premium$12/month
    • Bill negotiation
    • Subscription cancellation
    • Smart savings

Which should you pick?

Choose GnuCash if

  • You need double-entry bookkeeping.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
  • You also want multi-currency support.
GnuCash review

Choose Rocket Money if

  • You need subscription tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want bill negotiation.
Rocket Money review

Questions people ask

Is GnuCash or Rocket Money better?
Neither clearly leads. GnuCash starts at Free and Rocket Money at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GnuCash or Rocket Money?
GnuCash starts at Free and Rocket Money at Free.
Does GnuCash or Rocket Money run on more platforms?
GnuCash runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Rocket Money runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use GnuCash for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GnuCash best used for?
GnuCash is most often used for personal finance tracking with a checkbook register interface, double-entry bookkeeping for a small business, tracking stocks, bonds and mutual fund accounts, importing transactions via qif, ofx or hbci. Of those, personal finance tracking with a checkbook register interface and double-entry bookkeeping for a small business are not what Rocket Money is typically brought in for.
What can GnuCash do that Rocket Money cannot?
GnuCash covers Double-entry bookkeeping, Multi-currency support, Reports and graphs, Budget tracking. Rocket Money covers Subscription tracking, Bill negotiation, Automatic savings, Spending insights.
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