How to Install Akaunting (Free Accounting Software) on Debian 12

Akaunting on Debian 12

(PHP 8.2/8.3 + MySQL/MariaDB + Nginx or Apache + SSL)

Akaunting is a modern, open-source accounting and business management platform built for small businesses, freelancers, and startups. It covers the essentials of day-to-day accounting, including invoicing, expenses, bank accounts, payments, taxes, financial reports, and multi-currency support, all through a clean, web-based interface.

Unlike proprietary accounting SaaS tools, Akaunting can be fully self-hosted, which means you keep complete ownership of your financial data, avoid recurring license fees, and can customize or extend the platform using apps and integrations as your business grows.

Running Akaunting on Debian 12 (Bookworm) provides a stable, security-focused, and long-term supported operating system. Debian 12 ships with OpenSSL 3, systemd 252, and a mature PHP ecosystem, making it an excellent foundation for a reliable, production-grade accounting system.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Debian 12 (Bookworm)	Stable, long-term supported Linux base
Web Server	Nginx or Apache	Serves the Akaunting web application
Runtime	PHP 8.2 / 8.3 (PHP-FPM)	Executes Akaunting backend logic
Database	MySQL / MariaDB	Stores accounting data and settings
Application	Akaunting (Laravel)	Accounting, invoicing, reporting
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Encrypted HTTPS access
Extensions	Akaunting Apps	Add payroll, CRM, POS, and more

Akaunting is built on Laravel, ensuring clean architecture, strong security practices, and long-term maintainability.

Why Use Akaunting?

Free & open-source accounting software
Self-hosted – full control over financial data
Invoices & bills – manage income and expenses easily
Multi-currency & tax support – suitable for international businesses
Bank accounts & transactions – track balances and cash flow
Professional reports – profit & loss, balance sheet, taxes
App marketplace – extend functionality as needed
Modern, user-friendly UI – accessible even for non-accountants

Akaunting is ideal for businesses that want simple accounting without SaaS lock-in.

Akaunting vs Other Accounting Platforms

Feature / Capability	Akaunting	QuickBooks	Xero	Odoo Accounting
Hosting	Self-hosted	Cloud only	Cloud only	Self / Cloud
Open-source	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Partial
Data ownership	Full control	Vendor-controlled	Vendor-controlled	Partial
Invoicing	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Multi-currency	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Cost	Free (self-hosted)	Paid	Paid	Free / Paid

Akaunting stands out for simplicity, transparency, and cost efficiency.

Security & Best Practices on Debian 12

Serve Akaunting only over HTTPS.
Use PHP-FPM with Nginx or Apache for better isolation.
Restrict database access to localhost only.
Store sensitive data (DB credentials, app keys) in .env.
Set correct file permissions for storage/ and bootstrap/cache/.
Use UFW or nftables and allow only ports 80 and 443.
Configure cron jobs for recurring tasks and reports.
Regularly update:
- Debian system packages
- PHP extensions
- Akaunting core and apps
Back up:
- Database
- .env file
- Uploaded documents and invoices
Restrict admin access and enforce strong passwords.

Typical Use Cases

Small businesses handling daily accounting
Freelancers & consultants issuing invoices and tracking expenses
Startups needing a lightweight but reliable accounting system
International companies working with multiple currencies
Self-hosted business stacks combined with CRM or ERP tools
Accountants managing multiple small clients

Deploying Akaunting on Debian 12 gives you a secure, stable, and fully self-hosted accounting solution — combining essential financial tools with full data ownership and Debian’s well-known reliability.

Step 1: Create a Server Instance on Shape.Host

Before installing Akaunting, you need a VPS with root access.

Click Create → Instance

Choose a data center location close to your users

Select a VPS plan with at least:

2 CPU cores

4 GB RAM

40 GB SSD storage

Choose Debian 12 (Bookworm) as the operating system

Create the instance and wait for provisioning

Copy the public IP address of your server

Step 2: Connect to the Server

Linux & macOS

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Windows (PowerShell / Windows Terminal)

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Windows (PuTTY)

Host Name: YOUR_SERVER_IP
Port: 22
Connection type: SSH
Username: root

After connecting, you should see a shell prompt indicating you are logged in as root.

Step 3: Update the Operating System

apt update

Refreshes the package index
Ensures Debian knows about the latest available packages

apt upgrade -y

Installs all pending updates
Reduces security risks and compatibility issues

Step 4: Install Apache Web Server

apt install apache2

Installs the Apache HTTP server

systemctl enable apache2

Configures Apache to start automatically at boot

systemctl start apache2

Starts Apache immediately

systemctl status apache2

Confirms Apache is running correctly

Apache will serve Akaunting’s web interface.

Step 5: Install and Configure MariaDB

apt install mariadb-server

Installs the MariaDB database server

systemctl enable mariadb

Enables MariaDB at boot

systemctl start mariadb

Starts the database service

Secure the database

mysql_secure_installation

This interactive script:

Sets the MariaDB root password
Removes anonymous users
Disables remote root login
Removes test databases

Create the Akaunting database

mariadb

Inside the MariaDB shell:

CREATE DATABASE akaunting CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;

Creates a database with full Unicode support

CREATE USER 'akaunting'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPasswordHere';

Creates a dedicated database user

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON akaunting.* TO 'akaunting'@'localhost';

Grants full access only to the Akaunting database

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 6: Install PHP 8.1 (Sury Repository)

Akaunting officially supports PHP 8.1, so we use the trusted Sury PHP repository.

apt install ca-certificates apt-transport-https lsb-release curl

Installs required tools for secure repository management

apt install gnupg

Installs GPG for verifying repository signatures

mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings

Creates a secure location for repository keys

curl -fsSL https://packages.sury.org/php/apt.gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/php.gpg

Imports and stores the PHP repository signing key

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/php.gpg] https://packages.sury.org/php/ bookworm main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/php.list

Adds the PHP repository to Debian

apt update

Reloads package metadata

Step 7: Install PHP 8.1 and Required Extensions

apt install php8.1 libapache2-mod-php8.1 php8.1-mysql php8.1-bcmath php8.1-curl php8.1-gd php8.1-intl php8.1-mbstring php8.1-xml php8.1-zip php8.1-fileinfo php8.1-tokenizer php8.1-opcache

These extensions are required for:

Database communication
File uploads
PDF generation
Localization
Performance and caching

Verify PHP:

php -v

Step 8: Configure PHP for Akaunting

nano /etc/php/8.1/apache2/php.ini

Update or confirm the following values:

memory_limit = 512M
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300
date.timezone = Europe/Bucharest

These settings ensure:

Large invoices and attachments work correctly
Long-running operations do not fail
Correct timezone handling

Apply changes:

systemctl restart apache2

Step 9: Download and Prepare Akaunting

cd /var/www

Moves to the web root directory

wget https://akaunting.com/download.php?version=latest -O akaunting.zip

Downloads the latest Akaunting release

apt install unzip

Installs the unzip utility

unzip akaunting.zip -d akaunting

Extracts Akaunting into /var/www/akaunting

Set correct permissions

chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/akaunting

Assigns ownership to Apache

chmod -R 755 /var/www/akaunting

Sets secure default permissions

chmod -R 775 /var/www/akaunting/storage
chmod -R 775 /var/www/akaunting/bootstrap/cache

Allows Akaunting to write cache, logs, and uploads

Step 10: Configure Apache Virtual Host

nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/akaunting.conf

Paste:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/akaunting

    <Directory /var/www/akaunting>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/akaunting_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/akaunting_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the site and required module:

a2ensite akaunting.conf

a2enmod rewrite

systemctl reload apache2

Step 11: Enable SSL with Let’s Encrypt

apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache

Installs Certbot with Apache integration

certbot --apache -d debian-tutorials.shape.host

Replace with your real domain:

yourdomain.com

Certbot will:

Issue a free SSL certificate
Automatically configure HTTPS
Enable auto-renewal

Step 12: Complete Akaunting Web Installation

Open your browser:

https://yourdomain.com

Follow the Akaunting installer:

Enter database credentials

Configure company information

Create the admin account

Sign in

Finish installation

Dashboard

You have successfully installed Akaunting on Debian 12 using Apache, MariaDB, and PHP 8.1, secured with Let’s Encrypt SSL. This setup is stable, secure, and fully suitable for production accounting workloads.

For hosting accounting and business-critical applications with full control, performance, and scalability, Shape.Host Cloud VPS offers a reliable foundation for modern self-hosted infrastructure.

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