Banana Accounting
By Banana.ch SA
Banana Accounting typical implementation process:
Download and installation: Users download Banana Accounting Plus from the website or app stores and install it on Windows, macOS, or Linux; this usually takes only a few minutes since it is a lightweight desktop application.
Select or import a template: On first run, you choose from country- and sector-specific templates (business, nonprofit, condominium, personal, etc.) or import an existing Banana file, which sets up chart of accounts, VAT codes, and basic settings automatically.
Configure basic settings: You adjust fiscal year dates, currencies, language, VAT rates, print layout, and any project/fund or cost-centre structures to match your organisation’s requirements.
Import opening balances and data: If migrating, you enter or import opening balances and, optionally, prior-year data from spreadsheets or other systems using CSV/Excel import tools.
Connect bank exports: You configure bank statement import by downloading CAMT/CSV/other files from your bank and mapping columns once, so Banana can assist with reconciliation and categorisation.
Test entries and reports: You post test transactions, run trial balance, P&L, balance sheet, and VAT reports, and fine-tune accounts, group,s and layouts until outputs match expectations.
Banana Accounting can be heavily customised to match specific business, nonprofit, or project needs.
Chart of accounts and categories are fully editable: you can change account names and numbers, add or remove accounts, redefine groups and subtotals, and adapt the structure to any national or internal scheme (e.g., sector‑specific charts, department structures).
Advanced dimensionality is configurable: you can add customer and supplier ledgers, cost and profit centres, and segments (for branches, departments, projects), allowing very granular analysis by activity, fund, region or agent.
Nonprofit and fund setups are adaptable: templates for associations, churches and NGOs can be modified with custom funds, projects, donor groupings and reporting layouts, so statements align with local regulations and stakeholder reporting needs.
Templates are only starting points: Banana ships hundreds of country‑, industry‑ and language‑specific templates, but every template’s accounts, VAT codes, cost centres, segments and options can be altered, expanded or simplified at any time.
Reports and printouts are highly configurable: you can create and save “Customisations” for enhanced balance sheets, P&L with groups, VAT reports, account cards, exports and PDF dossiers, then recall them without resetting filters, periods, columns or formats.
Budget structures can be tailored: the budget chart of accounts can differ in granularity from the actuals, with additional planning accounts, cost centres and segments for scenario analysis and detailed forecasting by customer, project or department.
Invoicing layouts are customisable: integrated invoicing allows you to design invoice formats (logo, fields, languages, layout) directly within the accounting file, matching branding and local invoice requirements.
Multi-currency, multi-language and multi-country settings are user-defined: you can choose base currency, add foreign currencies, define exchange-rate handling, pick interface language and tailor VAT codes and rates per jurisdiction.
Extensions and scripting provide deep extensibility: with the Advanced plan, you can build JavaScript-based Extensions to import custom bank formats, generate bespoke reports, transform data, or automate repetitive tasks; extensions can live inside the accounting file or as packaged add‑ons.
Banana Accounting has a relatively simple cost structure with few additional mandatory fees beyond the subscription itself, but there are some optional paid services to be aware of. Banana Accounting Plus is sold as an annual per‑user subscription with no separate setup or implementation fees; users download the software, start on the free tier (up to 70 transactions), and then upgrade to Professional or Advanced plans when needed. The official price list shows, for example, Professional at about CHF 89 / €84 per user per year and Advanced at about CHF 179 / €169 per user per year, with each subscription allowing installation on up to five devices owned by that user; there is no stated entry‑level setup fee and no extra maintenance charge, as updates and new releases are included in the subscription.
Support costs depend on the plan. Advanced-plan subscribers receive free customised technical support for up to three cases per year (email or phone), while Professional and Free plans only include free help for installation issues and bug reporting and require paid support for configuration or complex questions. Paid support is priced at CHF 70 per 30‑minute unit for cases such as custom setup or correction of charts of accounts, password unlocking, file recovery, or urgent priority support, and is only available for Switzerland and Liechtenstein according to the price list. Older perpetual versions (Banana 9 and earlier) no longer include support, so customers are encouraged to move to Banana Accounting Plus if they want ongoing updates and assistance. There are no premium consulting or integration services advertised beyond this metered support, and free plans or educational licenses typically exclude personalised support unless separately paid.
Banana Accounting focuses on self-service learning with extensive online resources, plus optional direct support depending on your plan.
For training, new users get a structured “How to get started” hub with step-by-step guides and videos covering installation, subscription activation, choosing the right accounting type, selecting templates, and setting up charts of accounts, VAT, clients/suppliers, multi-currency and productivity files like invoices, timesheets, inventory and fixed assets. The documentation portal includes topic-based articles, FAQs and conceptual training content (for example, learning double-entry accounting, VAT setup, cost centres), and there is a large video library demonstrating core features, sector scenarios and advanced reporting/customisation.
Banana Accounting combines product design choices and user-controlled storage to protect accounting data, but it is closer to a traditional desktop model than a tightly locked-down cloud ERP.
Banana Accounting Plus is installed locally and does not run on Banana’s own cloud; your accounting files are standard .ac2 files saved wherever you choose (local drive, external disk, or third‑party cloud like OneDrive/Dropbox). The company states that “your data and accounting files belong solely to you” and that Banana.ch has no access to those files, which reduces vendor-side breach exposure but also places responsibility for host and storage security on the user. The application allows you to restrict access with a file password, but by default, the underlying data is not encrypted; Banana explicitly recommends using separate disk/file encryption tools if the nature of the data requires stronger protection.
Banana Accounting Plus is updated regularly, with new releases and maintenance updates several times a year, and all updates are included in the subscription at no extra cost.
The company publishes named releases (for example, version 10.2.2 in November 2025) that introduce new features, usability improvements, regulatory updates such as VAT changes, and bug fixes based on user feedback. Older perpetual versions (like Banana 9) are no longer developed, while Banana Accounting Plus is explicitly described as “always up to date,” reflecting an ongoing update cadence rather than infrequent major upgrades.
Banana Accounting’s policy is that you fully own your accounting data and can move it in and out of the software using standard file formats. The product is installed locally and saves data as .ac2 files wherever you choose (PC, external drive, or third‑party cloud), and Banana states explicitly that “your data and accounting files belong solely to you” and that the company has no access to those files. This means Banana acts only as a tool on your infrastructure; it does not host or claim rights over your ledger data, documents, or attachments. You are responsible for where files are stored, how long they are retained, and how they are backed up or encrypted, which also makes legal archiving and jurisdictional control easier to manage internally.
Portability is strong because everything is file‑based and exportable. Each accounting year is typically a separate .ac2 file that you can copy, archive, or hand off to auditors or new systems without needing Banana’s cloud or APIs. The software provides extensive export options: you can export entire accounting tables or complete files to Excel, HTML, XML, TXT/CSV, and PDF (including attachments), which can then be imported into other accounting packages, BI tools, or long‑term archiving solutions. There are documented flows for importing historical data from other systems via Excel/CSV and for migrating away by exporting rows and statements, so you are never locked into the platform. Combined with the ability to store files in your own cloud (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive) and on any storage you control, Banana’s design intentionally maximises data portability and keeps ownership and lifecycle decisions in your hands rather than the vendor’s.
Banana Accounting uses annual, auto‑renewing subscriptions for Banana Accounting Plus, with cancellation controlled by the user via their online account.
The standard subscription term is 12 months, paid in advance, and by default, it renews automatically for another 12 months at the end of each term. To stop renewal, you log in to your Banana user account, go to the Subscriptions section, and disable the auto‑renewal option; this “disable auto‑renewal” action is treated as formal notice of cancellation, but the software remains fully usable until the current expiry date. The licence terms state that, unless a pricing plan says otherwise, Banana must receive a cancellation notice at least 30 days before expiry; otherwise, the subscription renews automatically for another full period under the same conditions.
Banana Accounting focuses on privacy-law alignment and local accounting law compliance rather than formal security certifications like ISO 27001 or SOC 2, which it does not publicly claim.
The company’s privacy policy states that Banana.ch SA complies with applicable Swiss and European data-protection laws, explicitly referencing the EU GDPR and Switzerland’s Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). It outlines lawful bases for processing (such as contract performance and consent), data-subject rights (access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection), and cross‑border transfer safeguards, indicating GDPR‑style governance for personal data handled through the website, licensing and support processes.
