Your First Steps with Kantivo

Kantivo is a professional accounting platform built for accountants and small businesses. Here is how to install it, configure your first company, and begin tracking your finances.

Installing Kantivo on Your Machine

What Your Computer Needs

• Windows Version: 64-bit Windows 10 or newer is required
• Memory: At least 4GB of RAM (8GB provides a smoother experience)
• Disk Space: 500MB for the application itself, with additional room for your financial data
• Database Engine: PostgreSQL 15 or 16 powers your local data storage (the installer handles this for you)

Downloading and Running the Installer

1. Head to kantivo.app/download from any browser
2. Select the Download for Windows button
3. Open the downloaded file (Kantivo-Installer.exe) -- a small window will appear, fetch the latest installer, and launch it automatically
4. Walk through each screen of the installation wizard
5. If PostgreSQL is not already on your system, the installer will set it up automatically

What Happens on First Launch

The first time you open Kantivo, a Database Setup Wizard appears to configure your database:

1. Choose Your Setup Path
   • Fresh Installation - Builds a brand new local database from scratch
   • Join Existing Database - Links to a Kantivo database that already exists on your network
2. Pick Where the Database Lives (fresh installs only)
   • Local Machine - Stores everything right on this computer (the most common choice)
   • Network Location - Points to a PostgreSQL instance on another machine in your office
   • Remote Server - Connects to a cloud-hosted PostgreSQL database
3. Connectivity Check - Confirms your database connection is healthy
4. All Set - Your desktop accounting environment is ready to use

Moving from the Free Trial to Your Paid License

After you purchase a plan, your license key arrives by email. There is no need to reinstall, and closing and reopening the app will not ask for the new key — you switch it from inside the app. Your companies, accounts and transactions stay exactly as they are.

1. Open the app and sign in as usual (as the primary administrator).
2. In the menu bar across the top, click 🔐 System Admin. If you don't see it, open More ▾ at the right end of the bar.
3. Open the License Info tab and click 🔑 Change License Key, then OK to confirm.
4. Paste the key from your purchase email and click 🔓 Activate License.
5. Sign back in with your usual username and password. License Info now shows your paid plan.

In newer builds you can also click the trial badge at the top of the screen (the one showing how many days are left) and choose 🔑 Enter License Key.

Setting Up Your First Company

Once Kantivo is installed, you will establish your business profile. Kantivo supports multi-company management, so you can add more businesses later.

When you return to the Company Manager later on, it stays clean and focused: you simply see a single list of the companies you have already set up. The full new-company form is tucked away behind a ➕ Create New Company entry at the bottom of that list — one click opens it whenever you need to add another business, and it stays out of your way the rest of the time.

Step 1: Enter Your Business Details

Press Create Company and fill in the following:

• Business Name - The legal or operating name of your company
• Industry Type - Choose the category that best describes your business
• Fiscal Year Beginning - The month your accounting year starts
• Base Currency - The primary currency for all financial records

Step 2: Review Your Chart of Accounts

Kantivo generates an industry-appropriate chart of accounts right away. You have two paths forward:

• Accept the defaults - Start entering transactions immediately with no extra configuration
• Modify as you go - Rename, add, or remove accounts whenever your needs change

Step 3: Bring in Opening Balances (If Applicable)

Switching from a different accounting tool? Transfer your starting figures:

1. Navigate to Accounts → Chart of Accounts
2. Select the account you want to update
3. Key in the opening balance effective as of your transition date

Navigating the Kantivo Interface

Sidebar Navigation

Every major area of Kantivo is accessible from the left-hand sidebar:

When you can't see the section you need

The navigation shows only as many entries as will fit, and you can rearrange it, so what you want may simply be out of sight. More ▾ lists everything else. Inside that menu the ⚙️ button switches on customise mode, where you can pin your regular sections to the main navigation and drag them into whatever order suits you — ✓ Done to finish, or Reset to Defaults to start over.

Which settings area am I looking for?

Kantivo keeps two apart, and picking the right one first saves the hunt:

• ⚙️ Company Settings — scoped to one company: the company profile, preferences, user management, invoice branding and templates, payment gateway, sales tax codes, check printing, audit log and lock date.
• 🔐 System Admin — scoped to the installation, and visible only to the primary admin user.

Company Settings opens one section at a time. Instead of scrolling for it, use the Select a section… dropdown at the top of the page — it's grouped (Getting started, Company & people, Getting paid, Paying out, Books & compliance) and you can type to filter. Pick 📋 Show All Sections if you'd rather see the lot on one page.

Entering Your First Transactions

Logging Income

Approach A: Direct Journal Entry (No Invoice)

1. Open Transactions → Journal Entry
2. Debit your bank account (this increases the balance)
3. Credit the appropriate income account (this records the revenue)
4. Hit Save to post the entry

Approach B: Issue an Invoice First

1. Open Customers → pick a customer → Create Invoice
2. Add one or more line items describing the work or products
3. Save the invoice to record the receivable
4. When the customer pays, use Receive Payment to close it out

Tracking Expenses

Approach A: Dashboard Quick Expense

1. Click the Quick Expense shortcut on your dashboard
2. Pick the expense category that applies
3. Choose which payment account was used (checking, credit card, etc.)
4. Type in the dollar amount and a brief note
5. Save to record the expense instantly

Approach B: Issue a Check

1. Open Transactions → Write Check
2. Choose the bank account the check draws from
3. Fill in the payee name and check amount
4. Assign it to the correct expense account
5. Save the check entry