Adagio Accounting vs Ledger
Adagio Accounting
softrak.comLedger
ledger-cli.orgSide by side
| Figure | Adagio Accounting | Ledger |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $100/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · General Ledger Software | 8.7 (#4) | 8.4 (#11) |
| Downloads | The vendor's download instructions say installations require an install password, serial number, and install code supplied after an order is processed. | The download page lists packages or binaries for GNU/Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and BSD. |
| Founded | 1984 | 2003 |
| Purpose | Adagio is designed for small to mid-sized companies with an accounting office managed by trained accountants. | Ledger is a double-entry accounting system accessed from the UNIX command line. |
| Support | Support is available through authorized consultants, a free technical support forum, and Softrak technical support on a per-incident basis or through an annual SupportPlus Plan. | The project points users to its IRC channel and mailing list for questions and discussions. |
Plans
Adagio Accounting
- Adagio for Accountants$100 a month
- Adagio Accounting on-premisePriced on request
In their own words
Adagio Accounting
Adagio Accounting is software for small to mid-sized companies whose accounting offices are managed by trained accountants. It processes transactions in batches, allowing review and correction before entries post permanently to the general ledger. Modules cover general ledger, financial reporting, bank reconciliation, accounts payable, receivables, inventory, order processing, job costing, CRM, and more. Reporting can span departments, divisions, and multiple companies, while inventory includes accurate costing. Adagio supports audit controls and provides batch detail as an additional audit trail. Deployment options include on-premise LAN or terminal-server installation and a hosted cloud service. Cloud base subscriptions allow up to five companies, with licensing based on simultaneous users. Workstations require Windows 11; Windows Pro is recommended and Windows Home is not. Adagio for Accountants costs $100 a month and includes specified modules, one administrator and one general-user license, and unlimited client accounts. Softrak Systems was founded in 1984 and released Adagio Accounting in 1999.
Ledger
Ledger is a double-entry accounting system used from the UNIX command line. Users record transactions in Ledger’s text format and maintain the files themselves; Ledger does not create or modify them. Entries must balance, and an unbalanced entry produces an error instead of a report. Commands can generate monthly and average reports, check balances, reconcile accounts, and track stock capital gains. Ledger supports multiple currencies in an account and can convert between them. Its data files accept UTF-8, dates use ISO format, and decimal values can follow US or European formats. The software is released under the BSD license and is listed as free. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows; downloads also include packages or binaries for BSD. The documentation links to the Ledger 3 manual, man page, C++ API documentation, and ledger-mode manual. The project directs users to an IRC channel and mailing list for discussion, and to GitHub for bug reports.