Clear Books vs GnuCash

Clear Books is browser-based accounting software for UK businesses, sole traders, and landlords, with Android and iOS mobile apps. Its listed capabilities include bank feeds, automated reconciliation, invoice creation, receipt capture, inventory tracking, and accountant access. Users can send branded invoices, schedule recurring invoices, and automate late-payment reminders. Tax tools include VAT submissions, MTD Income Tax, and quarterly updates; Clear Books describes itself as HMRC recognised and MTD-ready. Sole Trader Free and Property Free are ongoing free plans that require no card and have no transaction limits. Property Free covers one property or grouped properties, while Foreign Property Free is for one overseas property. Paid plans start at £5 per month plus VAT, and include a full-access 30-day trial that can be cancelled without payment. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. Paid plans include unlimited users and accountant tools. Small, Medium, and Large include integrations and an API, with Stripe and GoCardless built in. Support options range from self-service and email to phone support, with UK-based support.

GnuCash is free personal and small-business accounting software for tracking bank accounts, stocks, income, and expenses. Its double-entry accounting requires every transaction’s debits and credits to balance. Small-business tools cover customers, vendors, jobs, invoicing, bill payment, tax and billing terms, and budgeting. Users can create customizable balance sheets, profit and loss, and portfolio valuation reports, as well as charts. GnuCash imports QIF and OFX files with transaction matching; German users can use HBCI to download statements and initiate transfers and direct debits. Data is stored in XML by default. Support for SQLite3, MySQL, and PostgreSQL databases is experimental, and some reported corner cases can cause data loss. The GNU GPL-licensed software has installation options for Linux and installers for macOS and Windows. The main application is unavailable for iOS and iPadOS, while the separate Android app appears abandoned according to the project FAQ. The project is maintained, documented, and translated by volunteers.