GnuCash vs LedgerSMB
GnuCash
gnucash.orgLedgerSMB
ledgersmb.orgSide by side
| Figure | GnuCash | LedgerSMB |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Bookkeeper Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.8 (#7) |
| Spec score · Financial Management | 8.8 (#4) | 8.7 (#6) |
| Spec score · Core Financial Management | 8.9 (#4) | 8.8 (#7) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 9.0 (#12) | 8.8 (#18) |
| Spec score · General Ledger Software | 8.7 (#5) | 8.5 (#8) |
| Spec score · Gym Accounting Software | 8.8 (#7) | 8.8 (#8) |
| API | A C API in the libgnucash engine abstracts XML and SQL backends for GUI and plugin programmers. | LedgerSMB exposes a language-independent web-services API documented with versioned OpenAPI files. |
| Documentation | The project publishes a reference Manual, an in-depth Tutorial and Concepts Guide, community wiki material, mailing lists and IRC help. | Documentation includes installation and upgrade instructions, a free manual, videos and a work-in-progress business book. |
| Founded | 1997 | 2006 |
| Licence | GnuCash is open-source software released under the GNU General Public License. | The source repository identifies LedgerSMB as GPLv2-licensed. |
| Purpose | GnuCash is personal and small-business financial-accounting software for tracking bank accounts, stocks, income, and expenses. | LedgerSMB is open source ERP and accounting software for small and mid-size businesses, combining accounting, invoicing, order processing, and related operations. |
| Support | The project points users to public mailing lists, IRC, a wiki, documentation, and bug reports for help. | Free community help is offered through mailing lists and Matrix, while paid providers offer hosting, installation, training and customization. |
| System requirements | The 5.17 build requirements include GTK+ 3.22.30, Guile 2.0.9, Boost 1.67, WebKitGTK 2.4, GoogleTest 1.8.0, CMake 3.14.5 and SWIG 3.0.12. | The documented server stack uses PostgreSQL, Perl, a PSGI server such as Starman and a reverse proxy such as Apache or Nginx; LaTeX is used for PDF output. |
| What it does | GnuCash is free accounting software for personal and small-business finances, including bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. | LedgerSMB is a web-based, open-source ERP and accounting system for small and midsize businesses. |
Plans
In their own words
GnuCash
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.
LedgerSMB
LedgerSMB is free, open-source ERP and accounting software for small and mid-size businesses. It combines double-entry general ledger functions with quotations, sales and purchase orders, invoices, receivables, payables, and cash management. The application also supports inventory, light manufacturing, and fixed-asset depreciation and disposal. Transactions can use multiple currencies, while budgets can be tracked by project or department with variance reports. LedgerSMB produces PDF, HTML, CSV, and Office documents, can email documents from inside the application, and includes 45 languages. A web services API enables programmatic interaction; connecting an online store is not available out of the box and requires custom integration. The web application is intended for installation on the user’s own infrastructure, with Linux installers and production Docker images available. Official release tarballs are GPG signed. Free volunteer support is available through a users mailing list and Matrix, with paid professional support also offered. The project began in 2006 as a fork of SQL-Ledger.