hledger vs LedgerSMB
hledger
hledger.orgLedgerSMB
ledgersmb.orgSide by side
| Figure | hledger | LedgerSMB |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | 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 · General Ledger Software | 8.6 (#7) | 8.5 (#8) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 8.5 (#25) | 8.8 (#18) |
| Bank feeds | Yes | Yes |
| Licence | hledger is free software released under GNU GPL version 3 or later. | The source repository identifies LedgerSMB as GPLv2-licensed. |
| Multi-currency | The accounting engine supports multiple currencies and commodities with configurable account names and number formats. | Transactions, invoices and payments can use different currencies and conversion rates. |
| Self-hosting | hledger-web normally listens on localhost and can be placed behind a firewall or authenticating reverse proxy for controlled access. | Official downloads provide tarballs, Docker images and installers, allowing deployment on the operator's infrastructure. |
| Support | Community support is provided through Matrix, IRC, chat, mail lists and bug trackers. | Free community help is offered through mailing lists and Matrix, while paid providers offer hosting, installation, training and customization. |
| System requirements | Building from source requires GHC plus Stack or Cabal and may need about 4 GB of RAM and at least 4 GB of disk space. | 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. |
| Time tracking | hledger supports timeclock and timedot formats and can generate time reports. | Time tracking records billable hours and can generate invoices. |
| What it does | hledger is cross-platform, plain-text, double-entry accounting software for tracking money, investments, cryptocurrencies, invoices, time and inventory. | LedgerSMB is a web-based, open-source ERP and accounting system for small and midsize businesses. |
Plans
In their own words
hledger
hledger is free accounting software for tracking money, investments, cryptocurrencies, time, and other countable items in plain-text files. It provides multi-currency double-entry accounting and generates balance sheet, income statement, and cashflow reports, including reports across multiple periods. It offers command-line, terminal, and web interfaces; the web interface can also serve a JSON API.
hledger imports CSV and can output text, HTML, CSV, JSON, or SQL. It can interoperate with Ledger and Beancount formats. The software runs locally and offline, keeping plain-text data under the user's control. Bank feeds, automated reconciliation, and inventory tracking are supported; invoice creation is not. Official binaries are available for Linux x64, Mac x64 and arm64, and Windows x64, with no official Linux ARM binaries. The web app normally runs locally and is accessible only from the user's machine. hledger is Free Software under GNU GPLv3+ with no purchase price or monthly fees.
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.