Ledger vs ProfitBooks
Ledger
ledger-cli.orgProfitBooks
profitbooks.netSide by side
| Figure | Ledger | ProfitBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 8 |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 8.2 (#32) | 9.2 (#9) |
| Accountant access | No | Yes |
| API | The documentation links to Ledger 3 API documentation and describes it as a C++ API. | ProfitBooks states that its API can extend the software and connect third-party applications. |
| Automated reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Bank feeds | No | No |
| Documentation | The documentation page links to the Ledger 3 manual, man page, API documentation, and ledger-mode manual. | ProfitBooks provides a Support Center with how-to articles, including invoice, payment gateway and accounting procedures. |
| Founded | 2003 | 2012 |
| Inventory tracking | No | Yes |
| Invoice creation | No | Yes |
| Receipt capture | No | Yes |
| Support | The project points users to its IRC channel and mailing list for questions and discussions. | Official pages describe in-app chat five days a week in three languages, plus email support, webinars, videos and onboarding for paid users. |
| What it does | Ledger is a double-entry accounting system accessed from the UNIX command line. | ProfitBooks is cloud accounting software for small businesses covering invoicing, bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, expense tracking and financial reporting. |
Plans
ProfitBooks
- StartupPrice not published
- Essential$9.95 a month
- Growth$20 a month
- SMB Pro$35 a month
- StartupFree
- Essential$9.95 a month
- Growth$20 a month
- SMB Pro$35 a month
In their own words
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.
ProfitBooks
ProfitBooks has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.