Ledger vs QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Ledger
ledger-cli.orgQuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
quickbooks.intuit.comSide by side
| Figure | Ledger | QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 8.2 (#32) | 9.3 (#2) |
| Accountant access | No | Yes |
| Automated reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Bank feeds | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2003 | 1983 |
| Inventory tracking | No | Yes |
| Invoice creation | No | Yes |
| License | Ledger is released under the BSD license. | The EULA is proprietary: it restricts redistribution, sublicensing, reverse engineering and source-code discovery, with Enterprise concurrency capped at 40 depending on subscription. |
| Receipt capture | No | Yes |
| What it does | Ledger is a double-entry accounting system accessed from the UNIX command line. | QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is Intuit’s desktop business-management system combining accounting, inventory, payroll, payments, reporting and industry workflows. |
Plans
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
- Gold$19 a month
- Platinum$19 a month
- Diamond$19 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.
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.