Ledger vs Sage Accounting
Ledger
ledger-cli.orgSage Accounting
sage.comSide by side
| Figure | Ledger | Sage Accounting |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | £2/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 8.2 (#32) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Accountant access | No | Yes |
| API | The documentation links to Ledger 3 API documentation and describes it as a C++ API. | Sage publishes a free RESTful Accounting API for Accounting and Start with CRUD operations over business data. |
| Automated reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Bank feeds | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2003 | 1981 |
| Inventory tracking | No | Yes |
| Invoice creation | No | Yes |
| Receipt capture | No | Standard and Plus include AI capture of receipts and purchase invoices with different monthly allowances and per-document charges thereafter. |
| What it does | Ledger is a double-entry accounting system accessed from the UNIX command line. | Sage Accounting is a cloud accounting service for small businesses that combines invoicing, tax, cash-flow management and optional payroll. |
Plans
Sage Accounting
- Sole Trader FreeFree
- Start£2 a month
- Standard£4.30 a month
- Plus£5.90 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.
Sage Accounting
Sage Accounting has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.