hledger

Free, open-source plain-text accounting with command-line, terminal and web interfaces.

Open sourceAccounting and invoicing software

Verified facts: 5 of 5
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About hledger

hledger is a plain-text accounting tool: you record transactions in a simple, human-readable text file and hledger produces balance sheets, income statements, registers and budgets from it. It is compatible with much of the older Ledger format and can import CSV files from banks using rules you define, which makes it popular with developers, freelancers and anyone who wants their books in version control. It comes with a command-line tool, a terminal UI and a basic web interface, ships as a single binary for Windows, macOS and Linux, and is licensed under GPL-3.0. There is no cost and no hosted service. The trade-offs are obvious: there is no invoicing, bank feeds, payroll or tax filing, everything is manual or scripted, and accountants are unlikely to work in it directly, though you can export reports. For technically minded small businesses, it gives full control and long-term durability.

Best for: Developers and technical freelancers who want their books as plain text in version control.

What works

Free and open source under GPL-3.0
Plain-text data you fully own and can diff
CLI, terminal UI and web interface included

Why people leave

No invoicing, bank feeds or payroll
Requires comfort with text files and the command line
Accountants rarely work in it directly

Top hledger alternatives

See all 4

1
Beancount
Stricter plain-text format with a Python ecosystem and the Fava web UI.
66.5
2
GnuCash
Free double-entry desktop accounting with a graphical interface.
62.6
3
Frappe Books
Open-source accounting app with invoicing and a modern UI.
59.6
4
Akaunting
Self-hostable web accounting with invoicing and a client portal.
57.2

Why people left hledger

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hledger: common questions

Is hledger free?

Yes. hledger is free, open-source software.

Is hledger open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at hledgerorg/hledger.

What platforms does hledger run on?

hledger is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Web.

What are the best alternatives to hledger?

The highest-ranked hledger alternatives right now are Beancount, GnuCash and Frappe Books. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 hledger alternatives

hledger facts

5 of 5 verified

License: GPL-3.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0).”
Web interface: hledger-web; Checked Oct 25, 2026hledger.org(opens source in a new tab); “hledger-web is a simple web application for browsing and adding transactions.”
First release: 2007; Checked Oct 25, 2026hledger.org(opens source in a new tab); “since its first release in 2007.”
Data format: Plain text; Checked Oct 25, 2026hledger.org(opens source in a new tab); “using human-readable plain text data that you control.”
Free software: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026hledger.org(opens source in a new tab); “hledger is Free Software created by Simon Michael and contributors , supported and improving continuously since its first release in 2007.”