Bigcapital vs LedgerSMB (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bigcapital and LedgerSMB share a 2.2 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bigcapital
Open-source accounting you host yourself, with a cloud version planned
Free
LedgerSMB
Open-source double-entry accounting and ERP you install yourself
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Bigcapital if
- Fits if you can run Docker and want your books on your own server
- Works for developers who want open-source accounting they can modify
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as the cloud version is only 'coming soon'
- Not for you if you need paid support, since none is published
- Watch out: you handle updates, backups and security yourself
- Watch out: AGPL-3.0 source-sharing rules apply if you modify and offer it to others
Pick LedgerSMB if
- Fits if you want a double-entry ledger and have IT help to install it
- Works for multi-currency businesses that would rather not pay a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't have someone to install and maintain it
- Watch out: version 1.12 reaches end of life on 14 December 2026
- Not for you if you need paid support from the project, as only outside professionals offer it
- Too light for convenience: no hosted version, no integrations listed
- Watch out: version 1.13 gets community support only until 4 October 2027
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABigcapitalFair | 2.2GPALedgerSMBFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under AGPL-3.0, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server. No paid plans are published. | CFree to download, but you host it yourself, which needs a server. Paid help comes from outside professionals with no published prices. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to run with no limits listed, though the only way to run it today is your own server. | BNo limits listed and no paid edition. Free community support covers only releases under active support. |
| Features | BSales and purchase invoicing, general ledger, bank reconciliation, inventory, multi-currency and branches. Nothing core is missing. | BGeneral ledger, sales and purchasing, multi-currency, cash management, inventory, fixed assets and budgets. The core job is covered. |
| Ease of use | DSelf-hosting with Docker, and updates and backups are yours. | DYou install and maintain it: an installer, Docker images or release archives. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. It runs on macOS, Windows or Linux servers and the site names no integrations. | CWeb only, with no integrations or apps listed. |
| Best for | self-hosted open-source bookkeeping | self-hosted double-entry accounting and ERP |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bigcapital and LedgerSMB. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bigcapital has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LedgerSMB has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Bigcapital for less, and none scores higher than LedgerSMB for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- LedgerSMB also covers quotes and estimates.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableInvoicingReportsBookkeepingInventory
At a glance
| Bigcapital | LedgerSMB | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The self-hosted edition is free under the AGPL-3.0 license; you pay only for your own server. | Free to download and run yourself; community support is free for the releases still under active support. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bigcapital Technology, Inc. | LedgerSMB |
| Price read from | bigcapital.app | ledgersmb.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bigcapital
- Bigcapital Cloud is marked as coming soon, so the only way to run it today is to self-host.
- Self-hosting means you handle servers, updates and backups yourself.
- The AGPL-3.0 license has network-use source-sharing terms that apply if you modify and offer it to others.
- The site publishes no paid plans or support tiers.
LedgerSMB
- You install and run it yourself; the project lists a Debian and Fedora installer, Docker images and release archives.
- Free community support only covers releases under active support; version 1.12 reaches end of life on Dec 14, 2026.
- Paid support is available from outside professionals, not published as plans by the project.
- Version 1.13, the current stable release, has community support until Oct 4, 2027.
Key features
Bigcapital
- Sales and purchase invoicing
- Creates customizable sales invoices and purchase invoices, and tracks receivable and payable accounts.
- General ledger and reports
- Keeps a general ledger and runs financial reports such as balance sheet, profit and loss and cash flow statements.
- Bank feeds and reconciliation
- The site lists bank feed syncing and bank reconciliation among its accounting modules.
- Multi-currency accounting
- Records transactions and manual journals in different currencies and uses exchange rates for conversion.
- Inventory and expenses
- Tracks inventory items and expense accounting alongside sales, with accrual and cash accounting both listed.
- Teams and branches
- Role-based permissions limit what each invited accountant or teammate can view or edit, and branches and warehouses sit in one ledger.
LedgerSMB
- General ledger
- Double-entry accounting with journal entries, transfers between accounts and a picture of financial health.
- Sales and purchasing
- Tracks customers, quotations, sales orders and invoices, plus vendors, purchase orders and bills.
- Multiple currencies
- Transactions, invoices and payments can be entered in different currencies with different conversion rates.
- Cash management
- Handles cash in and out, writes checks, tracks receipts and reconciles against bank statements.
- Inventory and fixed assets
- Tracks goods, services and assemblies, and fixed assets with depreciation and disposal.
- Time tracking and budgets
- Turns billable hours into invoices and tracks budgets by project or department with variance reports.
Plans
Bigcapital
Self-hosted$0
Free under AGPL-3.0; you run it yourself with Docker on macOS, Windows or Linux.
LedgerSMB
Self-hosted$0
Free open-source download; install with the project's installer, Docker images or release archive.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bigcapital or LedgerSMB?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Bigcapital and LedgerSMB are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Bigcapital or LedgerSMB?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Bigcapital and LedgerSMB have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.