The LedgerSMB Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about LedgerSMB in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
LedgerSMB
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source double-entry accounting and ERP you install yourself
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among accounting and invoicing tools, read from LedgerSMB’s own pages.
Made by LedgerSMB · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from LedgerSMB’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LedgerSMB’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 43 of the 127 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade
LedgerSMB is open-source accounting and ERP software for small and mid-size businesses. It combines a double-entry general ledger with invoicing, orders, purchasing, inventory and fixed assets, and runs in a browser against a server you install. The software is free to download; paid help comes from outside professionals.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about LedgerSMB, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You install and maintain it: an installer, Docker images or release archives.
- 1
Best for self-hosted double-entry accounting and ERP
LedgerSMB is a free, open-source double-entry ledger with invoicing, purchasing, inventory and fixed assets, run on a server you install.
- 2
It is free
LedgerSMB has no paid plan at all. Free to download and run yourself; community support is free for the releases still under active support.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
General ledger
Double-entry accounting with journal entries, transfers between accounts and a picture of financial health.
- 5
Sales and purchasing
Tracks customers, quotations, sales orders and invoices, plus vendors, purchase orders and bills.
- 6
Multiple currencies
Transactions, invoices and payments can be entered in different currencies with different conversion rates.
- 7
A 2.2 GPA, above 43 of 127
That is against the other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
LedgerSMB is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
LedgerSMB at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- LedgerSMB
- Category
- Accounting & Invoicing
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for self-hosted double-entry accounting and ERP
LedgerSMB is a free, open-source double-entry ledger with invoicing, purchasing, inventory and fixed assets, run on a server you install. Free support only covers releases still under active support, and version 1.12 reaches end of life on 14 December 2026.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free 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 | B | No limits listed and no paid edition. Free community support covers only releases under active support. |
| Features | B | General ledger, sales and purchasing, multi-currency, cash management, inventory, fixed assets and budgets. The core job is covered. |
| Ease of use | D | You install and maintain it: an installer, Docker images or release archives. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with no integrations or apps listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who LedgerSMB is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Businesses that want a double-entry ledger without a vendor subscription
- Companies with IT staff or a consultant to install and maintain it
- Multi-currency businesses in many countries
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
LedgerSMB is free to use.
Free to download, but you host it yourself, which needs a server.
Self-hosted
$0
Free open-source download; install with the project's installer, Docker images or release archive.
The free plan
Free to download and run yourself; community support is free for the releases still under active support.
Read from ledgersmb.org on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source double-entry accounting and ERP you install yourself. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, invoicing, reports, bookkeeping, inventory, quotes and estimates.
General ledger, sales and purchasing, multi-currency, cash management, inventory, fixed assets and budgets.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
LedgerSMB is made by LedgerSMB.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
43/127
Other accounting and invoicing tools it is graded above
LedgerSMB's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 43 of the 127 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 30.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 93 of 127) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
LedgerSMB has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 128 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. LedgerSMB’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 19 of 127
- BFree plan and trialAbove 93 of 127
- BFeaturesAbove 86 of 127
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 127
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 127
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 101 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. LedgerSMB is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
LedgerSMB is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could make
- Invoicing, inventory, reports and quotes and estimates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. LedgerSMB’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
GnuCash, Manager.io, Akaunting, Odoo and Bigcapital
The 5 tools LedgerSMB is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
GnuCash
Free
Free double-entry accounting for home and small business use.
- Only LedgerSMB lists a web app.
- Only GnuCash lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- LedgerSMB is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Manager.io
Free plan · from $59/mo
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud.
- Only Manager.io lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- LedgerSMB is open source, according to its own site.
- LedgerSMB also covers inventory and quotes and estimates.
- 2.2GPA
Akaunting
Free plan · from $72/yr
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud.
- LedgerSMB also covers inventory and quotes and estimates.
- Akaunting also covers expense tracking.
- 3.2GPA
Odoo
Free plan · from $31.10/mo
Business app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own.
- Only Odoo lists iOS and Android apps.
- LedgerSMB also covers inventory and quotes and estimates.
- Odoo also covers expense tracking.
- 2.2GPA
Bigcapital
Free
Open-source accounting you host yourself, with a cloud version planned.
- LedgerSMB also covers quotes and estimates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is LedgerSMB free?
Yes. LedgerSMB is free to use.
How much does LedgerSMB cost?
LedgerSMB lists one plan. Self-hosted: $0.
What platforms does LedgerSMB work on?
LedgerSMB is available on Web.
Does LedgerSMB have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. LedgerSMB is listed for Web.
Does LedgerSMB have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. LedgerSMB is listed for Web.
Is LedgerSMB open source?
Yes. LedgerSMB is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes LedgerSMB?
LedgerSMB is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to LedgerSMB?
The closest alternatives to LedgerSMB in our directory are GnuCash, Manager.io, Akaunting, Odoo and Bigcapital.
How does LedgerSMB compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?
LedgerSMB's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 43 of the 127 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 30.
Is LedgerSMB good value for money?
ToolGPA grades LedgerSMB C for value for money. LedgerSMB has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of LedgerSMB?
LedgerSMB is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LedgerSMB’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LedgerSMB's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by LedgerSMB. Prices change, so check ledgersmb.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- LedgerSMB, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/ledgersmb
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "LedgerSMB: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/ledgersmb
Know someone choosing between accounting and invoicing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/ledgersmb/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded accounting and invoicing tools after LedgerSMB, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Accounting & Invoicing Insider's GuideEvery one of the 129 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Invoice Insider's GuideFree invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses3.6 GPA
- Zoho Books Insider's GuideOnline accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers3.4 GPA
- Cash App Taxes Insider's GuideFree federal and state tax filing inside Cash App3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what LedgerSMB’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. LedgerSMB is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by LedgerSMB. Prices and plans change: check ledgersmb.org before you buy.