Accounting & bookkeeping

hledger

Robust, intuitive plain-text accounting for people comfortable with the command line.

Visit official website See features

GitHub stars

4,766

Repo updated

Oct 2026

License

GPL-3.0

Technology

Haskell (plain-text accounting)

What is hledger?

hledger is lightweight, cross-platform, multi-currency, double-entry accounting software. It keeps your records in a plain text journal that you can version with Git, and it lets you track money, investments, cryptocurrencies, invoices, time and inventory. It offers command-line, terminal, web and mobile interfaces.

Best for Developers and technical founders who want transparent, scriptable books they can keep in Git.

In depth

hledger features

Plain-text journal files that work with version control

Multi-currency double-entry accounting engine, accurate to 255 decimal places

Balance sheet, income statement and cash flow reports from the command line

Strong CSV import and export, plus text, HTML, JSON and SQL output

Multiple interfaces: command line, terminal, web and editor integrations

Inspired by and partly compatible with Ledger CLI, and interconvertible with Beancount

Strengths

Your data is plain text and never locked in.
Fast, and fully documented.
Excellent for reproducible reports.

Limitations

Not designed for non-technical staff.
No built-in invoicing workflow or multi-user web permissions.
You must design your own review process.

Where hledger fits in your business

We compare hledger with similar tools in these small business buying guides:

Installing and hosting hledger

Follow the project's own installation guide for exact, current steps. See the official documentation.

Information checked 16 October 2026 from the project's documentation. Versions change, so confirm before running commands on a production server.

Need a server to host it?

Docker, Node, Python, Java and similar stacks usually need a VPS where you can install your own software. A small VPS is enough to start, and you can upgrade later. Hostinger offers both shared web hosting and VPS plans.

See Hostinger plans

Affiliate disclosure: this is an affiliate link. If you buy through it we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. CRMs and software are listed independently of any hosting partner. Learn more.

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Official links for hledger

Always download from the official sources to get the latest and safest version.

Official website Source on GitHub Documentation

Frequently asked questions about hledger

What is plain-text accounting?

You record transactions in a text file and the software reads it to produce reports. The file can be edited, searched and version-controlled like code.

Can hledger produce a balance sheet?

Yes. It can print balance sheet, income statement and cash flow style reports from your journal.

Is hledger suitable for a team?

It suits technical teams. Non-technical staff are usually better served by a web-based accounting app.

Data verified 16 October 2026 from the project's public repository, LICENSE file and documentation. Details change, so check the official sources. See our disclaimer. Found a mistake? Tell us.