4.5 KiB
hledger is...
a lightweight, dependable, cross-platform accounting tool
hledger is a computer program for easily tracking money, time, or other commodities, on unix, mac and windows. Despite (because of ?) limited GUI features, it is usable, capable, and reliable. For some, it is a simple, flexible, future-proof alternative to Quicken or GnuCash.
based on Ledger
hledger was inspired by and maintains substantial compatibility with Ledger, and is part of the enthusiastic and supportive "*ledger" community.
a command-line tool, that preserves your data
hledger is first a command-line tool. It follows Ledger's philosophy: your data lives in a simple, safe, plain text file which you can edit any way you wish; hledger reads that file and produces reports of various kinds, without changing your data. (It can help you add new transactions if you want, but does not change existing ones.)
...with a web UI
hledger comes with a built-in web server providing an alternate browser-based interface, which offers assisted data entry and point and click reporting. The web and command-line clients can be used simultaneously.
a Haskell application and library
hledger is written in Haskell, a modern and highly-regarded programming language which contributes to hledger's robustness, performance and long-term maintainability. Most functionality is exposed as reusable Haskell libraries, making it easy to write your own hledger-compatible scripts, add-ons and applications.
Free software
hledger is available under the GNU GPLv3+, which helps ensure that it will remain free and available for as long as you need it. It has been developed as a community project by Simon Michael and contributors since 2007.
documented
Complete and accurate documentation is a top priority. Undocumented functionality or stale docs are treated as serious bugs.
comfortable for techies, usable by all
hledger aims to be useful to both computer experts and regular folks. Currently it is a bit more suited to power users, who appreciate the power of text files, revision control, scriptability and double entry accounting. The web interface helps make it accessible to GUI-only folk as well.
focussed on serving the user
hledger strives to be accessible, practical and to provide real-world value. I've been depending on and improving it continuously since 2007, for:
- tracking spending and income
- seeing time reports by day/week/month/project
- getting accurate numbers for client billing and tax filing
- tracking invoices
- building financial and time clarity and serenity
I needed a tool like this badly, and I want to keep it growing and helping others who can also benefit.
how do I start ?
You could: download, read the tutorial, or join the IRC channel or mail list and ask questions.
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