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Ledger vs hledger: catalog facts
Ledger	hledger
Free The open-source application is available without a license fee.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Never modifies your journal; reporting is entirely read-only Handles commodities, currencies and arbitrary reporting periods	Data is plain text you own, version-controllable and readable without the software A robust multi-currency double-entry engine accurate to 255 decimal places
Command-line only, with a terse query syntax to learn No import tooling of its own	You need to understand double-entry accounting, or learn it as you go The interfaces are deliberately basic compared with commercial finance software
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.