Does LineLedger replace QuickBooks?

For the bookkeeping core, yes: general ledger, AR/AP, full multi-currency, sales-tax tracking, fixed assets, inventory, and drill-through reports — plus GST/HST/PST and the CRA filings if you are Canadian. Payroll is the honest gap: it is on our roadmap everywhere, and many people run LineLedger alongside a dedicated payroll service in the meantime.

Will my price go up every year like QuickBooks?

There is no price. LineLedger is free software under the GNU AGPLv3 — you clone it, run it on your own server, and there is nobody to bill you. Nothing can ratchet, because nothing is charged.

What’s the catch? How do you make money?

There is no catch on the software: it is AGPLv3, all of it, with no paid tier held back. LineLedger exists because we wanted honest books for our own businesses, and publishing the source is the only way to prove the numbers are right.

Can I bring my QuickBooks data over?

Yes. Import your QuickBooks chart of accounts and replay your full general-ledger history across multiple files — accounts mapped, contacts linked, and refund cheques tracked. The migration details are on our features page.

Can I get my data back out if I leave?

Anytime. Export any company to a self-contained, portable ZIP — plus CSV and XLSX from every report. Since LineLedger runs on your own server, the books never leave your control in the first place.

Does LineLedger do payroll yet?

Not yet, in any country — and we’d rather be upfront than overpromise. Native Canadian payroll (CPP/EI and income tax, T4/T4A/ROE/RL-1, and PD7A) and US payroll are both on our roadmap. In the meantime LineLedger works alongside the payroll processor you already use — Payworks, ADP, Ceridian/Dayforce, Wagepoint, Gusto, or another provider — and you post each pay run’s summary as a journal entry. Today it covers the books, sales tax, and the CRA filings.

Leaving QuickBooks? Here’s the difference.

QuickBooks raises its price on its own schedule, and getting your data back out is its own project. LineLedger is built the opposite way: free and open source under the AGPLv3, running on your own server, with a portable ZIP export and your QuickBooks history imported on the way in.

Install LineLedger View source on GitHub

Comparison as of June 2026.

This compares LineLedger’s bookkeeping core to QuickBooks Online. Payroll is on our roadmap — not shipped yet, in any country — so we don’t claim it here. For a 5-year projection of what your QuickBooks plan will cost, try the price-hike calculator.

Feature for feature

Where each one is ahead — including the things QuickBooks does that we don’t yet.

Capability	LineLedger	QuickBooks
What it costs	$0 — open source	Tiered, rises over time
Annual price increases	None — there’s no price	Recurring list-price hikes
Runs on your own server	Yes	No
Get your data out	Portable ZIP export, anytime	Limited / manual export
Import your QuickBooks history	Chart of accounts + full GL replay	—
Open source — audit, patch, or fork (AGPLv3)	Yes	No
Sales-tax tracking with drill-down	GST/HST/PST or your own rates	Yes
CRA filings: GIFI, T2, T5013, T2125, T3010	Included	Not built in
Full multi-currency	Included	Plus tier only
Inventory, budgets, classes & locations	Yes	Plus tier
Payroll Payroll is on the LineLedger roadmap in every country; today it works alongside processors like Payworks, ADP, Gusto and Wagepoint — you post the journal entry. QuickBooks sells payroll as a separate paid add-on.	Coming soon	Paid add-on
Automatic bank feeds	On roadmap	Yes

What it costs

LineLedger $0 — open source

QuickBooks Tiered, rises over time

Annual price increases

LineLedger None — there’s no price

QuickBooks Recurring list-price hikes

Runs on your own server

LineLedger

QuickBooks

Get your data out

LineLedger Portable ZIP export, anytime

QuickBooks Limited / manual export

Import your QuickBooks history

LineLedger Chart of accounts + full GL replay

QuickBooks —

Open source — audit, patch, or fork (AGPLv3)

LineLedger

QuickBooks

Sales-tax tracking with drill-down

LineLedger GST/HST/PST or your own rates

QuickBooks

CRA filings: GIFI, T2, T5013, T2125, T3010

LineLedger Included

QuickBooks Not built in

Full multi-currency

LineLedger Included

QuickBooks Plus tier only

Inventory, budgets, classes & locations

LineLedger

QuickBooks Plus tier

Payroll

Payroll is on the LineLedger roadmap in every country; today it works alongside processors like Payworks, ADP, Gusto and Wagepoint — you post the journal entry. QuickBooks sells payroll as a separate paid add-on.

LineLedger Coming soon

QuickBooks Paid add-on

Automatic bank feeds

LineLedger On roadmap

QuickBooks

🎁

There is no price to raise

LineLedger is free software under the AGPLv3. No tiers to climb, no seats to count, no renewal email. QuickBooks has raised its list price on its own schedule for years.

📦

Your data is yours

It lives on your server, and any company exports to a portable ZIP — your whole set of books in one file you hold. We couldn’t hold your books hostage if we wanted to.

🔍

Read the code

Audit exactly how every balance and tax figure is calculated. Patch it, fork it, or hire someone to. QuickBooks is a closed box you rent.

🔄

Bring your QuickBooks history

Bring your history with you — no fresh start required.

Import a QuickBooks chart of accounts
Multi-file, full-history general ledger replay
Maps accounts, links contacts & tracks refund cheques

See all features → Migration & self-hosting docs

Common questions

Does LineLedger replace QuickBooks?: For the bookkeeping core, yes: general ledger, AR/AP, full multi-currency, sales-tax tracking, fixed assets, inventory, and drill-through reports — plus GST/HST/PST and the CRA filings if you are Canadian. Payroll is the honest gap: it is on our roadmap everywhere, and many people run LineLedger alongside a dedicated payroll service in the meantime.
Will my price go up every year like QuickBooks?: There is no price. LineLedger is free software under the GNU AGPLv3 — you clone it, run it on your own server, and there is nobody to bill you. Nothing can ratchet, because nothing is charged.
What’s the catch? How do you make money?: There is no catch on the software: it is AGPLv3, all of it, with no paid tier held back. LineLedger exists because we wanted honest books for our own businesses, and publishing the source is the only way to prove the numbers are right.
Can I bring my QuickBooks data over?: Yes. Import your QuickBooks chart of accounts and replay your full general-ledger history across multiple files — accounts mapped, contacts linked, and refund cheques tracked. The migration details are on our features page.
Can I get my data back out if I leave?: Anytime. Export any company to a self-contained, portable ZIP — plus CSV and XLSX from every report. Since LineLedger runs on your own server, the books never leave your control in the first place.
Does LineLedger do payroll yet?: Not yet, in any country — and we’d rather be upfront than overpromise. Native Canadian payroll (CPP/EI and income tax, T4/T4A/ROE/RL-1, and PD7A) and US payroll are both on our roadmap. In the meantime LineLedger works alongside the payroll processor you already use — Payworks, ADP, Ceridian/Dayforce, Wagepoint, Gusto, or another provider — and you post each pay run’s summary as a journal entry. Today it covers the books, sales tax, and the CRA filings.

See the difference on your own books.

Free and open source under the AGPLv3. Clone it, run it on a server you control, and bring your QuickBooks history with you — there is nothing to subscribe to.

Install LineLedger View source on GitHub

QuickBooks and Intuit are trademarks of Intuit Inc., used here for identification and comparison only. LineLedger is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit Inc. Comparison based on publicly available information as of June 2026; pricing and features may have changed — see the source.