---
title: home
...

<style>
 .highslide img {max-width:200px; float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;}
 .highslide-caption {color:white; background-color:black;}
 a {white-space:nowrap;}
</style>

<!-- INTRO -->

<img src="images/coins2-248.png" width="" height="200" style="float:right; margin:1em 1em 0 1em;" />
<h1 style="/*font-size:4em;*/ ">hledger</h1>
<span style="font-size:xx-large;">
Robust plain text accounting.
<!-- Friendly, robust plain text accounting. -->
<!-- Robust, powerful, plain text accounting. -->
<!-- Robust, precise, plain text accounting. -->
<!-- Plain text accounting for everyone. -->
<!-- Making accounting fun for techies. -->
</span>

<span style="font-size:x-large;">hledger</span> is an accounting program, for tracking money, time, or
other commodities. It is cross platform and released under GNU GPLv3.

With powerful, intuitive functionality accessible from command line, terminal or web browser, 
hledger is a fast, secure, dependable alternative to spreadsheets, Quickbooks, GnuCash, Xero etc.

The hledger project is led by Simon Michael.
I've been building and relying on hledger since 2007.
I hope you find it helpful in mastering your time and money.
Welcome to the project!

<!-- DOCS -->

<style>
h2 { font-size:x-large; margin-top:.5em; }
h3 { font-size:large; margin-bottom:.2em; }
tr { border-top:thin solid #bbb; border-bottom:thin solid #bbb; vertical-align:top; }
td:nth-child(1) { padding-right:1em; white-space:nowrap; }
.col-sm-3, .col-sm-4 {
  padding:0;
}
.contentbox {
  margin:1em .5em .5em 0;
  padding:.1em .5em;
  border-radius:1em;
}
#introduction {
/*  background-color:#ffb; */
}
#help {
  background-color:#fdd;
}
#reference {
  background-color:#eef;
  text-align:left;
}
#reference .subcontent {
  margin-left:1em;
}
#dev {
  background-color:#eee;
  text-align:left;
}
#dev .subcontent {
  margin-left:1em;
}
#wiki {
  background-color:#efe;
  text-align:center;
}
#wiki .subcontent {
}
</style>

<div class="row" style="text-align:center; ">
**[<button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-success" title="All the ways to install hledger. Get it now!">Install hledger</button>](download.html)**
&nbsp;
[<button type="button" class="btn btn-default" style="border:none; min-width:102;" title="hledger on Github. Star us!"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/simonmichael/hledger.svg?style=for-the-badge&logo=GitHub&label=Github&color=lightgrey"></button>](https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/)
<!-- &nbsp; -->
<!-- [![...](https://api.travis-ci.org/simonmichael/hledger.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/simonmichael/hledger/builds){title="Travis"} -->
<!-- &nbsp; -->
<!-- [![...](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/5vejw0w5n5igdr42?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/simonmichael/hledger/history){title="Appveyor"} -->
</div>

<div class="container">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-sm-3">

<div id=introduction class=contentbox>
## Introduction

**[What is hledger ?](intro.html)**\
A robust, well documented implementation of plain text accounting.

**[plain text accounting?](http://plaintextaccounting.org)**\
Using plain text data formats and version control for reliable, transparent accounting.\

**[accounting?](Accounting-links.html)**\
Tracking your use of valuable commodities, such as money or time, for increased awareness and effectiveness.\
</div>

<div id=help class=contentbox>
## Help/Feedback

|
|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| IRC:              | <small>[#hledger](http://irc.hledger.org) on Freenode <!-- [chat log](http://ircbrowse.net/browse/hledger); --> <!-- see also [#ledger](http://webchat.freenode.net?channels=ledger&randomnick=1) --> <!-- *Quick help and background chat.* --> <!-- *If you don't get an answer promptly, you can type `sm` to alert me, or leave the window open and check back later.* --></small>
| Twitter:          | <small>[#hledger,<br>#plaintextaccounting](#twitter)</small>
| Reddit:           | <small>[/r/plaintextaccounting](https://www.reddit.com/r/plaintextaccounting/)</small>
| Hacker News:      | <small>[stories](https://hn.algolia.com/?query=hledger&sort=byDate&prefix&page=0&dateRange=all&type=story), [comments](https://hn.algolia.com/?query=hledger&sort=byDate&prefix=false&page=0&dateRange=all&type=comment)</small>
| Mail list:        | <small>[list.hledger.org](http://list.hledger.org), [hledger@googlegroups.com](mailto:hledger@googlegroups.com)</small>
| Issues:           | <small>[bugs.hledger.org](http://bugs.hledger.org)&nbsp;(bugs), [issues.hledger.org](http://issues.hledger.org)&nbsp;(all), [open issues](CONTRIBUTING.html#open-issues)&nbsp;(overview)</small>
| Other:            | <small>[simon@joyful.com](mailto:simon@joyful.com)</small>
</div> <!-- column -->

</div>
<div class="col-sm-3">

<div id=reference class=contentbox>
## Reference

**[Release notes](release-notes.html)**\
What's new in each hledger version.

**[User manual](manual.html)**\
The main hledger manuals combined on one page for easy searching.
Includes:

<div class=subcontent>
[hledger](hledger.html)\
the command-line UI

[hledger-ui](hledger-ui.html)\
a curses-style UI

[hledger-web](hledger-web.html)\
a web UI

[hledger-api](hledger-api.html)\
a HTTP JSON server

[journal format](journal.html)\
hledger's native file format

[csv format](csv.html)\
hledger's CSV import system

[timeclock format](timeclock.html)\
a file format for precise time logging

[timedot format](timedot.html)\
a file format for human-friendly approximate time logging
</div>
</div>

<div id=dev class=contentbox>
## Contribute

**[Contributor Guide](CONTRIBUTING.html)**\
What's to do and how to do it

**Help fund hledger!**\
Making good software and documentation costs a lot.

<a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=5J33NLXYXCYAY"><img width=62 height=31 border=0 src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/x-click-but04.gif" title="Give one time or recurringly with Paypal" alt="paypal"></a>
<a href="https://opencollective.com/hledger#support"><img border="0" src="https://opencollective.com/hledger/backers/badge.svg" title="Back us with a monthly donation at Open Collective" alt="open collective backers"></a>
<a href="https://opencollective.com/hledger#support"><img border="0" src="https://opencollective.com/hledger/sponsors/badge.svg" title="Sponsor us with a $100+ monthly donation at Open Collective and get your organization's logo on our README" alt="open collective sponsors"></a>
\
<a href="https://www.bountysource.com/trackers/536505-simonmichael-hledger"><img border=0 src="https://www.bountysource.com/badge/tracker?tracker_id=536505" title="Contribute or claim issue bounties via Bountysource" alt="bountysource"></a>
<!-- <a href="https://flattr.com/submit/auto?user_id=simonmichael&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fhledger.org" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//api.flattr.com/button/flattr-badge-large.png" alt="" title="Give monthly with Flattr" alt="flattr"></a> -->

</div>


</div> <!-- column -->
<div class="col-sm-4">

<div id=wiki class=contentbox>
<div class=subcontent>
<!-- WIKICONTENT -->
## [[Cookbook|Home]]

### Getting started

[[hledger basics tutorial]]  
[[hledger terminology]]  
[[Create a journal]]  
[[hledger accounting concepts]]   
[[Common journal entries]]  
[[FAQ]]  
[[Accounting links]]  

### Managing data

[[Convert CSV files]]  
[[Customize default CSV accounts]]  
[[Track changes with version control]]  
[[Use another account separator character]]  

### Reporting

[[Queries]]  
[[hledger tags tutorial]]  
[[Rewrite account names]]  

### Real world setups

[[About real world setup docs]]  
["Full-fledged Hledger" tutorial](https://github.com/adept/full-fledged-hledger)&nbsp;&rarr;  
["hledger: Make It So" tutorial & slideshow](https://github.com/apauley/hledger-makeitso)&nbsp;&rarr;  
[[Simons setup]]  

### Accounting tasks

[[hledger multicurrency tutorial]]  
[[Foreign trip expenses]]  
[[Budgeting and forecasting]]  
[[Project accounting]]  
[[Track investments]]  
[[Time planning]]

### Usage tips

[[Addons]]  
[[Command-line completion]]  
[[Editor configuration]]  
[[hledger-web tips]]  
[[Mobile apps]]  
[[Save frequently used options]]  
[[Scripting]]  

### See also...

[plaintextaccounting.org](http://plaintextaccounting.org)
([software](http://plaintextaccounting.org/#software),
[docs](http://plaintextaccounting.org/#docs),
[common&nbsp;tasks](http://plaintextaccounting.org/#common-tasks),
[discussion](http://plaintextaccounting.org/#discussion))
&nbsp;&rarr;  
[Ledger](http://ledger-cli.org)
([docs](https://www.ledger-cli.org/docs.html),
[wiki](https://github.com/ledger/ledger/wiki))
&nbsp;&rarr;  
[Beancount](http://furius.ca/beancount)
([docs](http://furius.ca/beancount/doc/index))
&nbsp;&rarr;  
<!-- ENDWIKICONTENT -->
</div>
</div>

</div> <!-- column -->
</div> <!-- row -->
</div> <!-- container -->