Clear Books vs GnuCash Comparison
Compare Clear Books vs GnuCash features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Clear Books
5.9/10
UK cloud accounting software for sole traders, landlords, small companies and accountants, with HMRC Making Tax Digital filing, bank feeds, invoicing and payroll.
GnuCash
5.1/10
Free, open-source desktop double-entry accounting software for individuals and small businesses on Windows, macOS and Linux, with invoicing, payables and receivables.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.9/10 | 5.1/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 3/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 4/10 |
| Integration | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 10/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | £5/mo Property | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Property Free | Free Free (open source) |
| Features | ||
| Online Payments | ||
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Budgeting and Forecasting | ||
| Financial Reporting | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Accountant Access | Not listed | |
| Audit Trail | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
Clear Books vs GnuCash cost by team size
| Team size | Clear Books | GnuCash |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeProperty Free | FreeFree (open source) |
| 5 users | FreeProperty Free | FreeFree (open source) |
| 10 users | FreeProperty Free | FreeFree (open source) |
| 25 users | FreeProperty Free | FreeFree (open source) |
| 50 users | FreeProperty Free | FreeFree (open source) |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Clear Books
- Higher Compliance score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for accountants and bookkeepers (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Includes Online Payments, which GnuCash lacks
Why choose GnuCash
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 8/10)
Pros & Cons
Clear Books
Pros
- Free MTD Income Tax plans for sole traders and landlords have no transaction limits.
- It is on HMRC's list of MTD-compatible software for both VAT and Income Tax Self Assessment.
- CIS reporting is built in, which suits UK construction contractors and subcontractors.
- Company plans cost £16 to £44 a month, with up to 20% off for two-year billing and no setup or per-invoice fees.
- Trustpilot reviewers rate it 4.3 out of 5 from 477 reviews and often praise quick, friendly support.
Cons
- It follows UK tax rules only, so it does not suit businesses outside the UK.
- Multi-currency, expense claims and project accounting require the top £44 Large plan.
- Users report that editing or deleting entries is awkward and that voiding is the workaround.
- Its integration ecosystem is small compared with Xero or QuickBooks.
- Some reviewers say email support replies can be slow.
GnuCash
Pros
- Completely free under the GPL, with no subscription tiers or paywalled features.
- Data stays offline on your own machine in XML or SQL storage, which avoids vendor lock-in.
- Proper double-entry ledger with scheduled transactions and bank and credit card reconciliation.
- Multi-currency accounts with online exchange rates, plus stock and fund portfolio tracking.
- Invoicing, credit notes, payables and receivables, and VAT/GST tracking are included for small businesses.
- Reports can be customised with Scheme scripting, and development continues with regular 5.x releases.
Cons
- Desktop-only with no cloud sync, so sharing with an accountant means transferring files by hand.
- No automatic bank feeds: transactions are entered by hand or imported from OFX, QIF or CSV files.
- No online invoice payments, and payroll support is limited.
- Reviewers on Capterra and Beancount.io describe a dated interface and a steep learning curve for people without accounting knowledge.
- Users report files with long histories taking a minute or more to load.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear Books scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 5.9/10 against 5.1/10 for GnuCash. The largest gap is in Compliance: 8/10 for Clear Books and 4/10 for GnuCash.
Yes, both Clear Books and GnuCash have a free plan.
Clear Books is the better fit for accountants and bookkeepers: we rate it 6/10 for them, against 4/10 for GnuCash.
Clear Books has Online Payments, which GnuCash lacks.
