Side by side

Clear Books vs GnuCash

Both stand on salon accounting software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Clear Books

Free plan AndroidiPhoneWeb

Clear Books covers core accounting tasks alongside UK tax features and accountant access. Its free options have defined property scope, while paid plans begin at £5 per month plus VAT.

Visit Clear Books

GnuCash

Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+4

GnuCash provides free desktop accounting for personal finances and small-business workflows, with reports, imports, and business tools. Its default XML storage is distinct from experimental database support, so users should account for that limitation.

Visit GnuCash

The facts

	Clear Books	GnuCash
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Yes
Runs on	Android, iPhone, Web	Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Sole Trader: £5 a month	Free or on request
Plans published	10	1
Maker	Clear Books	GnuCash
Website	clearbooks.co.uk	gnucash.org
On salon accounting software	#3 of 29	#1 of 29

Clear Books: what it does well

Forever-free options for sole traders and landlords
No transaction limits on free plans
Branded, recurring invoices and late-payment reminders
Bank feeds include automated matching on specified plans
Android, iOS and browser access

What to know first

Paid plans start at £5 per month plus VAT
Property Free covers one property or grouped properties
Foreign Property Free covers one overseas property

GnuCash: what it does well

Free under the GNU GPL.
Includes double-entry accounting.
Offers small-business invoicing and bill-payment tools.
Imports QIF and OFX files.
Provides customizable reports and charts.

What to know first

Database support beyond XML is experimental.
Some reported database corner cases involve data loss.
Main application is unavailable for iOS and iPadOS.
Separate Android app appears abandoned.

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