Cledgerbooks against what you are running now
Three honest columns. Where a general cloud suite is stronger, this page says so — the point is to help you choose, not to win an argument.
Cledgerbooks
One double-entry ledger with sales, purchases, banking and reporting reading from it directly.
Typical cloud suite
A broad platform with many modules, an app marketplace and a long feature list per tier.
Spreadsheets
Free, flexible and already on the machine. No structure beyond what the last person built.
The ledger
| Capability | Cledgerbooks | Typical cloud suite | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source of truth | One ledger, every screen reads it | Modules that sync on a schedule | Whatever the last person typed |
| Double entry | Enforced on every posting | Enforced | Only if you build it yourself |
| Permanent postings | Corrections reverse, never overwrite | Varies by tier | Version history at best |
| Period lock | Included, without removing access | Usually included | Not possible |
| Drill-down from a report | To the transaction and its attachment | To the transaction | Trace the formula yourself |
Day-to-day work
| Capability | Cledgerbooks | Typical cloud suite | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank statements | CSV or paste — no live feed yet | Open-banking feed included | Copy and paste |
| Bank reconciliation | Proposed match on every line | Rules once configured | Manual, line by line |
| Bank rules | All plans | Mid tier and up, typically | Not applicable |
| Multi-currency | All plans, six currencies | Top tier only, usually | Manual rate lookups |
| Receipt capture | Attach the file yourself — no OCR yet | Often a paid add-on | Type it in |
| Invoice delivery | Email and WhatsApp | Email, WhatsApp varies | Attach a PDF yourself |
| Time to first invoice | Under 10 minutes | Around half a day | Depends on the template |
Working with an accountant
| Capability | Cledgerbooks | Typical cloud suite | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisor access | Free invite on every plan | Free invite, usually | Send the file and hope |
| Practice workspace | Included on the Practice plan | A separate product | A folder of files |
| Client access | Own login, scoped to their books | Varies, often email | |
| Sales tax and VAT returns | Figures built from posted transactions | Built in | Rebuilt each period |
| Filing direct to a tax authority | Not yet — you file the figures | Built in for major regimes | Not possible |
Commercial
| Capability | Cledgerbooks | Typical cloud suite | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | From $12 per month | From roughly $25 per month | Included with the office suite |
| Onboarding and import | Included on every plan | Often paid or self-serve | Not applicable |
| Data export on exit | Full ledger as CSV and PDF, after cancellation too | Export available, scope varies | It is already your file |
| App marketplace | None — there is no public API yet | Very large | None |
Where we are not the answer
Every comparison page that claims to win on all fronts is worth less than one that tells you where to look elsewhere.
Large multi-entity groups
Consolidation across many subsidiaries with intercompany elimination is not in Cledgerbooks yet. A full suite will serve you better today.
Deep industry workflows
Manufacturing BOMs, job costing at trade scale and heavy inventory forecasting are outside what we do. We handle stock, not production planning.
A thousand integrations
There is no public API and no app marketplace yet. If your stack depends on connectors into your ledger, a suite will serve you better today.
A live bank feed
Statements come in by CSV upload or paste, not through an open-banking connection. The coding, rules and proposed matches on top of them are as good as anyone's — but somebody has to bring the file.
Statutory filing and UK payroll
Cledgerbooks produces the VAT return figures; it does not submit them to HMRC. There is no PAYE, NIC, RTI or CIS payroll. If you need to file from inside the software, you need a suite alongside it.
Moving across takes about a week
Most businesses switch at the start of a period. Onboarding and the data import are included on every plan, including the free trial.
- Day 1
Set up the organisation
Base currency, chart of accounts, tax rates and users. Import your existing chart if you have one.
- Day 1–2
Import balances and open items
Opening trial balance, unpaid invoices and unpaid bills, with a reconciliation against your old system.
- Day 2–3
Bring in the bank
Import statements back to the start of the period, then clear the backlog with rules and bulk coding.
- Day 4–7
Run both in parallel
Post one week in both systems and compare. Once the trial balances agree, close the old one.
Try it on last month before you commit
Import a period you have already closed and see whether the numbers agree. If they do not, you will know why before you move.