Is LineLedger a realistic replacement for Xero?

For the bookkeeping core, yes: double-entry general ledger, invoicing and bills, VAT with a nine-box return, multi-currency, inventory, fixed assets, and reports you can drill into. What you give up is the hosted convenience — you run the server — and bank feeds, which are on our roadmap.

What about bank feeds?

LineLedger has no live bank connection. You import a statement — CSV, Excel, OFX/QFX/QBO or PDF — and the importer matches it against your books, suggests the payee, account and tax code, and can settle open bills from a line. Live feeds are on our roadmap.

Will my price go up every year?

There is no price to raise. LineLedger is free software you install on your own server, with every feature on and nothing metered as you add users. It is published under the AGPLv3, so the copy you are running stays yours.

Can I get my data back out if I leave?

Anytime. Export your whole company to a portable ZIP, plus CSV and XLSX from every report. No export tiers, no retrieval fees — your books are yours.

The honest, open source alternative to Xero.

Xero is good software with a subscription attached — and a price that moves. LineLedger is free software you install yourself: every feature on, no seats to count, and the source published under the AGPLv3 so you can read exactly how your books are kept.

Get LineLedger See pricing →

Comparison as of October 2026.

This page compares the bookkeeping core. LineLedger prepares a VAT return — all nine boxes, worked out from your ledger — but it does not submit anything to HMRC, so a Making Tax Digital comparison would not be honest and we leave it out. LineLedger does no UK payroll at all — no PAYE, no RTI, no CIS — so that is out of scope too.

What you actually pay

LineLedger is one flat price that doesn’t ratchet. Xero sells tiered plans with caps on invoices, bills, and features — and its terms reserve the right to change pricing. Its advertised discount is introductory and expires after three months.

LineLedger

$0 / mo — you run it

Everything on. No tiers, no caps, no metered extras.

Unlimited invoices, bills, and users
Full multi-currency included
Inventory, budgets, classes & locations
Portable ZIP export — leave anytime
No add-on charged per person or per payment

Xero

£7–£70/mo by tier, excluding VAT

Billed monthly, with tier upgrades and add-ons on top.

Simple £7: non-VAT-registered only, 10 invoices a month
Ignite £18: 20 invoices and 10 bills a month
Grow £39: unlimited invoices and bills, no multi-currency
Comprehensive £55 adds multi-currency; Ultimate £70
UK prices rose on 1 September 2026

Same books	LineLedger	Xero
VAT registered, 30 invoices a month	£0	£39/mo Ignite caps at 20 invoices → Grow
Invoicing in euros and dollars	£0	£55/mo multi-currency starts at Comprehensive
Five people on payroll	£0 + your payroll provider	£55/mo Comprehensive includes payroll for five

Xero figures are current UK list pricing from xero.com, excluding VAT and promotional discounts as of October 2026. Source.

Feature for feature

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

Capability	LineLedger	Xero
What it costs	£0 — you run it	£7–£70/mo by tier, ex-VAT
Users included	Unlimited	Unlimited
Runs on your own server	Yes	No
Open source — audit, patch, or fork (AGPLv3)	Yes	No
Monthly document caps	None	Simple and Ignite are capped
Full multi-currency	Included	Comprehensive and up
VAT return worked out from the books	All nine boxes	Yes
Submits the VAT return to HMRC LineLedger prepares the nine boxes; you file them through Making Tax Digital software.	No	Yes
UK payroll (PAYE & RTI) Xero bills payroll per person per month on top of the plan. LineLedger does no UK payroll at all: post your provider’s pay run as a journal entry.	No	Included, charged per person
Price rises	No price to raise	UK prices raised 1 September 2026
Automatic bank feeds	On roadmap	Yes

What it costs

LineLedger £0 — you run it

Xero £7–£70/mo by tier, ex-VAT

Users included

LineLedger Unlimited

Xero Unlimited

Runs on your own server

LineLedger

Xero

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

LineLedger

Xero

Monthly document caps

LineLedger None

Xero Simple and Ignite are capped

Full multi-currency

LineLedger Included

Xero Comprehensive and up

VAT return worked out from the books

LineLedger All nine boxes

Xero

Submits the VAT return to HMRC

LineLedger prepares the nine boxes; you file them through Making Tax Digital software.

LineLedger

Xero

UK payroll (PAYE & RTI)

Xero bills payroll per person per month on top of the plan. LineLedger does no UK payroll at all: post your provider’s pay run as a journal entry.

LineLedger

Xero Included, charged per person

Price rises

LineLedger No price to raise

Xero UK prices raised 1 September 2026

Automatic bank feeds

LineLedger On roadmap

Xero

🧾

A real double-entry core

Not a single-entry chequebook with a dashboard — a proper ledger that always ties out, with full multi-currency for cross-border work.

🔍

Read the code

LineLedger is open source under the AGPLv3. Audit exactly how your books are calculated — or run your own build.

💸

No price at all

Every feature on, unlimited users, as many companies as you like. No tiers to climb, no seats to count, and no invoice from us — ever.

Common questions

Is LineLedger a realistic replacement for Xero?: For the bookkeeping core, yes: double-entry general ledger, invoicing and bills, VAT with a nine-box return, multi-currency, inventory, fixed assets, and reports you can drill into. What you give up is the hosted convenience — you run the server — and bank feeds, which are on our roadmap.
What about bank feeds?: LineLedger has no live bank connection. You import a statement — CSV, Excel, OFX/QFX/QBO or PDF — and the importer matches it against your books, suggests the payee, account and tax code, and can settle open bills from a line. Live feeds are on our roadmap.
Will my price go up every year?: There is no price to raise. LineLedger is free software you install on your own server, with every feature on and nothing metered as you add users. It is published under the AGPLv3, so the copy you are running stays yours.
Can I get my data back out if I leave?: Anytime. Export your whole company to a portable ZIP, plus CSV and XLSX from every report. No export tiers, no retrieval fees — your books are yours.

Weighing other options?

See how LineLedger stacks up elsewhere — or start from the full roundup.

vs QuickBooks →vs Wave →vs FreshBooks →vs Zoho Books → All QuickBooks alternatives → Price-hike calculator →

See the difference on your own books.

Install it with Docker in about five minutes and every feature is on. No account, no subscription, no per-company charge — just your own server and the AGPLv3.

Get LineLedger What it costs to run

Xero is a trademark of Xero Limited, used here for identification and comparison only. LineLedger is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Xero Limited. Comparison based on publicly available information as of October 2026; pricing and features may have changed — see the source.