beancount
Command-line Double-Entry Accounting
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you want a text-based accounting system that integrates with your development workflow. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and three lightweight dependencies. The GPL-2.0-only license is not a barrier for personal or internal use but matters if you plan to redistribute or embed it in proprietary software. Medium install friction is typical for compiled packages.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9 or later; a Beancount-format text file is needed to load transactions.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; actively maintained with recent commits and a substantial user base.
- Requires Python 3.9 or later.
License · maintenance · safety
GPL-2.0-only (copyleft) — GPL-2.0-only copyleft license means any derivative work or modification must also be released under GPL-2.0. This restricts commercial redistribution or proprietary extensions without source disclosure.
last release 2026-05-05 (101 days) · last repo commit 2026-05-18 · 5,902 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 147,941 downloads/mo, #11,047 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install beancount
from beancount import loader
entries, errors, options = loader.load_file('ledger.beancount')- Whether the web interface and HTML report rendering require additional dependencies beyond click, python-dateutil, and regex.
- Performance characteristics when handling large transaction files or complex queries.
- Availability of plugins or extensions for automating external data conversion beyond the scaffolding mentioned.
What it is and what it does
Beancount is a command-line double-entry accounting system designed for developers and power users who want to track finances in plain text. You write financial transactions in a simple text-based format, load them into memory, and generate reports such as balance sheets and income statements, or query the data using an SQL-like language. It also includes a web interface to render reports to HTML and provides infrastructure to automate conversion of external financial data into Beancount syntax.
The package is actively maintained, has an engaged user base, and depends on only three common libraries: click, python-dateutil, and regex. It requires Python 3.9 or later and is released under GPL-2.0-only, which means any modifications or derived works must also be open-source under the same license.
Use it for
- Track personal finances in version-controlled text files alongside code repositories.
- Generate monthly or annual balance sheets and income statements from transaction records.
- Query and aggregate financial data across multiple accounts using SQL-like syntax.
- Automate import of bank statements or investment data into a unified ledger format.
- Build custom financial reports by parsing Beancount's in-memory transaction objects.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you want a text-based accounting system that integrates with your development workflow.
The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and three lightweight dependencies. The GPL-2.0-only license is not a barrier for personal or internal use but matters if you plan to redistribute or embed it in proprietary software. Medium install friction is typical for compiled packages.
Install
beancount on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; actively maintained with recent commits and a substantial user base. Requires Python 3.9 or later. Three lightweight runtime dependencies with no known security vulnerabilities.
Requires Python 3.9 or later; a Beancount-format text file is needed to load transactions.
License in practice
GPL-2.0-only copyleft license means any derivative work or modification must also be released under GPL-2.0. This restricts commercial redistribution or proprietary extensions without source disclosure.
Quickstart
pip install beancount
from beancount import loader
entries, errors, options = loader.load_file('ledger.beancount')Verify before relying
- Whether the web interface and HTML report rendering require additional dependencies beyond click, python-dateutil, and regex.
- Performance characteristics when handling large transaction files or complex queries.
- Availability of plugins or extensions for automating external data conversion beyond the scaffolding mentioned.
Package facts
| License | GPL-2.0-only copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagesclickpython-dateutilregex |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 101 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 147,941 / month, #11,047 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: beancount-3.2.3-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp312-cp312-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp312-cp312-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp312-cp312-win32.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; beancount-3.2.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl
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