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Personal Finance · head to head

GnuCash vs Personal Capital

GnuCash logo

GnuCash

Personal Finance

Personal finance and accounting software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Personal Capital logo

Personal Capital

Personal Finance

Invest wisely, retire confidently

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GnuCash desktop only, with no mobile application; Personal Capital wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • They diverge on capability: GnuCash covers Double-entry bookkeeping, Personal Capital covers Investment tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GnuCash and Personal Capital actually diverge.

Attributes where GnuCash and Personal Capital differ
AttributeGnuCashPersonal Capital
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxWeb, IOS, Android
Founded19972010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GnuCash

  • Double-entry bookkeeping
  • Multi-currency support
  • Reports and graphs
  • Budget tracking
  • Import/Export
  • OFX format
  • Windows support
  • Mac support

Only in Personal Capital

  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement calculator
  • Fee analyzer
  • Net worth tracking
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Real estate
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GnuCash

  • Personal finance tracking with a checkbook register interfacenot Personal Capital
  • Double-entry bookkeeping for a small businessnot Personal Capital
  • Tracking stocks, bonds and mutual fund accountsnot Personal Capital
  • Importing transactions via QIF, OFX or HBCInot Personal Capital
  • Scheduled recurring transactions and financial reportsnot Personal Capital

Personal Capital

  • Tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboardnot GnuCash
  • Managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investorsnot GnuCash
  • Retirement planning projections across linked accountsnot GnuCash

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GnuCash

  • Desktop only, with no mobile application
  • Version 3.11 is the last release supporting Windows 7 and macOS 10.12 and earlier
  • Uses strict double-entry accounting, so every transaction needs two sides

Personal Capital

  • Wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
  • The annual advisory fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management on a tiered structure rather than a flat subscription
  • Assets are custodied at Pershing Advisor Solutions rather than by the provider itself

Pricing, plan by plan

GnuCash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Double-entry bookkeeping
    • Multi-currency support
    • Reports and graphs

Personal Capital

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Account tracking
    • Net worth monitoring
    • Investment analysis
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Financial advisor access
    • Personalized advice

Which should you pick?

Choose GnuCash if

  • You need double-entry bookkeeping.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
  • You also want multi-currency support.
GnuCash review

Choose Personal Capital if

  • You need investment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement calculator.
Personal Capital review

Questions people ask

Is GnuCash or Personal Capital better?
Neither clearly leads. GnuCash starts at Free and Personal Capital at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GnuCash or Personal Capital?
GnuCash starts at Free and Personal Capital at Free.
Does GnuCash or Personal Capital run on more platforms?
GnuCash runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Personal Capital runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use GnuCash for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GnuCash best used for?
GnuCash is most often used for personal finance tracking with a checkbook register interface, double-entry bookkeeping for a small business, tracking stocks, bonds and mutual fund accounts, importing transactions via qif, ofx or hbci. Of those, personal finance tracking with a checkbook register interface and double-entry bookkeeping for a small business are not what Personal Capital is typically brought in for.
What can GnuCash do that Personal Capital cannot?
GnuCash covers Double-entry bookkeeping, Multi-currency support, Reports and graphs, Budget tracking. Personal Capital covers Investment tracking, Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking.
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