Scutum ledger is an excel file. If you already have Excel, Scutum ledger is free of charge. You can see clearly how the excel performs the calculations by reviewing the formulas. It needs advanced excel knowledge but there will be posts which explains the formulas in more detail. You can tailor the excel file to your own needs but please indicate that the original file is from ScutumSoft. An important customization is the creation of diagrams. For example, the diagram below show how the net profit of some investment changes in 9 months.
Ledger Commander is useful if you want to reduce the time needed to keep your records up to date. If you have just one account and rarely buy shares or bonds then Scutum ledger might be enough for you. If you have more than five thousands transactions then the recalculation time of the excel table can be annoying. You can set "Formulas / Calculation option / Manual" so the Excel does not calculate after every cell modification but this is a workaround not a solution.
Lc contains a lot of function to make your life easier. These are single things but they add up in the long run. For example, at the Dates tab there is button to insert a new date into the table. The default value is the first month of the current month. So instead of inserting a new row and setting the date manually, you just push a button. Ledger commander will have a subscription fee but it is free for the trial period and there will be promotion codes as well. Do not forget that Lc can import from and export to your scutum ledger file.
All in all, you can start with Scutum ledger. It helps you to understand what is going on behind the scenes. Later it is worth trying out Lc because it reduces your work. But remember Lc is just a tool, it helps you but do not work instead of you.
