☕ Daily sales
Type in your end-of-day register totals: sales, sales tax collected, tips, cash and card. Sales tax is kept separate, so you know what you owe the state.
Free bookkeeping for Windows
Keep your small-business books by lantern light — on your own PC.
LanternLedger tracks your daily sales, invoices, expenses, mileage and taxes in plain language. No account, no subscription, no cloud. Your books never leave your computer.
Version 1.0.1 · Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) · about 225 MB · Terms of use
Made for people who just opened their doors
New sole proprietors and single-member LLC owners. Coffee shops, food trucks, salons, makers, landscapers, freelancers. If you want tidy books without learning accounting software, LanternLedger is for you.
Everything a small shop needs, nothing it doesn’t
🧾 Invoices
Make clean, printable invoices with your logo. Save them as PDF, mark them paid, and see who still owes you.
💳 Expenses & receipts
Log what you spend, sorted into tax-friendly categories. Attach a photo of the receipt. Note which card paid.
🚗 Mileage
Write down business trips and LanternLedger works out the deduction with the IRS rate for that date.
🤝 Contractors & 1099s
Record what you pay helpers and see who crossed the line for a 1099 at year end.
🏠 Owner draws
Track the money you take home for yourself, kept apart from business expenses.
📊 Profit & loss
See money in, money out, and what’s left for any date range. Export it for your tax preparer.
🗓️ Estimated taxes
The IRS quarterly due dates in plain English, how to pay, and a ballpark of what to set aside.
🛟 Automatic backups
Backup copies of your books are saved for you automatically. Export everything to a file, or restore an earlier copy in a couple of clicks.
A look inside
Shown with made-up books for “Porchlight Coffee.”
Is it safe?
No account, no login
There’s nothing to sign up for. Install it and start.
Your data never leaves your PC
Your books are saved in a folder on your computer (%APPDATA%\LanternLedger). Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Automatic backups
LanternLedger makes backup copies of your books automatically while you work and keeps a daily copy for the last 30 days. You can also export a full copy to a USB drive or another folder, and restore from it.
Check the download yourself
Every file has a unique fingerprint (called a SHA-256). The fingerprint of LanternLedger.Setup.exe (version 1.0.1) is:
fc578f16d22adbe888a17a8a2d7776b48ddd25f1e4b47276b5d4be32e5a74120
To compare: in File Explorer, open your Downloads folder, click the address bar, type powershell and press Enter. Then type Get-FileHash .\LanternLedger.Setup.exe and press Enter. The long number should match the one above. Want a second opinion? You can scan the file for free at VirusTotal.
Installing: “Windows protected your PC”
LanternLedger is made by one person and isn’t “signed” with a paid Microsoft certificate yet, so Windows doesn’t recognize the publisher and shows a blue warning the first time. That’s expected. Here’s how to get past it:
- Download LanternLedger.Setup.exe. If your browser says the file “isn’t commonly downloaded,” choose Keep (in Edge: click … → Keep → Show more → Keep anyway).
- Double-click the file to open it.
- If you see “Windows protected your PC,” click More info.
- Check that it says App: LanternLedger.Setup.exe, then click Run anyway.
- Follow the installer. LanternLedger opens when it’s done and adds a desktop shortcut.
System requirements
- Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit
- About 500 MB of free disk space
- No internet needed to use it (only to download and check for updates)
Updating
In the app, open Settings → App updates → Check for updates. Installing a newer version keeps your books right where they are.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. No trial, no subscription, no ads. If it helps your business, you can buy me a coffee — totally optional.
Is there a Mac version?
Not right now. LanternLedger is Windows-only (Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit).
Where is my data kept?
On your computer, in %APPDATA%\LanternLedger (paste that into the File Explorer address bar to open it). It isn’t sent to any server, and uninstalling the app does not delete your books.
What about backups?
LanternLedger saves backup copies automatically while you work and keeps a daily copy for the last 30 days. In Settings you can export your books to a file, choose a second backup folder (like a USB drive or OneDrive), and restore an earlier copy. Your computer can still fail, so keep a copy somewhere else too.
Will it do my taxes?
No. The tax pages are guidance, not tax advice: they organize your numbers, list IRS due dates, and give a ballpark. LanternLedger doesn’t file anything or send money. Check important decisions with a CPA, enrolled agent, or the IRS.
Is it a QuickBooks replacement?
For many very small businesses, yes — if you mostly need sales, invoices, expenses, mileage and a profit & loss. It doesn’t do bank feeds, payroll tax filing, or double-entry accounting.
Do I need to be online?
No. It works fully offline. You only need the internet to download it and to check for updates.
Why does Windows warn me when I install it?
Because the installer isn’t signed with a paid certificate yet. See Install help above for the two clicks to get past it, and Is it safe? to check the file’s fingerprint.
I found a problem or have an idea.
Please email Mstidham345@gmail.com. Every message gets read.
Light the lantern on your books.
Download LanternLedger — freeWindows 10 or 11 (64-bit) · No account needed