ShopBooks Blog
Field notes on subscription-free, local-first bookkeeping for makers, freelancers, and one-person shops of every discipline — written from the same bench where ShopBooks got built, out of one luthier's stubborn refusal to keep renting his books back from Intuit.
The Best Subscription-Free QuickBooks Alternative for Freelancers (2026)
Tired of paying monthly for QuickBooks? Here's how to run your freelance bookkeeping locally, privately, and subscription-free — plus how the free options really compare.
Bookkeeping for Woodworkers & Makers: A Simple Schedule C Guide
A plain-English bookkeeping guide for woodworkers and makers: what to track, cash vs. accrual, expense categories, and how to be ready for Schedule C at tax time.
ShopBooks vs. QuickBooks Online: Local, Private Accounting Compared
A side-by-side comparison of ShopBooks and QuickBooks Online for one-person businesses: cost, data ownership, privacy, features, and who each is really for.
Own Your Financial Data: Why Local-First Accounting Beats the Cloud
Cloud accounting rents you access to your own books. Here's the case for local-first, open-source bookkeeping — durability, privacy, and true data ownership.