Getting Started
Welcome to Gäld — open-source accounting for Swiss freelancers and small businesses.
Prerequisites
Choose one of the two installation methods:
| Method | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Docker | Docker + Docker Compose |
| Manual | PHP 8.4+, PostgreSQL 15+, Redis 7+, Node.js 20+ and pnpm |
Quick Start with Docker
git clone https://github.com/Scanix/Gaeld.git
cd Gaeld/api
cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d --wait
./vendor/bin/sail artisan gaeld:install
Open http://localhost:8080. The setup wizard will guide you through creating your organisation and administrator account.
To seed the database with sample data (invoices, expenses, contacts) for testing:
./vendor/bin/sail artisan gaeld:install --demo
Manual Installation
git clone https://github.com/Scanix/Gaeld.git
cd Gaeld/api
composer install
pnpm install && pnpm run build
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env — set DB_*, APP_URL, REDIS_HOST
php artisan key:generate
php artisan gaeld:install
php artisan serve
Open http://localhost:8000.
The Setup Wizard
On first launch, gaeld:install (or the web wizard) asks for:
- Organisation name — your company or trading name
- Country — Switzerland (CH) is selected by default
- Fiscal year start — January 1 by default
- Administrator email and password
The Swiss chart of accounts (Kontenrahmen KMU) and VAT rates (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8%, 0%) are seeded automatically.
Keeping Up To Date
After pulling a new version:
# Docker
./vendor/bin/sail artisan gaeld:update
# Manual install
php artisan gaeld:update
This runs pending migrations, clears caches, and restarts the queue worker safely.
What to Do Next
- Accounting Basics — understand double-entry bookkeeping in Gäld
- Invoices — create and send your first invoice
- Expenses — record a business expense
- Banking — import a bank statement and reconcile
- VAT — manage Swiss MWST
- Self-Hosting — deploy on your own server