The CaseWare alternative for small accounting firms

By Nabil Nachi, tax specialistOctober 4, 2026

CaseWare is the reference for working papers in Canada. Nearly every accountant learned it, often at a large firm, often for audit. So did we.

When our team went looking for something else, it was first so that several people could work in the same file at the same time, without a server in the office and without a VPN. We also listened to the people around us. Most of the accountants we know said the same thing: they found the tool heavy, and a little dated, for putting together a simple compilation engagement.

We are a small team of tax specialists and CPAs, in Montreal and in Kanata, Ontario. So we built Ledger for that firm, the one that prepares financial statements, working papers and tax returns, and wants to do it faster, in one place.

Who Ledger is for

Ledger is best suited to firms of 1 to 10 people whose work is mainly compilation engagements (CSRS 4200) and tax. They work today with CaseWare Working Papers, Excel workbooks or a mix of both, and they want a clear price, with nothing to install and no server to manage.

What changes day to day

In Ledger, the whole team works in the same file, online. While one person posts the adjustments, another reviews the financial statements and sees the changes right away. There is no copy of the file to sync and no conflict to sort out afterwards. Everything happens in the browser, on Windows or Mac, with no server in the office, no VPN and no software to install. Data is hosted in Canada.

Information about CaseWare taken from Caseware's public documentation, consulted on October 25, 2026. Sources at the bottom of the page.

Ledger also does, in the same file as the year-end:

• Working papers: capital assets, long-term debt, sales taxes, income taxes and more. The calculations and the adjusting entry are done for you.
• Bookkeeping: bank statement import, categorization and the sales tax report, with GST and QST for Quebec and HST for Ontario.
• QuickBooks Online: import the client's trial balance, then send your adjusting entries back to their QuickBooks.
• Financial statements in English or French, from the same file.
• The client portal: request, receive and have documents signed (Premium plan).

Standard: $1,500 a year per firm, one user included, $500 per additional user. Premium, with the client portal and questionnaires: $2,000 a year, $750 per additional user. Also available monthly: $150 a month (Standard) or $200 a month (Premium), plus $50 or $75 a month per additional user. Taxes extra.

Ledger or CaseWare: which one is best for your firm?

• You mainly do compilations and tax, with 1 to 10 people. Ledger covers the file from start to finish, at a published price, with no server and no outside subscription.
• You do many review engagements with the PEG methodology. CaseWare is best if you rely on the PEG templates. Ledger also offers review engagements, as an add-on module.
• Audit is a significant part of your practice. Keep CaseWare: Ledger does not do audits.
• You have invested years in custom templates or complex consolidated files. CaseWare remains the safer choice.
• You do a bit of everything. Many firms keep both: CaseWare for audit and review, Ledger for compilations and bookkeeping.

Moving from CaseWare to Ledger

The move happens file by file, as your year-ends come up. Your existing CaseWare files stay where they are, for past years.

For the next fiscal year, you export the trial balance from CaseWare to Excel or CSV, with the prior year, and import it into Ledger. Your comparative figures are in place. You then map the accounts to their groupings (GIFI), and Ledger remembers them for the following years. All that's left is to build the file: adjustments, working papers, financial statements, compilation report.

During the one-hour walkthrough that comes with the trial, we build a complete file with you, so you see the result before migrating anything.

Frequently asked questions

How much does CaseWare cost?

Caseware does not show its prices on its website: you have to ask for a quote (checked on October 25, 2026). The price depends on the number of users and the products chosen. To use the PEG templates, you also need a subscription from CPA Canada. Ledger's price is published: $1,500 a year for the Standard plan, one user included.

Can several people work in a CaseWare file?

Yes, with SmartSync. Each person works in their own copy of the file, synced with a parent file. To avoid conflicts, a document can be locked, and others then open it read-only. In Ledger there is no copy: everyone works in the same file online.

Does Ledger replace Caseware Cloud?

For compilations, yes. Caseware Cloud brings together several applications, including ReviewComp for review and compilation engagements. Ledger covers compilations, working papers, bookkeeping and the GIFI. It does not do audits; review engagements are offered as an add-on module.

Does Ledger do audits?

No. Ledger is built for compilation engagements and tax. For audit, CaseWare remains the reference tool.

Can a CaseWare file be imported directly?

Not the engagement file itself. You import the trial balance, exported from CaseWare to Excel or CSV, with the prior year. That's what carries all the balances.

Does the compilation report follow CSRS 4200?

Yes. The compilation engagement report follows CSRS 4200, the standard that replaced the Notice to Reader.

Is a PEG subscription required?

No. Ledger does not require any outside subscription.

How long does it take to get up and running?

About as long as the one-hour walkthrough: we build a first file with you. After that, the help center and its video tutorials cover every working paper.