# Simple mode vs Accountant mode

> OneBooks shows the same books in two vocabularies — plain language for owners, accounting terms for accountants. Pick per user, switch any time.

Canonical: https://docs.getonebooks.com/getting-started/modes/
Language: en
Documentation index: https://docs.getonebooks.com/llms.txt

Every user picks a **display mode**. It changes the words on screen and which advanced screens appear; it never changes the data. A shop owner in Simple mode and their accountant in Accountant mode work in the same books at the same time.

![The Display Mode section in Settings, offering Simple Mode and Accountant Mode cards](https://docs.getonebooks.com/screenshots/en/nav-mode-switch.webp)

## What each mode shows

**Simple mode**

For owners and managers who want straightforward invoicing.

- Plain-language terms: **Money Earned**, **Money Spent**, **Who Owes Me**, **What I Owe**, **Activity** instead of revenue, expenses, receivables, payables and journal.
- The **Accounting** group (journal entries, contra, chart of accounts, bank reconciliation) is hidden from the sidebar.
- The dashboard focuses on money earned and owed.

![The dashboard in Simple mode with plain-language labels](https://docs.getonebooks.com/screenshots/en/dashboard-overview.webp)

**Accountant mode**

Full accounting features with professional terminology.

- Standard terms: debits, credits, journal entries, accounts receivable and payable.
- The **Accounting** group appears: journal entries, contra transfers, chart of accounts, bank reconciliation.
- Every document offers **View Journal** so you can see the exact lines it posted.
- Reports use account codes and formal statement layouts.

![The dashboard in Accountant mode with the Accounting group visible in the sidebar](https://docs.getonebooks.com/screenshots/en/dashboard-accountant.webp)

## Terminology map

| Simple mode | Accountant mode |
|---|---|
| Money Earned | Revenue |
| Money Spent | Expenses |
| Who Owes Me | Receivables (Accounts Receivable) |
| What I Owe | Payables (Accounts Payable) |
| Overdue Bills | Overdue Payables |
| Activity / Activity Log | Journal Entry / Journal |
| Category | Account |
| Complete | Balanced |

## Switch modes

1. Open your user menu at the bottom of the sidebar and select **Settings**.
2. Open **General** and choose **Simple Mode** or **Accountant Mode** under **Display Mode**.

The change applies immediately, only to you. New users start in the business's default mode.

## Related

  - [How the ledger works](https://docs.getonebooks.com/accounting/how-it-works/) — What Accountant mode reveals.
  - [Preferences](https://docs.getonebooks.com/settings/preferences/)