Firefly III
Focus: expenses and github. Shares personal finance and budgeting with Actual Budget. Rated 4.7 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.7Visit
Web App
Actual Budget
A local-first, open-source budgeting app built on envelope budgeting.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
Web, Windows, macOS
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Actual Budget?
Actual Budget is a free, open-source personal finance app that uses envelope budgeting, so every unit of money gets a job before you spend it. Your data stays on your device and syncs through a server you can host yourself, with optional end-to-end encryption, bank imports and detailed reports.
Pros: what Actual Budget does well
- Envelope budgeting done well
- Data stays under your control
- Optional end-to-end encryption
Cons: where it falls short
- Syncing needs a self-hosted or paid hosted server
- Bank sync only works in some regions
Who Actual Budget is for
People who want a private, hands-on budget without a monthly subscription.
Who can skip it
Anyone who wants fully automatic, set-and-forget spending tracking.
Actual Budget alternatives
Not sold on Actual Budget? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Money Manager Ex
Focus: expense tracking. Shares budgeting and personal finance with Actual Budget. A desktop app, not a web app. Adds Android and iOS. Rated 4.4 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.4Visit
Goodbudget
Focus: envelope budget and debt payoff. Shares budgeting and personal finance with Actual Budget. Freemium (Actual Budget: Free). Adds iOS and Android. Rated 4.5 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFree planWeb, iOS
4.5Visit
Wallos
Focus: subscriptions and github. Shares budgeting and self-hosted with Actual Budget. Rated 4.5 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.5Visit
Fava
Focus: accounting, finance and budget. Shares open source with Actual Budget. Rated 4.4 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.4Visit
Jellyfin
Focus: media server, streaming and home server. Shares self-hosted and open source with Actual Budget. Rated 4.7 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeCross-Platform
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to Actual Budget
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
Navidrome
Focus: music, streaming and audio. Shares self-hosted and open source with Actual Budget. Rated 4.7 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb, macOS
4.7Visit
Paperless-ngx
Focus: documents, ocr and github. Shares self-hosted and open source with Actual Budget. Rated 4.7 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb, Linux
4.7Visit
Vaultwarden
Focus: password manager, bitwarden and security. Shares self-hosted and open source with Actual Budget. Rated 4.7 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.7Visit
Dashy
Focus: dashboard, start page and github. Shares self-hosted and open source with Actual Budget. Same 4.6 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.6Visit
PhotoPrism
Focus: photo library, face recognition and backup. Shares self-hosted and open source with Actual Budget. Same 4.6 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb
4.6Visit
Ghostfolio
Focus: investing, portfolio and finance. Shares self-hosted and open source with Actual Budget. Rated 4.5 (Actual Budget: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
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