AppBreakup
Submit an app

Firefly III alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 29, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Firefly III: you must host, update and back it up yourself, and no official mobile app. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Firefly III, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Actual Budget currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1YNAB logoYNABPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android6 of 676.8
2Monarch Money logoMonarch MoneyPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 566.0
3Lunch Money logoLunch MoneyPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 562.5
  1. YNAB logo

    1. YNABTop pick

    Best for: People who want a hands-on, zero-based method and will review their budget every few days

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    76.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Firefly III

    Paid hosted envelope budgeting with bank sync and polished mobile apps, no hosting needed.

    Pros

    • A clear method: you only budget money you already have
    • 34-day free trial with no credit card
    • One subscription covers up to six people
    • Bank import or manual entry, synced across devices
    • No ads, and a large library of workshops and guides

    Cons

    • No free tier once the trial ends
    • $109 a year is at the high end of the category
    • Takes time to learn and regular attention to keep up
    Visit YNAB Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is YNAB a good Firefly III alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Annual price
    $109 per year
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ynab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Monthly price
    $14.99 per month
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ynab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    34 days, no credit card needed
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ynab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sharing
    Up to six people on one subscription
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ynab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Bank import
    Link accounts and import transactions automatically
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ynab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Ads
    None
    Checked Oct 29, 2026ynab.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Monarch Money logo

    2. Monarch Money

    Best for: Couples and households who want every account, budget and goal in one shared, automatic view

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    66.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Firefly III

    Hosted all-in-one tracker with bank sync, investments and shared household access.

    Pros

    • Links to 13,000+ institutions through several data providers
    • Partner or financial professional included at no extra cost
    • Budgets, recurring bills, net worth and goals in one place
    • Works on web, iOS and Android
    • No ads; revenue comes from subscriptions

    Cons

    • No free tier after the one-week trial
    • Relies on bank connections, which can need relinking
    • Forecasting and deeper investment tools need the Plus tier
    Visit Monarch Money Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1556
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Monarch Money a good Firefly III alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    $99.99/year or $14.99/month
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    First week free
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Refunds
    No-questions-asked money-back guarantee
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Institutions
    13,000+
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Collaboration
    Partner or professional at no extra cost
    Checked Oct 29, 2026monarch.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Lunch Money logo

    3. Lunch Money

    Best for: People with money in several currencies or countries who prefer budgeting on a computer

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    62.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Firefly III

    Hosted, developer-friendly budgeting with rules and an API, without maintaining a server.

    Pros

    • Multicurrency support built in from the start
    • Pay-what-you-want annual pricing, locked in for life
    • Rules engine, tags, query tool and developer API
    • 30-day trial with no credit card

    Cons

    • Web-first; the phone app is a companion with fewer features
    • Minimum annual price of $60, no free plan
    • Small team, so features arrive at a smaller company's pace
    Visit Lunch Money Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1536
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Lunch Money a good Firefly III alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Pricing
    Pay what you want, annual from $60
    Checked Oct 29, 2026lunchmoney.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    30 days, no credit card
    Checked Oct 29, 2026lunchmoney.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Multicurrency
    Supported natively
    Checked Oct 29, 2026lunchmoney.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Mobile app
    Companion app for iOS and Android
    Checked Oct 29, 2026support.lunchmoney.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Company
    Bootstrapped, customer-funded, Canadian
    Checked Oct 29, 2026lunchmoney.app(opens source in a new tab)

The best Firefly III alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Actual Budget logo

Best Firefly III alternative for most people

Actual Budget

Also free and self-hostable, but simpler envelope budgeting with a fast local-first app.

GnuCash logo

Best Firefly III alternative for a free option

GnuCash

Free double-entry accounting on the desktop, with no server to run.

Actual Budget logo

Best Firefly III alternative for open source

Actual Budget

Also free and self-hostable, but simpler envelope budgeting with a fast local-first app.

Actual Budget logo

Best Firefly III alternative for self-hosting

Actual Budget

Also free and self-hostable, but simpler envelope budgeting with a fast local-first app.

Actual Budget logo

Best Firefly III alternative for Mac

Actual Budget

Also free and self-hostable, but simpler envelope budgeting with a fast local-first app.

Actual Budget logo

Best Firefly III alternative for Windows

Actual Budget

Also free and self-hostable, but simpler envelope budgeting with a fast local-first app.

Actual Budget logo

Best Firefly III alternative for Linux

Actual Budget

Also free and self-hostable, but simpler envelope budgeting with a fast local-first app.

YNAB logo

Best Firefly III alternative for iPhone and Android

YNAB

Paid hosted envelope budgeting with bank sync and polished mobile apps, no hosting needed.

Monarch Money logo

Best Firefly III alternative for working in the browser

Monarch Money

Hosted all-in-one tracker with bank sync, investments and shared household access.

Firefly III alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Firefly III?

Actual Budget ranks first right now. Also free and self-hostable, but simpler envelope budgeting with a fast local-first app. YNAB and Monarch Money follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Firefly III?

Yes. Actual Budget (open source) and GnuCash (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Firefly III?

Yes: Actual Budget and GnuCash. Actual Budget can also be self-hosted.

Which Firefly III alternatives work on Linux?

Actual Budget and GnuCash run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Firefly III?

The complaints we hear most: you must host, update and back it up yourself; no official mobile app; more complex to learn than envelope-style budgeting apps.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Firefly III, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.