Actual Budget
Free, open-source, local-first envelope budgeting app you can run yourself, with optional bank sync.
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About Actual Budget
Actual Budget is a free, open-source budgeting app built on envelope budgeting: you budget only the money you have on hand and assign it to categories, much like YNAB. It began as a paid product and was open-sourced by its creator in 2022; it is now maintained by a volunteer community and funded through donations. Actual is local-first, so the app works without a network connection, and if you run its sync server your budget syncs across devices, with optional end-to-end encryption so the server can't read your data. The server is not required, but without it there's no sync, mobile use or bank syncing. You can self-host it with Docker, use a desktop app, or pay a host such as PikaPods to run it for you. Bank sync works through GoCardless in the EU and UK and SimpleFIN in the US and Canada, and transactions can be imported from QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053 and CSV files. It includes split transactions, transfers, schedules, undo, a custom report engine, an API, and importers that keep your full YNAB history. It suits technically comfortable people who want YNAB-style budgeting without a subscription and want to own their data. The trade-off is setup: you run or rent a server for the full experience, mobile use is through the browser rather than a native app, and support comes from community channels.
Best for: Technically comfortable people who want free envelope budgeting and control of their own data.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free and open source, with no subscription
- Local-first, with optional end-to-end encrypted sync
- Optional bank sync in the US, Canada, UK and EU
- Imports full YNAB history and common bank file formats
Why people leave
- Sync, mobile and bank sync need a server you run or rent
- No native phone app; mobile use is in the browser
- Support is through community channels
Top Actual Budget alternatives
See all 9- 1
YNAB83.8The hosted, supported version of the same envelope approach, with native apps and no server to run.
- 2
Goodbudget75.5Hosted envelope budgeting with a free plan and phone apps, no self-hosting needed.
- 3
Hunter Vault71.8Also keeps data on your device, but as a phone app with a free core and no server to set up.
- 4
EveryDollar71.3Zero-based monthly budget with a simple mobile app, if you'd rather not host anything yourself.
- 5
Lunch Money64.9A hosted web-first tracker with a developer API and multicurrency, from a small independent company.
Why people left Actual Budget
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Actual Budget: common questions
Is Actual Budget free?
Yes. Actual Budget is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is Actual Budget open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at actualbudget/actual. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does Actual Budget run on?
Actual Budget is available for Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to Actual Budget?
The highest-ranked Actual Budget alternatives right now are YNAB, Goodbudget and Hunter Vault. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.