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Actual Budget

Actual Budget is a local-first personal finance and budgeting app for tracking income, spending, and multiple accounts with envelope-style budgeting,…

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Actual Budget is a local-first personal finance and budgeting app for tracking income, spending, and multiple accounts with envelope-style budgeting, multi-device sync, and automatic bank imports via GoCardless or SimpleFIN. It runs entirely on your own hardware and keeps all financial data local, making it a privacy-focused alternative to cloud-based budgeting services.

Platform availability

Available on 5 of 9 platforms

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

25/100 Low

Maintained
0GitHub repository no longer exists
Popular
No data
Easy to install
755 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data

Based on 2 of 4 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 14 days ago

No GitHub repository data collected yet.

Checked 15 days ago - source: GitHub (BigBearTechWorld/actual-server)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 15 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Use the Actual web app to create your first budget The docs say actualpy's create_budget method is not recommended because the database migration files (the steps that update the database) may not match. Use Actual's normal web frontend to create your first budget so you don't end up with a broken budget file. source
  • Check the Python example's server settings The Python example connects to http://localhost:5006 (localhost means this computer), uses the password 'mypass', and looks for a budget file called 'Budget'. Replace those placeholder values with your Actual server address, password, and file name, or the script cannot find your budget. source
  • Serve over HTTPS or localhost The Actual web client only works in a secure context (HTTPS or localhost). If you open it over plain HTTP using a LAN IP address, the app refuses to load your budget. Put it behind an HTTPS reverse proxy (for example a Cloudflare Tunnel) or supply your own certificate with the ACTUAL_HTTPS_KEY and ACTUAL_HTTPS_CERT environment variables. source

Fetched 6 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (12)

  • Akaunting - Akaunting is a self-hosted accounting application for managing finances, invoices, bills, and bank transactions.
  • Balansly - Your current balance is not always money you can freely spend.
  • Fingrom
  • Firefly III - "Firefly III" is a (self-hosted) manager for your personal finances.
  • GnuCash - Flexible accounting software for personal and small business use, GnuCash is freely available under the GNU GPL, supporting multiple OS and…
  • HomeBank - Free open-source accounting tool for personal finance and budgeting, featuring multi-platform support, detailed analysis tools, customizabl…
  • MoneyManager Ex - MoneyManager Ex is a free, open-source, cross-platform, easy-to-use personal finance software.
  • Recurring Expense Tracker - Recurring Expense Tracker is a Material You recurring expense tracker, allowing you to keep track of your monthly spending.
  • You Need A Budget - Zero-based budgeting tool with real-time syncing, goal setting, partner collaboration, debt management, financial reports, and strong data…
  • dumbbudget - A simple, secure personal budgeting app with PIN protection.
  • ezbookkeeping - ezBookkeeping is a lightweight, self-hosted personal finance / bookkeeping app with a modern responsive web UI and PWA support.
  • firefly-pico - A delightful Firefly III companion web app for effortless transaction tracking.

Checked 12 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

Which deployment method is recommended for self-hosting Actual Budget?

The actual-server Docker container is the recommended way to deploy it. It hosts the web page and acts as the sync server for budget data between devices.

Why might the Actual Budget web client refuse to load a budget?

The web client requires a secure context, so it will not load a budget over plain HTTP on a LAN IP. Use an HTTPS reverse proxy or supply ACTUAL_HTTPS_KEY and ACTUAL_HTTPS_CERT, and localhost remains allowed.

Can I use the official Actual Budget mobile apps with a self-hosted instance?

The official mobile applications are deprecated. The web version is a responsive Progressive Web App that can be installed to a home screen and used like a native app.

Is it safe to create the first Actual Budget budget with actualpy?

No, actualpy's create_budget method is not recommended because database migration files may not match. Use the normal web frontend to create the first budget to avoid a broken budget file.

Is GoCardless safe for importing bank transactions into Actual Budget?

GoCardless can be used to automate bank transaction recording into Actual Budget. A commenter notes it is listed as trusted by their country's financial regulator and on their bank's list, though they were unsure about safety.

Answers sourced from actualbudget.org, actualbudget.org, actualpy.readthedocs.io, www.reddit.com, www.redditmedia.com

Community

Collected 9 days ago - public community threads