Skip to content
Ocean of Softwares
Menu

Actual Budget

Free, open-source, local-first envelope budgeting app you can self-host or run on your computer.

Try Actual Budget (opens the Actual Budget website in a new tab)

Our verdict

Actual Budget suits people who like envelope budgeting and want to own their data, and are comfortable with some setup. Skip it if you want a polished hosted service with native mobile apps.

What it does well

  • MIT-licensed and described as 100% free and open-source
  • Optional end-to-end encryption of synced data
  • Imports YNAB4 and nYNAB data, plus QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053 and CSV files

Where it falls short

  • No native mobile app; on phones you install the web page
  • Self-hosting needs a server, Docker or a hosting service that may cost money
  • Bank sync relies on GoCardless (EU/UK) or SimpleFIN (US/Canada)
The Actual Budget website
The official Actual Budget website, 17 October 2026.

Actual Budget is a personal finance app built around envelope budgeting, described on its site as super fast and privacy-focused. The repository calls it a local-first personal finance tool that is 100% free and open-source, under the MIT licence.

There is no price for the software. You can try the browser app, run the desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux without a server, or self-host a sync server with Docker, a CLI command, Fly.io or PikaPods. The docs say Fly.io and PikaPods each cost 'a small amount of money' without giving a figure, and a share of PikaPods fees goes to the project.

Features listed include split transactions, linked transfers, undo/redo, net worth and cash flow reports with a custom report builder, bank sync through GoCardless or SimpleFIN, a developer API and multi-device sync. For mobile, the docs say an installed web page works offline.

Actual Budget compared

Alternatives to Actual Budget

What users say

Write a review

No user reviews yet. If you’ve used Actual Budget, share what you used it for and how it went.

Last updated 17 October 2026. Facts checked against the official site on 16 October 2026. How we make money