What Actual Budget does
Actual Budget is a free, open-source personal finance app built on envelope budgeting. It is local-first, works offline, and syncs across devices through a server you host, with optional end-to-end encryption.
Actual Budget is a personal finance app for tracking money and planning spending. It uses envelope budgeting, where you only budget money you already have, so the budget reflects your real income and spending. The app is designed for speed, with a minimal interface for entering and categorizing transactions.
You add all your accounts in one place and see your net worth across them. Transactions support splits and linked transfers, and you can import files in QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053, and CSV formats. Bank sync is built in through GoCardless for the EU and UK and SimpleFIN for the US and Canada. Reports include net worth and cash flow, and a custom report engine lets you build your own. There is undo and redo for every change, dark mode, and importers for YNAB4 and nYNAB that keep your history.
Actual is local-first software. The app works without a network connection, and your data syncs in the background to a sync server that you run yourself. Optional end-to-end encryption keeps the data unreadable even to that server. A server is not required to budget, but it is needed for syncing between devices, bank sync, mobile use, and the API.
You can use Actual as a desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, or run the server with Docker, the server CLI, Fly.io, or PikaPods and open the app in a browser. The website calls PikaPods the easiest way to start, and PikaPods donates 20% of its fees to the project. Developers can use a fully featured API that runs on local data to write custom importers.
Actual is open source under the MIT license, maintained by a group of contributors, and funded by donations through Open Collective.
Best for
People who want detailed control over a personal budget with envelope budgeting and full ownership of their financial data.
Not for
People who want a fully automatic, hosted finance app with no setup, or businesses that need accounting and invoicing.
Questions and answers
Is Actual Budget free?
Yes. Actual is free and open source. You can run it yourself, and donations support the project.
Do I need a server?
No, but it is strongly recommended. A server is needed for syncing between devices, bank sync, mobile use, and the API.
Which banks can it sync with?
Actual has built-in bank sync through GoCardless for the EU and UK and SimpleFIN for the US and Canada.
Can I move my data from YNAB?
Yes. Actual includes importers for YNAB4 and nYNAB that keep all of your history.
Is my data private?
Your data stays on your devices and your own server, and optional end-to-end encryption makes it unreadable even to the server.