Actual Budget is a free, open-source envelope budgeting app that stores your budget on your own device. It costs nothing to use; you only pay if you rent a host for the optional sync server or use a paid bank-sync provider.
The bottom line
The best free option for envelope budgeting if you can handle a little setup.
7.3
Our score
7.3 / 10
Conversion Gems editorial verdict
Free; optional hosting from about $1.50/mo
Features7/10
7 - envelope and tracking budgets, encryption, sync and regional bank sync; no native mobile app.
Value10/10
10 - free under the MIT license; optional hosting runs about $1.50 to $2 a month.
Ease of use6/10
6 - the desktop app is quick, but sync and bank feeds need a server.
Ecosystem6/10
6 - five bank sync providers across regions and open source code; few direct app integrations.
Support6/10
6 - docs plus Discord and GitHub community; no paid support desk.
What it really is
A free, open-source, local-first envelope budgeting app you run yourself.
Our take
Actual Budget gives you envelope budgeting with no subscription, and your data stays on your machine unless you choose otherwise. That freedom has a price in effort: sync across devices needs a server, bank sync runs through third-party providers you trigger by hand, and phones use the web app. For people who enjoy a bit of setup, it is hard to beat on cost.
Why we rate it
It delivers full envelope budgeting, encryption and multi-device sync without a subscription.
The catch
No native phone app, and sync and bank feeds need a server you host or rent.
Best for
Envelope budgeters leaving YNAB
Privacy-minded users who want data on their own device
Self-hosters already running Docker
Not good for
People who want automatic bank feeds with zero setup
Users who need a native iOS or Android app
Anyone unwilling to manage backups or a server
Friction report
Time to value
Low for the desktop app; moderate if you set up sync and bank feeds.
Scale breakpoint
Second device or bank sync means running a server.
Walled garden
Low: open source, local data, and imports and exports are documented.
What Actual Budget costs
Way to run it
Cost
Sync between devices
Desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) or local browser
Free
No
Self-hosted server (Docker or CLI)
Free software; you supply the machine
Yes, plus bank sync
PikaPods
About $2 a month, paid to PikaPods
Yes, plus bank sync
Fly.io
About $1.50 a month, paid to Fly.io
Yes, plus bank sync
From Actual Budget's install docs and GitHub README, checked 4 October 2026. Hosting prices are the README's estimates for third-party services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The app is free and open source under the MIT license. You only pay if you choose a host for the sync server; the project's README lists PikaPods at about $2 a month and Fly.io at about $1.50 a month (checked 4 October 2026).
Your budget is stored locally on your device, and you can turn on end-to-end encryption so the sync server cannot read it. The code is public on GitHub. Safety of a self-hosted server depends on how you set it up.
There is no native iOS or Android app on actualbudget.org. With a sync server, the web app works in a phone browser and can be installed as a web page. An App Store app called 'Actual Budget Spending Tracker' is a different product.
Both use envelope budgeting. Actual is free and keeps data on your device but needs some setup for sync and bank feeds. YNAB is a paid hosted service with less setup. Actual's own site has a comparison page.
Optionally. It supports SimpleFIN Bridge in North America, Enable Banking in Europe, Akahu in New Zealand and Pluggy.ai in Brazil. You need a sync server, and you trigger each sync yourself.
Actual Budget alternatives
Other budgeting apps in our directory:
Copilot Money: Paid, hosted budgeting with native Apple apps and automatic US bank links.
Monarch Money: Paid budgeting service with native iOS and Android apps.
Quicken Simplifi: Quicken's hosted spending plan app for people who want less setup.
Rocket Money: Free tier focused on tracking and cancelling subscriptions.
