Top Related Projects
Beancount: Double-Entry Accounting from Text Files.
Firefly III: a personal finances manager
Double-entry accounting system with a command-line reporting interface
Quick Overview
Actual is an open-source personal finance tool that provides a local-first, privacy-focused alternative to services like Mint or YNAB. It offers powerful budgeting features, bank syncing, and detailed financial reporting, all while keeping your data under your control.
Pros
- Local-first approach ensures data privacy and ownership
- Powerful budgeting and reporting features
- Cross-platform support (desktop and mobile)
- Active development and community support
Cons
- Steeper learning curve compared to some commercial alternatives
- Limited integrations with third-party services
- Requires self-hosting for full functionality
- Syncing across devices can be more complex than cloud-based solutions
Getting Started
To get started with Actual:
- Visit the Actual releases page and download the appropriate version for your operating system.
- Install and run the application.
- Create a new budget or import data from supported formats.
- Set up your accounts, categories, and initial balances.
- Start tracking your transactions and managing your budget.
For advanced users who want to self-host the server:
git clone https://github.com/actualbudget/actual.git
cd actual
npm install
npm run build
npm start
Then, connect your desktop or mobile app to your self-hosted server for full functionality.
Competitor Comparisons
Beancount: Double-Entry Accounting from Text Files.
Pros of Beancount
- Text-based double-entry accounting system, offering flexibility and version control
- Extensive documentation and a mature ecosystem with various tools and plugins
- Strong support for complex financial scenarios and investments
Cons of Beancount
- Steeper learning curve, especially for users without accounting background
- Lack of a built-in graphical user interface, which may deter less technical users
- Manual data entry can be time-consuming compared to automated import features
Code Comparison
Beancount (Plain text format):
2023-05-01 * "Grocery Store" "Weekly shopping"
Expenses:Food:Groceries 50.00 USD
Assets:Checking -50.00 USD
Actual (JavaScript-based rules):
{
payee: 'Grocery Store',
description: 'Weekly shopping',
amount: -50.00,
category: 'Food:Groceries'
}
Beancount uses a plain text format for transaction entries, while Actual employs a JavaScript-based rule system for categorization and data processing. Beancount's approach offers more direct control over transaction details, while Actual's method may be more familiar to developers accustomed to working with JSON-like structures.
Firefly III: a personal finances manager
Pros of Firefly III
- More comprehensive financial management features, including budgeting, bill tracking, and investment management
- Supports multiple currencies and accounts
- Extensive API for integration with other services
Cons of Firefly III
- Steeper learning curve due to more complex features
- Requires self-hosting, which may be challenging for non-technical users
- Heavier resource usage compared to Actual
Code Comparison
Firefly III (PHP):
public function store(Request $request): RedirectResponse
{
$data = $request->getAll();
$account = $this->accountRepository->store($data);
return redirect()->route('accounts.show', [$account->id]);
}
Actual (JavaScript):
export async function createAccount(name, type, balance) {
const account = await db.insertAccount({ name, type, balance });
return account;
}
Both projects use different programming languages and frameworks, making direct code comparison challenging. Firefly III uses PHP with a Laravel-style framework, while Actual is built with JavaScript and React. Firefly III's code tends to be more verbose due to PHP's nature, while Actual's code is more concise, typical of modern JavaScript applications.
Double-entry accounting system with a command-line reporting interface
Pros of Ledger
- Command-line interface offers powerful scripting and automation capabilities
- Supports double-entry bookkeeping for accurate financial tracking
- Highly customizable with support for multiple currencies and commodities
Cons of Ledger
- Steeper learning curve due to text-based nature and command-line interface
- Lacks a graphical user interface, which may be less intuitive for some users
- Requires manual data entry, potentially more time-consuming for frequent transactions
Code Comparison
Ledger (transaction entry):
2023-04-15 Grocery Store
Expenses:Food $50.00
Assets:Checking
Actual (JavaScript API example):
const transaction = await actual.createTransaction({
date: '2023-04-15',
payee: 'Grocery Store',
category: 'Food',
amount: -5000
});
Both Ledger and Actual are open-source personal finance management tools, but they cater to different user preferences. Ledger focuses on a text-based, command-line approach, offering flexibility and power for advanced users. Actual provides a more modern, user-friendly interface with a graphical UI and mobile app support, making it potentially more accessible for casual users. The choice between them depends on individual needs and technical comfort level.
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Getting Started
Actual is a local-first personal finance tool. It is 100% free and open-source, written in NodeJS, it has a synchronization element so that all your changes can move between devices without any heavy lifting.
If you are interested in contributing, or want to know how development works, see our contributing document we would love to have you.
Want to say thanks? Click the â at the top of the page.
Key Links
- Actual discord community.
- Actual Community Documentation
- Frequently asked questions
Installation
There are four ways to deploy Actual:
- One-click deployment via PikaPods (~1.40 $/month) - recommended for non-technical users
- Managed hosting via Fly.io (~1.50 $/month)
- Self-hosted by using a Docker image
- Local-only apps - downloadable Windows, Mac and Linux apps you can run on your device
Learn more in the installation instructions docs.
Ready to Start Budgeting?
Read about Envelope budgeting to know more about the idea behind Actual Budget.
Are you new to budgeting or want to start fresh?
Check out the community's Starting Fresh guide so you can quickly get up and running!
Are you migrating from other budgeting apps?
Check out the community's Migration guide to start jumping on the Actual Budget train!
Documentation
We have a wide range of documentation on how to use Actual, this is all available in our Community Documentation, this includes topics on Budgeting, Account Management, Tips & Tricks and some documentation for developers.
Contributing
Actual is a community driven product. Learn more about contributing to Actual.
Code structure
The Actual app is split up into a few packages:
- loot-core - The core application that runs on any platform
- desktop-client - The desktop UI
- desktop-electron - The desktop app
More information on the project structure is available in our community documentation.
Feature Requests
Current feature requests can be seen here. Vote for your favorite requests by reacting :+1: to the top comment of the request.
To add new feature requests, open a new Issue of the "Feature Request" type.
Translation
Make Actual Budget accessible to more people by helping with the Internationalization of Actual. We are using a crowd sourcing tool to manage the translations, see our Weblate Project. Weblate proudly supports open-source software projects through their Libre plan.
Repo Activity
Sponsors
Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who make Actual Budget possible!
Top Related Projects
Beancount: Double-Entry Accounting from Text Files.
Firefly III: a personal finances manager
Double-entry accounting system with a command-line reporting interface
Convert designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot