Actual Budget review
Open-source envelope budgeting you can host yourself
- Actual Budget community
- Free
- Web, Mac, Windows, Linux
Does it deserve #4?
Is Actual Budget worth it?
Yes. Actual Budget scores 8.9/10 and ranks #4 in Money & Investing. It's best for hands-on budgeters who want YNAB-style envelopes without a subscription. Skip it if you want bank sync that just works on your phone out of the box. Price: Free and open source; syncing needs a server you host or rent, such as PikaPods.
The verdict
Actual Budget is envelope budgeting built by people who love it, then given away. You assign real income to categories, move money between them quickly, and lean on rules, split transactions and custom reports to keep things tidy. It's local-first and open source, with optional end-to-end encrypted sync and monthly releases. The catch is setup: syncing across devices means running a small server, and there's no app in the phone stores.
- Envelope budgeting on real income
- Local-first desktop apps
- Optional end-to-end encrypted sync
- Rules, splits and custom reports
- Optional bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What's new
- Oct 2026Faster transaction editing, an in-app Notifications page and steadier cross-version sync
- Sep 2026Customizable transaction table and an in-app tour for new users
- Jun 2026A new bank sync provider and a visual editor for budget automations
Privacy 9.6/10
Local-first: your budget lives on your device and syncs through a server you control, with optional end-to-end encryption. Bank sync is optional and uses API keys you set up yourself.
What we like
- Free and open source, with no ads
- Data stays on your device unless you sync it
- Monthly releases keep adding features
What could be better
- Sync needs a server you host or rent
- No app in the App Store or Google Play
- Bank sync means setting up your own provider keys
Hands-on budgeters who want YNAB-style envelopes without a subscription
you want bank sync that just works on your phone out of the box
Questions about Actual Budget
Is Actual Budget worth it in 2026?
Yes. Actual Budget scores 8.9/10 and ranks #4 in Money & Investing. It's best for hands-on budgeters who want YNAB-style envelopes without a subscription. Skip it if you want bank sync that just works on your phone out of the box. Price: Free and open source; syncing needs a server you host or rent, such as PikaPods.
Is Actual Budget free?
Yes, Actual is free and open source. To sync between devices you run the sync server yourself or rent hosting from a service like PikaPods.
Can Actual Budget connect to my bank?
Optionally. Bank sync works through providers such as SimpleFIN, GoCardless, Pluggy, Akahu and Enable Banking, using credentials you set up, and it requires the sync server.
Is there a mobile app?
There's no app in the App Store or Google Play. When Actual runs on a server, you can use it from your phone's browser.
What are the best alternatives to Actual Budget?
The closest alternatives are YNAB, Monarch Money and Copilot Money. See all of them ranked on our Actual Budget alternatives page.
Where does Actual Budget rank?
Actual Budget ranks #4 of 12 in our Money & Investing ranking, with an overall score of 8.9 out of 10.