Monarch Money vs Actual Budget
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Monarch Money is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.9. Monarch Money wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Actual Budget on 2.
Couples and families who want one shared view of all their money
Hands-on budgeters who want YNAB-style envelopes without a subscription
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Monarch Money | Actual Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Money & Investing | Money & Investing |
| Category rank | #1 of 12 | #4 of 12 |
| Developer | Monarch Money, Inc. | Actual Budget community |
| Pricing | Subscription | Free |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | — |
| Android | ✓ | — |
| Mac | — | ✓ |
| Windows | — | ✓ |
| Linux | — | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Monarch Money better than Actual Budget?
Monarch Money is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.9. Monarch Money wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Actual Budget on 2.
Which is cheaper, Monarch Money or Actual Budget?
Monarch Money: 7-day free trial, then $14.99/month or $99.99/year; Monarch Plus is $199.99/year. Actual Budget: Free and open source; syncing needs a server you host or rent, such as PikaPods. On value for money, Actual Budget scores higher.
Do Monarch Money and Actual Budget work on the same devices?
Only Monarch Money runs on iPhone & iPad, Android. Only Actual Budget runs on Mac, Windows, Linux.
Which is more private, Monarch Money or Actual Budget?
Actual Budget scores higher on 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.
Strengths and weaknesses
Monarch Money
- Budgets, investments and net worth live in one place
- Invite a partner at no extra cost, each with their own login
- Frequent, substantial updates, from forecasting to receipts
- No free plan once the 7-day trial ends
- Retirement planning and business tracking need the $199.99 Plus tier
- Bank sync can still break and need a manual fix
Monarch Money is the most complete money app for most households. It links bank, card, loan and investment accounts, then gives you flexible budgets, cash-flow reports, goals and a clear net worth view. Recent updates added an AI assistant, receipt scanning and forecasting, and you can invite a partner at no extra cost. The catch: there is no free plan, and retirement and business planning sit in the pricier Plus tier.
Full Monarch Money review
Actual Budget
- Free and open source, with no ads
- Data stays on your device unless you sync it
- Monthly releases keep adding features
- 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
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.
Full Actual Budget review
