Actual Budget vs Revolut
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Actual Budget is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.4. Actual Budget wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Revolut on 2.
Hands-on budgeters who want YNAB-style envelopes without a subscription
Frequent travelers who want one app for spending, saving and currency exchange
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Actual Budget | Revolut |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Money & Investing | Money & Investing |
| Category rank | #4 of 12 | #8 of 12 |
| Developer | Actual Budget community | Revolut Ltd |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | — | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Actual Budget better than Revolut?
Actual Budget is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.4. Actual Budget wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Revolut on 2.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Revolut?
Actual Budget: Free and open source; syncing needs a server you host or rent, such as PikaPods. Revolut: Free Standard plan; paid plans such as Premium and Metal add perks for a monthly fee. On value for money, Actual Budget scores higher.
Do Actual Budget and Revolut work on the same devices?
Only Actual Budget runs on Mac, Windows, Linux. Only Revolut runs on iPhone & iPad, Android.
Which is more private, Actual Budget or Revolut?
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
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
Revolut
- Free plan covers spending, transfers and budgeting
- One app for spending, saving, investing and travel
- Fast, feature-rich app with instant notifications
- Constant upsells and a crowded interface
- Support can be slow if your account is flagged
- App Store label shows identifiers used for tracking
Revolut packs a lot into one app: multi-currency spending, budgeting tools, savings, investing and travel perks. The free Standard plan is genuinely useful, and paid plans add higher limits and extras. A new AI assistant, AIR, can break down your spending or help cancel subscriptions by chat, starting in the UK. The trade-off is complexity and constant upsells, so keep a traditional bank account as a backup.
Full Revolut review
