Actual Budget
Verified working Aug 6, 2026
A self-hostable envelope budgeting app that keeps your data local.
Actual Budget is a personal finance app built around envelope-style budgeting, transaction tracking, and reports. It emphasizes local-first data ownership, with optional self-hosted sync, end-to-end encryption, file imports, and bank sync integrations for supported regions.
Why it stands out
- Local-first design lets the app continue working without a network connection.
- Self-hosted sync and optional end-to-end encryption give users more control than typical cloud budgeting apps.
- Supports both manual/file-based importing and regional bank-sync providers.
- Includes migration paths for YNAB4 and newer YNAB data, preserving historical budget records.
- Custom report engine goes beyond fixed budget summaries.
Good to know
- Bank sync support is region- and provider-dependent: goCardless is listed for EU/UK and SimpleFIN for US/Canada.
- Running your own sync service may require more setup than a fully hosted personal finance app.
- Envelope budgeting is intentionally hands-on, so users wanting fully automated financial advice may find it too manual.
Photos
Privacy-conscious households that want hands-on budgeting without handing all financial data to a cloud-only service. Track spending against money already available instead of forecasting from hoped-for income. Import transactions from bank files or supported bank-sync providers and categorize them quickly. Monitor net worth and cash flow across multiple accounts. Move historical budget data from YNAB-style workflows into a self-hosted setup.
Envelope budgeting, multi-account tracking, transaction categorization, split transactions, transfers, undo/redo, built-in net worth and cash-flow reports, custom reports, dark mode, YNAB importers, QIF/OFX/QFX/CAMT.053/CSV imports, optional bank sync via goCardless and SimpleFIN, self-hosted sync, optional end-to-end encryption, and a local-data API.
Technical Notes
- Includes a documented local-data API for developers building custom importers or extensions.
- The API operates against the user’s local Actual data rather than a centralized cloud account.
Alternative listings
Personal finance software for budgets, investments, and small business.
Money & Personal Finance ResourcesQuicken offers subscription-based finance tools for households, couples, freelancers, small businesses, and property owners. Its product lineup includes cloud-based web and mobile apps plus Classic desktop software for Windows and Mac, covering budgeting, spending, bills, investments, cash-flow projections, invoicing, tax tracking, and retirement planning.
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Similar sites elsewhere
- YNAB — ynab.com
- Buckets — budgetwithbuckets.com
- Firefly III — firefly-iii.org
- GnuCash — gnucash.org
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