Actual Budget
Actual Budget is a free, open-source budgeting app built around envelope budgeting.
What Actual Budget is
Actual Budget is a free, open-source budgeting app built around envelope budgeting. Its listed tools include budgeting, bill tracking, and net-worth tracking, with account sync and report export also available. The software runs on the web and on Windows, macOS, and Linux, giving users browser access as well as desktop options. The plan, named Free and open source, costs nothing and includes desktop and web access. Synchronization can be self-hosted optionally, so users may choose whether to operate their own sync service. Actual Budget is MIT-licensed software, and the listed plan has no paid tier. Its tools bring budget planning together with tracking bills and net worth, while report export provides a way to take reports outside the app. For someone choosing a budgeting tool, the central fit questions are whether envelope budgeting, these tracking capabilities, and the supported platforms meet their needs. The available facts list no other pricing or plans, so this entry focuses on the free option and its included access.
Good
- Free plan costs nothing.
- Supports web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Includes bill and net-worth tracking.
- Report export and account sync are listed.
- Open-source software is MIT-licensed.
Watch out
- Self-hosted synchronization is optional rather than described as automatic.
- No paid tier is listed.
Who it suits
Actual Budget may suit people who want envelope budgeting with bill and net-worth tracking, and who value web or desktop access. It may also fit users interested in optional self-hosted synchronization and open-source software.
Verdict
Actual Budget offers envelope budgeting, tracking tools, and report export across web and desktop platforms without a listed charge. Consider whether its feature set and optional self-hosted sync match the way you want to manage your budget.
Plans and prices
From Actual Budget's own pricing page, checked 19 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free and open source | Free | Envelope budgeting · Desktop and web access · Optional self-hosted synchronization · Open-source MIT-licensed software |
The facts
Each one read from Actual Budget's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Account sync
- bothchecked 19 Sep 2026
- Bank integrations
- Documented bank sync providers include Akahu, Enable Banking, GoCardless, SimpleFIN Bridge and Pluggy.ai.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Bank sync requirements
- Bank integration requires actual-server and credentials from the chosen provider; automatic transaction syncing is off by default.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Bill tracking
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Budgeting
- Envelope budgeting lets users assign only cash they have on hand.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Budgeting tools
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Encryption
- Optional end-to-end encryption prevents the server from accessing encrypted budget data, but does not cover bank sync tokens.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Encryption limitation
- If the encryption password is forgotten and no local data copy remains, the encrypted data cannot be recovered.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Imports
- Actual supports importing QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053 and CSV files.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Local-first
- The app stores data on the local device and selected Actual server, and works without a network connection.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Net-worth tracking
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Actual Budget is a privacy-focused finance app built around envelope budgeting.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Report export
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
- Reports
- The app includes net worth and cash flow reports, plus a custom report engine.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Server hosting
- The sync server can be installed through PikaPods, Fly.io, Server CLI, Docker or from source.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The documentation directs users to the maintainers and community for help and support.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Transactions
- Users can manage split transactions and transfers in the transaction editor.checked 12 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Desktop platforms
- Download pages list desktop clients for Windows, macOS and Linux.checked 12 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 19 Sep 2026
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