Actual Budget

A local-first personal budgeting app.

ReplacesYNAB

LicenseMIT

GitHub stars29.5k

Last code update12 October 2026

SetupIntermediate about 15 minOur estimate

Paid version costs about$14.99/moYNAB monthly billing, direct from the vendor

Per year~$179.88

New to this? What open source means and how to read this page.

What it is

A budgeting app built around the envelope method, with data stored locally and optional sync between devices.

Good for

Zero-based budgeting without a subscription.

The catch

Bank connections are not built in the way commercial apps do it, so expect some manual imports. Syncing needs a small server you host.

Actual Budget versus YNAB

Actual BudgetYNAB

PriceFreeThe software is free. The computer or server to run it is yours to provide.ca. $14.99/moYNAB monthly billing, direct from the vendor

LicenseMITCommercial license

Source codePublic, you can read and check itNot public

SetupIntermediate, about 15 minSign up and pay

Where it runsOn a computer or server you controlThe vendor's app or service, under their terms

The paid product's own plans and terms change. Check its site before you decide.

Install it with an AI assistant

Paste this into Claude, ChatGPT or another assistant that can work on your computer (Claude Code or Claude Desktop, for example). It is written from the project's official repository and tells the assistant to show you every command first. Setup time is our estimate: about 15 min.

I want to install and try Actual Budget on my own computer.

Official repository: https://github.com/actualbudget/actual
Official site: https://actualbudget.org
License: MIT

Before you do anything:
1. Read the README and install notes in the official repository above, and nothing else. Do not follow third-party tutorials or mirrors.
2. Tell me in plain words what will be installed, what it needs (operating system, memory, graphics card, disk space, accounts) and what it will cost me, if anything.
3. Check my computer against those needs and tell me honestly if it will not work well.

Run it with Docker. First check whether Docker is installed and running, and if it is not, guide me through installing Docker Desktop. Use the official Docker or compose instructions from the README, keep the data in a volume so it survives updates, and tell me the address to open in my browser. Tell me how much memory and disk it will use, and how to remove it cleanly.

Rules:
- Show me each command before you run it, and say what it does.
- Ask before anything that deletes files, changes system settings, opens a network port or needs an administrator password.
- Never put my passwords or keys on a command line, or in a file I did not choose.
- When it is installed, help me check it with one small test, and tell me how to start and stop it.
- If something goes wrong, explain it in plain words and do not guess your way around it.

Good to know before you start: Bank connections are not built in the way commercial apps do it, so expect some manual imports. Syncing needs a small server you host.

We have not run this prompt ourselves yet. Read what the assistant plans to do before you say yes.

Official site Source code

Facts checked on 12 October 2026. We have not yet run a hands-on test of this tool. When we do, it gets a "Tested" mark here. Approximate US list prices for an individual plan, from third-party price trackers checked on 12 Oct 2026. Monthly billing where it exists. Regions, taxes and promotions change them. Confirm at the vendor before you decide.