Actual Budget

Description

Actual Budget is an open-source, local-first personal finance application, and a self-hosted alternative to YNAB. It uses the zero-based "envelope" method: every dollar of available money is assigned to a category before it is spent. Budgets are stored as local files that work fully offline; an optional sync server propagates end-to-end encrypted changes between devices without putting your financial data on someone else's cloud.

Features

• Envelope budgeting: Assign every dollar a job, roll balances over, and cover overspending explicitly.
• Local-first: Full offline use; optional self-hosted sync with end-to-end encryption.
• Bank import: OFX/QFX/CSV import plus GoCardless and SimpleFIN bank-sync integrations.
• Rules engine: Automatically categorize, rename, and split transactions on import.
• Scheduled transactions: Track upcoming bills and recurring income inside the budget.
• Reports: Net worth, cash flow, and customizable spending reports.

Technology Stack

• TypeScript across the app and sync server
• React web client, packaged as desktop (Electron) and mobile apps
• Local SQLite budget files with a CRDT-based sync protocol
• Node.js sync server; Docker image for self-hosting

Requirements

• Docker (or Node.js) for the optional sync server
• Any modern browser, or the desktop / mobile apps, for the client
• Minimal resources: the sync server runs comfortably in ~256 MB RAM