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Actual Budget

Open-source alternative to YNAB

Actual Budget is an open-source alternative to YNAB that uses the envelope budgeting method. You assign every dollar a job, track spending against your plan, and keep your finances on your own terms with its local-first design. It syncs across your devices when self-hosted.

Best for: Budgeters who want envelope-method budgeting with full data ownership.

Key features

  • Envelope-method personal budgeting
  • Local-first, self-hosted sync
  • Desktop and web apps

Before you switch

Money software must be boring and reliable. Before switching, verify the project handles your currency, bank-import formats, and backup story. Many people run the new tool in parallel with the old one for a full billing cycle. Self-hosted finance apps keep your numbers off third-party servers entirely.

Like every project on OpenShelf, Actual Budget is developed in the open — you can read the code, follow development, and even contribute. Check the system requirements and the project’s own documentation linked on this page before installing.