Wealthy PotActual Budget Review (2026)
Actual Budget is the standout open-source pick — it gives you YNAB-style envelope budgeting with full data ownership and almost no cost.
By Wealthy Pot · Last updated June 2026
Pros
- Free and open-source (MIT) with optional cheap hosting
- Local-first — your data stays on your hardware
- Proper envelope/zero-based budgeting in a modern UI
Cons
- No native mobile app (web works on mobile)
- Bank sync needs SimpleFIN/GoCardless setup
- You manage hosting (or pay ~$1.40/mo)
Who Actual Budget is for
Best for privacy-minded people and light self-hosters who want serious envelope budgeting without a subscription or handing data to a company.
Pricing
Free (self-host); managed ~$1.40/mo (PikaPods). There is a free tier you can use without paying.
Open-source & self-hosting
Actual Budget is open-source (MIT) and self-hostable — your data stays on hardware you control. Skill level: beginner. Source: GitHub repository ↗.
The bottom line
Actual Budget is the standout open-source pick — it gives you YNAB-style envelope budgeting with full data ownership and almost no cost. Main drawback: no native mobile app.
See how Actual Budget stacks up in our budgeting apps comparison, and once you pick an app, set your category targets with the free budget calculator.
Ratings are summarized from public App Store / Google Play listings (stars as of June 2026); we don't reprint user reviews. Pricing and features change often and are re-checked monthly. Some outbound links may be affiliate links — that never affects which apps we include or how we rate them.