Actual Budget — Local-First Personal Finance App

What Actual Does

Actual provides a comprehensive budgeting experience:

• Envelope Budgeting: Allocate every dollar to a category, carry forward or roll over between months
• Transaction Management: Manual entry or import from bank (QIF, OFX, CSV) with smart categorization
• Bank Sync: Optional automated bank connection via GoCardless/SimpleFIN for transaction import
• Multi-device Sync: Encrypted sync between devices via self-hosted server
• Reports: Spending by category, net worth tracking, cash flow analysis
• Rules: Auto-categorize transactions based on payee, amount, or notes
• Split Transactions: Split a single transaction across multiple categories
• Scheduled Transactions: Recurring bills and income with reminders

Architecture

┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│  Browser     │────▶│  Actual      │
│  (React PWA) │     │  Server      │
│  Local SQLite│     │  (Node.js)   │
└──────────────┘     │  Sync Engine │
                     └──────────────┘

Key design: Data lives in a local SQLite database in your browser (IndexedDB). The server is only needed for multi-device sync. You can use Actual entirely offline.

Self-Hosting

Docker Compose

services:
  actual:
    image: actualbudget/actual-server:latest
    ports:
      - "5006:5006"
    volumes:
      - actual-data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  actual-data:

That's it — no database to configure, no dependencies. The server just handles sync.

With Bank Sync

services:
  actual:
    image: actualbudget/actual-server:latest
    ports:
      - "5006:5006"
    environment:
      ACTUAL_NORDIGEN_SECRET_ID: your-gocardless-id
      ACTUAL_NORDIGEN_SECRET_KEY: your-gocardless-key
      # Or SimpleFIN:
      # ACTUAL_SIMPLEFIN_TOKEN: your-simplefin-token
    volumes:
      - actual-data:/data

volumes:
  actual-data:

Key Features

Envelope Budgeting

Income: $5,000
├── Housing:      $1,500 (assigned)
├── Groceries:    $600   (assigned)
├── Transport:    $300   (assigned)
├── Savings:      $1,000 (assigned)
├── Entertainment: $200  (assigned)
├── Utilities:    $200   (assigned)
└── Unassigned:   $1,200 (left to budget)

Every dollar of income gets assigned to a category. Overspending in one category borrows from another, keeping you accountable.

Smart Rules

Auto-categorize transactions:

If payee contains "Starbucks" → Category: Coffee
If payee contains "Amazon" and amount > $50 → Category: Shopping
If payee contains "Netflix" → Category: Subscriptions

Reports

• Net Worth: Track assets vs liabilities over time
• Spending by Category: Monthly and yearly breakdowns with trends
• Cash Flow: Income vs expenses visualization
• Custom date ranges: Compare any time periods

Local-First Benefits

• Speed: Instant UI — no waiting for server responses
• Offline: Works without internet connection
• Privacy: Data stays on your device, encrypted at rest
• Resilience: No server downtime affects your access

Actual vs Alternatives

FAQ

Q: How does Actual compare to YNAB? A: Actual implements YNAB's core envelope-budgeting methodology with a very similar UI and UX. Main differences: Actual is free, open source, and self-hostable; YNAB is a SaaS subscription. YNAB has richer bank connections and community tutorials; Actual is stronger on privacy and autonomy.

Q: Does it support Chinese banks? A: Automatic bank sync (GoCardless/SimpleFIN) mainly covers European and U.S. banks. Chinese users can import bank statements manually (CSV format).

Q: Is my data safe? A: Yes. Data is stored locally in your browser, and sync uses end-to-end encryption. Even if a self-hosted server is compromised, attackers cannot read your financial data.