Actual Budget: Self-Hosted Envelope Budgeting with Bank Sync

TL;DR — Quick Summary

Deploy Actual Budget as a self-hosted envelope budgeting app. Track spending, set category goals, sync bank transactions, and replace YNAB without monthly fees.

Why Actual Budget?

YNAB charges $99/year for envelope budgeting. Actual Budget gives you the same method, self-hosted and free:

Envelope budgeting — Every dollar has a job.
Bank sync — Automatic transaction import (GoCardless/SimpleFIN).
Reports — Net worth, spending trends, cash flow.
Category goals — Set monthly targets, track progress.
Responsive — Works on desktop and mobile.
Self-hosted — Your finances stay private.

Prerequisites

Docker on any machine.
At least 128 MB RAM.

Step 1: Deploy with Docker

docker run -d \
  --name actual-budget \
  --restart=always \
  -p 5006:5006 \
  -v actual-data:/data \
  actualbudget/actual-server:latest

Access at http://your-server:5006.

Step 2: Set Up Your Budget

Create a budget file (or import from YNAB).
Add accounts: Checking, Savings, Credit Card.
Create categories: Housing, Food, Transport, Entertainment, Savings.
Set monthly goals per category.

Step 3: Bank Sync Options

Method	Coverage	Setup
GoCardless	2,500+ European banks	Free API key from GoCardless
SimpleFIN	US/Canadian banks	$1.50/month from SimpleFIN
OFX/QIF import	Any bank	Download from online banking
CSV import	Any bank	Export and map columns
Manual entry	Everywhere	Type transactions directly

Actual Budget vs YNAB vs Mint

Feature	Actual Budget	YNAB	Mint (discontinued)
Cost	Free (self-hosted)	$99/year	Was free
Privacy	Self-hosted	Cloud	Cloud (Intuit)
Method	Envelope budgeting	Envelope budgeting	Tracking only
Bank sync	GoCardless/SimpleFIN	Direct	Direct
Reports	Net worth, trends	Net worth, trends	Spending trends
Open source	Yes	No	No
Mobile	PWA (responsive)	Native app	Native app

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Bank sync not connecting	Verify GoCardless/SimpleFIN API key; check bank is supported
Transactions not matching	Adjust matching rules in Settings; manually categorize first batch
Budget file corrupted	Restore from automatic backup in data directory
Can’t import YNAB export	Use the YNAB importer in Settings > Import; ensure correct file format
Mobile layout issues	Clear browser cache; add PWA to home screen for best experience

Summary

Envelope budgeting without YNAB’s $99/year price tag.
Bank sync via GoCardless (EU) or SimpleFIN (US).
Self-hosted — financial data stays on your server.
YNAB import — switch from YNAB without losing history.

Guide & Instructions

Estimated Time: 5m

Tools Needed:

Actual Budget
Docker
Browser

Deploy with Docker

docker run -d -p 5006:5006 -v actual-data:/data actualbudget/actual-server

Create your budget

Open http://server:5006, create a budget file, and set up income categories.

Add accounts and categories

Create accounts for checking/savings, then define budget categories (rent, food, transport).

Assign every dollar

Assign your income to categories. Enter transactions manually or set up bank sync.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Actual Budget and why use it instead of YNAB?

Actual Budget is a self-hosted, open-source personal finance manager using the envelope budgeting method. Like YNAB (You Need A Budget), every dollar gets assigned to a category. The difference: YNAB costs $99/year, while Actual is free and self-hosted. Your financial data stays on your server, not in someone else's cloud.

What is envelope budgeting?

Envelope budgeting means every dollar of income is assigned to a specific category (rent, groceries, savings) — like putting cash in physical envelopes. When an envelope is empty, you stop spending in that category. Actual automates this digitally, tracking spending against your budgeted amounts.

Does Actual Budget support automatic bank sync?

Yes. Actual supports bank sync through GoCardless (formerly Nordigen) for European banks and SimpleFIN for US banks. Transactions are automatically imported and matched to your categories. You can also import OFX/QIF/CSV files manually.

Can I access Actual Budget from my phone?

Yes. The web interface is responsive and works on mobile browsers. You can add it to your home screen as a PWA for an app-like experience.