Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs Betterment

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

Free, open source, local-first envelope budgeting with optional self-hosted sync

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Betterment logo

Betterment

Personal Finance

Your path to financial independence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Actual Budget has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Actual Budget self-hosting the sync server requires basic comfort with running and updating a small application, which is a real barrier for non-technical users.; Betterment digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Betterment covers Automated investing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Actual Budget and Betterment actually diverge.

Attributes where Actual Budget and Betterment differ
AttributeActual BudgetBetterment
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tiersubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Actual Budget

  • Envelope budgeting
  • Local-first data
  • Self-hosted sync
  • Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless
  • Rules engine
  • Reports

Only in Betterment

  • Automated investing
  • Retirement planning
  • Financial advisory
  • Goal tracking
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Actual Budget

  • A former YNAB user who wants the same envelope method without an ongoing subscriptionnot Betterment
  • Someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for syncnot Betterment
  • A technically comfortable household running a small self-hosted stack who wants budgeting alongside itnot Betterment
  • A user who is fine paying a small hosted fee for sync convenience without wanting a full YNAB-style subscriptionnot Betterment

Betterment

  • Automated portfolio managementnot Actual Budget
  • High-yield cash savingsnot Actual Budget
  • Self-directed investingnot Actual Budget

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Actual Budget

  • Self-hosting the sync server requires basic comfort with running and updating a small application, which is a real barrier for non-technical users.
  • Bank sync depends on SimpleFIN or GoCardless connectors rather than a broad built-in aggregator network, so coverage of smaller banks varies by region.
  • There is no dedicated customer support line, only community Discord and GitHub issues, which suits technical users but frustrates people expecting vendor support.
  • The mobile apps are less mature than the web and desktop experience, and some budgeting workflows are easier on desktop.
  • Because it is a smaller open source project, feature development depends on maintainer time and community contribution rather than a funded product roadmap.

Betterment

  • Digital automated investing charges $5 per month fee for accounts under $24,000 balance
  • Premium advisory service requires minimum balance of $100,000 in eligible investments
  • Foreign transaction fees apply to checking account (though reimbursed after the fact)
  • High-balance fee discounts only available above $1,000,000 account balance

Pricing, plan by plan

Actual Budget

Free
  • Actual BudgetFree
    • Full budgeting features
    • Self-hosted sync server
    • Community support only
  • Actual Budget$7.99/month
    • Managed hosted sync
    • Mobile app access
    • No server to maintain

Betterment

On request
  • Automated Investing$null/month
    • AUM-based or flat monthly advisory fees
  • Premium Service$0.4/percent of AUM
    • Requires $100,000 minimum balance
  • Self-Directed InvestingFree
    • No wrap fee
  • High-Yield Cash$4/APY promotional
    • $10 minimum deposit
    • New customer boost through 1/15/2027

Which should you pick?

Choose Actual Budget if

  • You need envelope budgeting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want local-first data.
Actual Budget review

Choose Betterment if

  • You need automated investing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Betterment review

Questions people ask

Is Actual Budget or Betterment better?
Neither clearly leads. Actual Budget starts at Free and Betterment at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Betterment?
Actual Budget has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Actual Budget and On request for Betterment.
Does Actual Budget or Betterment run on more platforms?
Actual Budget runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Betterment runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Actual Budget for free?
Yes. Actual Budget has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Betterment starts at On request.
What is Actual Budget best used for?
Actual Budget is most often used for a former ynab user who wants the same envelope method without an ongoing subscription, someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for sync, a technically comfortable household running a small self-hosted stack who wants budgeting alongside it, a user who is fine paying a small hosted fee for sync convenience without wanting a full ynab-style subscription. Of those, a former ynab user who wants the same envelope method without an ongoing subscription and someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for sync are not what Betterment is typically brought in for.
What can Actual Budget do that Betterment cannot?
Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Local-first data, Self-hosted sync, Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless. Betterment covers Automated investing, Retirement planning, Financial advisory, Goal tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Actual Budget: Is Actual Budget really free?

The core app and self-hosted sync are free and open source; there is also an optional paid hosted sync subscription if you do not want to run a server.

Betterment: What is the minimum to start investing with Betterment?

Betterment requires only $10 to open an account and begin either automated or self-directed investing.

Source
Actual Budget: Do I need a server to use it?

Only if you want to sync a budget across multiple devices; a single-device budget works without any server at all.

Betterment: How much does Betterment's Premium Service cost?

Premium Service charges an additional 0.40% fee on your invested balances and requires a minimum account balance of $100,000.

Source
Actual Budget: Does it connect to my bank automatically?

Yes, through SimpleFIN or GoCardless connectors, though coverage is narrower than commercial aggregators used by YNAB or Lunch Money.

Betterment: What APY does Betterment's High-Yield Cash offer?

High-Yield Cash offers 3.25% base APY plus a new customer boost of 0.75% APY (up to $1M) through January 15, 2027, totaling 4.00% promotional APY.

Source
Betterment: Does Betterment charge a wrap fee on self-directed accounts?

No, Betterment waives its wrap fee for self-directed investing accounts, allowing customers to invest without advisory fees.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Actual Budget

More on Betterment

Keep looking

Other head to heads