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Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs Goodbudget

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Goodbudget logo

Goodbudget

Personal Finance

Digital envelope budgeting app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Goodbudget free plan is capped at 10 regular envelopes, 10 more envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices and 1 year of history
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Local-first data, Goodbudget covers Shared budgets.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Actual Budget and Goodbudget differ
AttributeActual BudgetGoodbudget
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tierfreemium
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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

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

Only in Goodbudget

  • Shared budgets
  • Receipt scanning
  • Expense tracking
  • Bank accounts
  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Envelope budgeting

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

Goodbudget

  • Envelope method budgetingnot Actual Budget
  • Sharing a household budget across a couple's devicesnot Actual Budget
  • Tracking debt payoff alongside envelopesnot 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.

Goodbudget

  • Free plan is capped at 10 regular envelopes, 10 more envelopes, 1 account, 2 devices and 1 year of history
  • Automatic bank sync is Premium only and works with US banks only
  • Premium is limited to 5 devices and 7 years of history
  • Free plan gets community support only; email support requires Premium
  • Premium costs $10 per month or $80 per year

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

Goodbudget

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 envelopes
    • Basic tracking
  • Plus$5.99/month
    • Unlimited envelopes
    • Advanced reports
    • Receipt capture

Which should you pick?

Choose Actual Budget if

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

Choose Goodbudget if

  • You need shared budgets.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want receipt scanning.
Goodbudget review

Questions people ask

Is Actual Budget or Goodbudget better?
Neither clearly leads. Actual Budget starts at Free and Goodbudget at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Goodbudget?
Actual Budget starts at Free and Goodbudget at Free.
Does Actual Budget or Goodbudget run on more platforms?
Actual Budget runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Goodbudget runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Actual Budget for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Goodbudget is typically brought in for.
What can Actual Budget do that Goodbudget cannot?
Actual Budget covers Local-first data, Self-hosted sync, Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless, Rules engine. Goodbudget covers Shared budgets, Receipt scanning, Expense tracking, Bank accounts. Both handle Envelope budgeting.

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.

Goodbudget: How much does Goodbudget cost?

Goodbudget pricing details are not available on the main website. The platform offers a free version and a Premium tier, but specific costs and features are not published.

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.

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.

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