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Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs Mint

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mint logo

Mint

Personal Finance

All your money in one 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.; Mint service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Mint covers Expense tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Actual Budget and Mint differ
AttributeActual BudgetMint
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tierfree
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2006

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

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

Only in Mint

  • Expense tracking
  • Budgets
  • Bill tracking
  • Credit score monitoring
  • Financial insights
  • Bank connections
  • Bank-level encryption
  • Verisign secured

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

Mint

  • Legacy free budget tracking for users with supported bank connectionsnot Actual Budget
  • Users transitioning to Credit Karma for continued money management featuresnot 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.

Mint

  • Service transitioned to Credit Karma platform; standalone Mint features migrated elsewhere
  • Bank connections supported for only 17,000 financial institutions; many regional or international banks not supported

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

Mint

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mint review.

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 Mint if

  • You need expense tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want budgets.
Mint review

Questions people ask

Is Actual Budget or Mint better?
Neither clearly leads. Actual Budget starts at Free and Mint at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Mint?
Actual Budget starts at Free and Mint at Free.
Does Actual Budget or Mint run on more platforms?
Actual Budget runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Mint 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 Mint is typically brought in for.
What can Actual Budget do that Mint cannot?
Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Local-first data, Self-hosted sync, Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless. Mint covers Expense tracking, Budgets, Bill tracking, Credit score monitoring.

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.

Mint: Is Mint still actively sold?

Mint has been reimagined on Credit Karma. The Mint website now directs users to check out the new platform on Credit Karma's net worth signup page rather than maintaining a standalone product.

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.

Mint: What pricing information is available on the Mint homepage?

The Mint page does not disclose pricing details. For current pricing information, users should visit Credit Karma's website or contact support directly.

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.

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