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Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs PocketGuard

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PocketGuard logo

PocketGuard

Personal Finance

In Your Pocket personal finance

From
$6.25/month
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.; PocketGuard no free plan, only 7-day free trial
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Actual Budget and PocketGuard differ
AttributeActual BudgetPocketGuard
Starting priceFree$6.25/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tiersubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2012

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 PocketGuard

  • Real-time spending alerts
  • Budget tracking
  • Goal setting
  • Spending insights
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • 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 PocketGuard
  • Someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for syncnot PocketGuard
  • A technically comfortable household running a small self-hosted stack who wants budgeting alongside itnot PocketGuard
  • A user who is fine paying a small hosted fee for sync convenience without wanting a full YNAB-style subscriptionnot PocketGuard

PocketGuard

  • Tracking spending and bills against a personal budgetnot Actual Budget
  • Finding and cancelling recurring subscriptionsnot 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.

PocketGuard

  • No free plan, only 7-day free trial
  • Monthly subscription at $12.99/month costs $155.88 annually if not switched to annual billing
  • Lifetime plan at $149.99 is relatively expensive for personal finance software

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

PocketGuard

$6.25/month
  • Premium - Monthly$12.99/month
    • Budgeting tools
    • Expense tracking
    • Unlimited bank accounts
  • Premium - Annual$6.25/month
    • Same as monthly
    • $74.99 annual charge saves $81/year
  • Lifetime$149.99/one-time
    • All features
    • No recurring fees
    • Lifetime access

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 PocketGuard if

  • You need real-time spending alerts.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want budget tracking.
PocketGuard review

Questions people ask

Is Actual Budget or PocketGuard better?
Neither clearly leads. Actual Budget starts at Free and PocketGuard at $6.25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or PocketGuard?
Actual Budget has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Actual Budget and $6.25/month for PocketGuard.
Does Actual Budget or PocketGuard run on more platforms?
Actual Budget runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. PocketGuard 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. PocketGuard starts at $6.25/month.
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 PocketGuard is typically brought in for.
What can Actual Budget do that PocketGuard cannot?
Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Local-first data, Self-hosted sync, Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless. PocketGuard covers Real-time spending alerts, Budget tracking, Goal setting, Spending insights.

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.

PocketGuard: How much does PocketGuard cost?

PocketGuard Premium costs $12.99/month for monthly billing or $6.25/month when billed annually ($74.99/year). A one-time Lifetime plan is also available for $149.99.

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.

PocketGuard: Does PocketGuard offer a free trial?

Yes, PocketGuard offers a 7-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card is required to start the trial.

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.

PocketGuard: What is the annual savings with PocketGuard's yearly plan?

PocketGuard's annual plan costs $74.99/year ($6.25/month), saving $81 per year compared to paying $12.99 monthly ($155.88/year).

Source
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