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Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs Splitwise

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Splitwise logo

Splitwise

Personal Finance

Split expenses easily with friends

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.; Splitwise the free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Splitwise covers Bill splitting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Actual Budget and Splitwise differ
AttributeActual BudgetSplitwise
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tierfreemium
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

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 Splitwise

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

Splitwise

  • Splitting shared household bills between flatmatesnot Actual Budget
  • Tracking who owes what on a group tripnot Actual Budget
  • Settling up across currencies on the Pro plannot Actual Budget
  • Recording IOUs between friends over timenot 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.

Splitwise

  • The free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
  • Transaction import works in the United States only
  • Currency conversion, receipt scanning, charts and expense search are all Pro features
  • The Pro price is not shown on the product page

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

Splitwise

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Bill splitting
    • Group tracking
    • Mobile app
  • Splitwise Pro$4.99/month
    • Receipt scanning
    • Advanced analytics
    • No ads

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 Splitwise if

  • You need bill splitting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
Splitwise review

Questions people ask

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

Splitwise: Is there a free version of Splitwise?

Yes, Splitwise offers a free version available for iPhone, Android, and web with core features including adding groups and friends, splitting expenses, recording debts, equal or unequal splits, offline mode, and cloud sync.

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.

Splitwise: What is Splitwise PRO and how much does it cost?

Splitwise PRO is an upgrade offering receipt scanning, charts and graphs, currency conversion, and additional features. The specific price is not published on the main website; users must visit the subscription page or access the app to view pricing details.

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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