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Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs Tiller Money

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tiller Money logo

Tiller Money

Personal Finance

Spreadsheet-based personal finance

From
$79/year
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.; Tiller Money no native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Actual Budget and Tiller Money actually diverge.

Attributes where Actual Budget and Tiller Money differ
AttributeActual BudgetTiller Money
Starting priceFree$79/year
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tierUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
FoundedUnknown2015

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 Tiller Money

  • Auto-populates financial data
  • Customizable spreadsheets
  • Budget tracking
  • Financial templates
  • Bank accounts
  • Google Sheets
  • Excel
  • Web 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 Tiller Money
  • Someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for syncnot Tiller Money
  • A technically comfortable household running a small self-hosted stack who wants budgeting alongside itnot Tiller Money
  • A user who is fine paying a small hosted fee for sync convenience without wanting a full YNAB-style subscriptionnot Tiller Money

Tiller Money

  • Budget Managementnot Actual Budget
  • Expense Trackingnot Actual Budget
  • Investment Trackingnot 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.

Tiller Money

  • No native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps
  • Spreadsheet-based interface can be intimidating for non-technical users unfamiliar with formulas
  • Requires manual customization and setup of templates and formulas for advanced features
  • No built-in investment performance tracking or analysis at the depth some competitors offer
  • Customer support is email and community-based, not real-time chat or phone support

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

Tiller Money

$79/year
  • Annual Subscription$79/year
    • Unlimited transaction import
    • Up to 5 connected spreadsheets
    • AutoCat categorization

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 Tiller Money if

  • You need auto-populates financial data.
  • You work on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel.
  • You also want customizable spreadsheets.
Tiller Money review

Questions people ask

Is Actual Budget or Tiller Money better?
Neither clearly leads. Actual Budget starts at Free and Tiller Money at $79/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Tiller Money?
Actual Budget has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Actual Budget and $79/year for Tiller Money.
Does Actual Budget or Tiller Money run on more platforms?
Actual Budget runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Tiller Money runs on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel.
Can I use Actual Budget for free?
Yes. Actual Budget has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tiller Money starts at $79/year.
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 Tiller Money is typically brought in for.
What can Actual Budget do that Tiller Money cannot?
Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Local-first data, Self-hosted sync, Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless. Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data, Customizable spreadsheets, Budget tracking, Financial templates.

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.

Tiller Money: How much does Tiller Money cost?

Tiller Money costs $79 per year with no free tier. A 30-day free trial is available. The annual subscription includes 5 connected spreadsheets and unlimited categories.

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.

Tiller Money: Does Tiller work with Google Sheets and Excel?

Yes. Tiller automatically feeds daily bank transactions and account balances to Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets you own. Your data remains yours permanently.

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.

Tiller Money: How many banks and financial institutions does Tiller connect to?

Tiller connects to 21,000+ US banks, credit card accounts, brokerages, and loan servicers via Yodlee and MX data providers. New banks are added weekly.

Source
Tiller Money: What is AutoCat in Tiller?

AutoCat is Tiller's 100% customizable automatic categorization feature that learns your spending patterns. You can set rules like 'file all grocery store transactions above $10 as groceries and below $10 as snacks.'

Source
Tiller Money: Does Tiller have a mobile app?

Tiller does not have a dedicated mobile app. Instead, it uses Google Sheets and Excel apps on mobile devices to access your spreadsheets. Mobile access is primarily for viewing, not transaction entry.

Source
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