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Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs Wealthfront

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wealthfront logo

Wealthfront

Personal Finance

Automated investing for your money

From
On request
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.; Wealthfront the Automated Investing Account carries a 0.25% annual advisory fee on top of the underlying fund expenses
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Wealthfront covers Automated portfolio management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Actual Budget and Wealthfront differ
AttributeActual BudgetWealthfront
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tiertransaction
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

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 Wealthfront

  • Automated portfolio management
  • Tax-loss harvesting
  • Financial planning
  • Index fund investing
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • 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 Wealthfront
  • Someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for syncnot Wealthfront
  • A technically comfortable household running a small self-hosted stack who wants budgeting alongside itnot Wealthfront
  • A user who is fine paying a small hosted fee for sync convenience without wanting a full YNAB-style subscriptionnot Wealthfront

Wealthfront

  • Automated index fund investing with periodic rebalancingnot Actual Budget
  • Tax loss harvesting in a taxable brokerage accountnot Actual Budget
  • Buying fractional shares of individual stocks with no commissionnot 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.

Wealthfront

  • The Automated Investing Account carries a 0.25% annual advisory fee on top of the underlying fund expenses
  • Tax-Loss Harvesting and automated rebalancing apply to the Automated Investing Account, not the self-directed Stock Investing Account
  • It is a US brokerage product and is not offered to investors outside the United States

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

Wealthfront

On request
  • BasicFree
    • Automated investing
    • Tax-loss harvesting
    • Rebalancing
  • Premium Plus$50/month
    • All Basic features
    • Financial planning
    • Human advisor 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 Wealthfront if

  • You need automated portfolio management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want tax-loss harvesting.
Wealthfront review

Questions people ask

Is Actual Budget or Wealthfront better?
Neither clearly leads. Actual Budget starts at Free and Wealthfront at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Wealthfront?
Actual Budget has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Actual Budget and On request for Wealthfront.
Does Actual Budget or Wealthfront run on more platforms?
Actual Budget runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Wealthfront 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. Wealthfront starts at On request.
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 Wealthfront is typically brought in for.
What can Actual Budget do that Wealthfront cannot?
Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Local-first data, Self-hosted sync, Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless. Wealthfront covers Automated portfolio management, Tax-loss harvesting, Financial planning, Index fund investing.

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.

Wealthfront: What fees does Wealthfront charge?

Wealthfront offers zero account fees on cash accounts and zero commissions on stock trades. The site indicates 'no minimum' requirement to get started with certain products.

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.

Wealthfront: Is the 3.30% APY rate guaranteed or promotional?

The 3.30% base APY is provided by program banks and subject to change. An APY Boost up to 4.20% is available for balances up to $150,000 through two easy methods.

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.

Wealthfront: What account types and features are included?

Wealthfront supports taxable accounts, retirement accounts (Traditional/Roth IRA, SEP), 529 education accounts, and joint accounts. Features include free 24/7 instant withdrawals and up to $8M FDIC insurance.

Source
Wealthfront: What support resources are available?

Customers can access a help center at support.wealthfront.com, methodology whitepapers, and investor relations information. The platform emphasizes 24/7 access to account management.

Source
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