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Personal Finance · head to head

Firefly III vs Hoppscotch

Firefly III logo

Firefly III

Personal Finance

Free, open source, self-hosted personal finance manager with double-entry style accounting

From
Free
Rated
-
Hoppscotch logo

Hoppscotch

APIs

Open-source API development ecosystem with web-based REST client

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Firefly III there is no official managed hosting, so a non-technical user has no easy on-ramp the way Actual Budget offers with its paid hosted sync.; Hoppscotch open-source project with no published commercial support plans or pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Hoppscotch covers REST Client.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firefly III and Hoppscotch actually diverge.

Attributes where Firefly III and Hoppscotch differ
AttributeFirefly IIIHoppscotch
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb, Desktop, Self-hosted
CategoryPersonal FinanceAPIs
FoundedUnknown2019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Firefly III

  • Double-entry style ledger
  • Multi-currency accounts
  • Bill and subscription tracking
  • Rule engine
  • Reports and charts
  • API access

Only in Hoppscotch

  • REST Client
  • WebSocket
  • gRPC Client
  • GitHub
  • Documentation tools
  • CI/CD
  • Web support
  • Desktop support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Firefly III

  • A self-hoster already running a home server or NAS who wants their financial ledger on the same infrastructurenot Hoppscotch
  • Someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgetingnot Hoppscotch
  • A privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwisenot Hoppscotch
  • A developer who wants API access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connectornot Hoppscotch

Hoppscotch

  • API Developmentnot Firefly III
  • API Gatewaynot Firefly III
  • API Testingnot Firefly III
  • API Documentationnot Firefly III
  • Microservicesnot Firefly III

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Firefly III

  • There is no official managed hosting, so a non-technical user has no easy on-ramp the way Actual Budget offers with its paid hosted sync.
  • The double-entry-influenced model is less intuitive for newcomers than simple envelope budgeting, and the learning curve is real.
  • Automatic bank sync depends on the community-run importer and third-party connectors, and coverage and reliability vary a lot by bank and country.
  • Mobile access is via a web interface rather than a polished native app, which is a step behind Actual Budget or Lunch Money on phones.
  • Because there is no company behind it, security patching and feature development depend entirely on volunteer maintainer time.

Hoppscotch

  • Open-source project with no published commercial support plans or pricing
  • No official enterprise tier or SLA information disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

Firefly III

Free
  • Firefly IIIFree
    • Full functionality, self-hosted
    • No usage limits
    • Community support, donations accepted

Hoppscotch

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full REST client
    • WebSocket support
    • Community
  • Teams$8/monthly
    • Team collaboration
    • Cloud sync
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Firefly III if

  • You need double-entry style ledger.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want multi-currency accounts.

Choose Hoppscotch if

  • You need rest client.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted.
  • You also want websocket.

Questions people ask

Is Firefly III or Hoppscotch better?
Neither clearly leads. Firefly III starts at Free and Hoppscotch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firefly III or Hoppscotch?
Firefly III starts at Free and Hoppscotch at Free.
Does Firefly III or Hoppscotch run on more platforms?
Firefly III runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Hoppscotch runs on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted.
Can I use Firefly III for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Firefly III best used for?
Firefly III is most often used for a self-hoster already running a home server or nas who wants their financial ledger on the same infrastructure, someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgeting, a privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwise, a developer who wants api access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connector. Of those, a self-hoster already running a home server or nas who wants their financial ledger on the same infrastructure and someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgeting are not what Hoppscotch is typically brought in for.
What can Firefly III do that Hoppscotch cannot?
Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Multi-currency accounts, Bill and subscription tracking, Rule engine. Hoppscotch covers REST Client, WebSocket, gRPC Client, GitHub.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Firefly III: Can I pay someone to host Firefly III for me?

Not through the core project; some third-party providers sell Firefly III hosting independently, but there is no official managed service.

Hoppscotch: Is Hoppscotch free to use for API development?

Yes, Hoppscotch is a completely free, open-source API development ecosystem. There are no subscription fees, license costs, or registration requirements to access the core platform.

Source
Firefly III: Does it support multiple currencies?

Yes, natively, including accounts and transactions in different currencies.

Hoppscotch: Can I deploy Hoppscotch on my own infrastructure?

As an open-source project, Hoppscotch can be self-hosted and deployed on your own infrastructure. The source code is available for customization and deployment in private environments.

Source
Firefly III: Is it really free with no paid tier?

Yes, the software is free and open source under the AGPL; the project accepts donations but sells nothing.

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