Softwr

Personal Finance · head to head

Firefly III vs Quicken

Firefly III logo

Firefly III

Personal Finance

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quicken logo

Quicken

Personal Finance

Take control of your finances

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Firefly III has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Quicken promotional pricing available only for annual billing; higher rates apply for monthly billing
  • They diverge on capability: Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Quicken covers Budget creation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Firefly III and Quicken differ
AttributeFirefly IIIQuicken
Starting priceFree$3.99/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
FoundedUnknown1983

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 Firefly III

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

Only in Quicken

  • Budget creation
  • Bill management
  • Investment tracking
  • Tax planning
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Windows 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 Quicken
  • Someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgetingnot Quicken
  • A privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwisenot Quicken
  • A developer who wants API access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connectornot Quicken

Quicken

  • Individuals managing personal finances via Quicken Simplifi cloud app for budgeting and savings trackingnot Firefly III
  • Freelancers and self-employed managing business and personal finances via Quicken Business & Personal plannot Firefly III
  • Users preferring local data storage via Classic desktop editionsnot 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.

Quicken

  • Promotional pricing available only for annual billing; higher rates apply for monthly billing
  • Subscriptions auto-renew at current rates unless manually cancelled

Pricing, plan by plan

Firefly III

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

Quicken

$3.99/month
  • Quicken Simplifi$3.99/month
    • Billed annually at promotional rate
    • Regular price $6.99/month
    • Mobile and web access
  • Quicken Business & Personal$4.99/month
    • Billed annually at promotional rate
    • Regular price $8.99/month
    • Mobile and web access

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.
Firefly III review

Choose Quicken if

  • You need budget creation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want bill management.
Quicken review

Questions people ask

Is Firefly III or Quicken better?
Neither clearly leads. Firefly III starts at Free and Quicken at $3.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firefly III or Quicken?
Firefly III has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Firefly III and $3.99/month for Quicken.
Does Firefly III or Quicken run on more platforms?
Firefly III runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Quicken runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Firefly III for free?
Yes. Firefly III has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quicken starts at $3.99/month.
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 Quicken is typically brought in for.
What can Firefly III do that Quicken cannot?
Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Multi-currency accounts, Bill and subscription tracking, Rule engine. Quicken covers Budget creation, Bill management, Investment tracking, Tax planning.

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.

Quicken: How much does Quicken cost?

Quicken Simplifi starts at $3.99/month (billed annually) or $6.99/month (monthly billing). Quicken Business & Personal costs $4.99/month (annual) or $8.99/month (monthly). Annual billing offers savings versus monthly subscriptions.

Source
Firefly III: Does it support multiple currencies?

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

Quicken: What is the difference between Quicken Simplifi and Quicken Business & Personal?

Quicken Business & Personal includes the ability to run up to 10 businesses at no extra cost, making it suitable for freelancers and small business owners. Quicken Simplifi is designed for personal finance and couples. Both are available on mobile and web.

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.

Quicken: Can I cancel my Quicken subscription anytime?

Subscriptions auto-renew at then-current rates unless cancelled. The page indicates cancellation is possible but does not specify the cancellation process or any early termination fees.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Firefly III

More on Quicken

Keep looking

Other head to heads