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Personal Finance · head to head

Firefly III vs Simplifi

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
Simplifi logo

Simplifi

Personal Finance

Smart budgeting and spending tracker

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.; Simplifi there is no free tier at all
  • They diverge on capability: Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Simplifi covers Budget tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Firefly III and Simplifi differ
AttributeFirefly IIISimplifi
Starting priceFree$3.99/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2020

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 Simplifi

  • Budget tracking
  • Spending analysis
  • Goal tracking
  • Cash flow insights
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Web support
  • IOS 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 Simplifi
  • Someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgetingnot Simplifi
  • A privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwisenot Simplifi
  • A developer who wants API access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connectornot Simplifi

Simplifi

  • Personal budgeting with automatic bank transaction importnot Firefly III
  • Tracking spending, savings goals and net worth in one placenot 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.

Simplifi

  • There is no free tier at all
  • The advertised $3.99 a month requires annual billing, against $6.99 paying monthly
  • The subscription auto renews yearly at the then current price, which the terms state is subject to change rather than fixed

Pricing, plan by plan

Firefly III

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

Simplifi

$3.99/month
  • Annual$3.99/month
    • Financial aggregation across 14,000+ institutions
    • Spending plan and budgeting tools
    • Savings goals tracking
  • Monthly$6.99/month
    • Financial aggregation across 14,000+ institutions
    • Spending plan and budgeting tools
    • Savings goals tracking

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 Simplifi if

  • You need budget tracking.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want spending analysis.
Simplifi review

Questions people ask

Is Firefly III or Simplifi better?
Neither clearly leads. Firefly III starts at Free and Simplifi 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 Simplifi?
Firefly III has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Firefly III and $3.99/month for Simplifi.
Does Firefly III or Simplifi run on more platforms?
Firefly III runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Simplifi runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Firefly III for free?
Yes. Firefly III has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Simplifi 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 Simplifi is typically brought in for.
What can Firefly III do that Simplifi cannot?
Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Multi-currency accounts, Bill and subscription tracking, Rule engine. Simplifi covers Budget tracking, Spending analysis, Goal tracking, Cash flow insights.

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.

Simplifi: How much does Quicken Simplifi cost?

Quicken Simplifi costs $3.99 per month when billed annually, or $6.99 per month if billed monthly. The annual plan provides a 43% discount compared to monthly billing.

Source
Firefly III: Does it support multiple currencies?

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

Simplifi: Does Quicken Simplifi offer a free trial?

No free trial is mentioned on the Quicken Simplifi pricing page. The service operates as a cloud-based subscription requiring payment to access personal finance management features including budgeting, spending tracking, and investment portfolio management.

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.

Simplifi: What payment options are available for Simplifi?

Simplifi requires annual or monthly billing at checkout with automatic renewal. Cancellation is permitted before renewal without penalty.

Source
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