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Personal Finance · head to head

Firefly III vs Splitwise

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
Splitwise logo

Splitwise

Personal Finance

Split expenses easily with friends

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Splitwise the free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
  • They diverge on capability: Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Splitwise covers Bill splitting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Firefly III and Splitwise differ
AttributeFirefly IIISplitwise
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Splitwise

  • Bill splitting
  • Expense tracking
  • Group management
  • Settlement tracking
  • Venmo
  • PayPal
  • 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 Splitwise
  • Someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgetingnot Splitwise
  • A privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwisenot Splitwise
  • A developer who wants API access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connectornot Splitwise

Splitwise

  • Splitting shared household bills between flatmatesnot Firefly III
  • Tracking who owes what on a group tripnot Firefly III
  • Settling up across currencies on the Pro plannot Firefly III
  • Recording IOUs between friends over timenot 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.

Splitwise

  • The free tier limits how many expenses can be added in a day and shows adverts
  • Transaction import works in the United States only
  • Currency conversion, receipt scanning, charts and expense search are all Pro features
  • The Pro price is not shown on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

Firefly III

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

Splitwise

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Bill splitting
    • Group tracking
    • Mobile app
  • Splitwise Pro$4.99/month
    • Receipt scanning
    • Advanced analytics
    • No ads

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 Splitwise if

  • You need bill splitting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
Splitwise review

Questions people ask

Is Firefly III or Splitwise better?
Neither clearly leads. Firefly III starts at Free and Splitwise at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firefly III or Splitwise?
Firefly III starts at Free and Splitwise at Free.
Does Firefly III or Splitwise run on more platforms?
Firefly III runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Splitwise runs on Web, IOS, Android.
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 Splitwise is typically brought in for.
What can Firefly III do that Splitwise cannot?
Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Multi-currency accounts, Bill and subscription tracking, Rule engine. Splitwise covers Bill splitting, Expense tracking, Group management, Settlement tracking.

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.

Splitwise: Is there a free version of Splitwise?

Yes, Splitwise offers a free version available for iPhone, Android, and web with core features including adding groups and friends, splitting expenses, recording debts, equal or unequal splits, offline mode, and cloud sync.

Source
Firefly III: Does it support multiple currencies?

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

Splitwise: What is Splitwise PRO and how much does it cost?

Splitwise PRO is an upgrade offering receipt scanning, charts and graphs, currency conversion, and additional features. The specific price is not published on the main website; users must visit the subscription page or access the app to view pricing details.

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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