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Personal Finance · head to head

Firefly III vs Tiller Money

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
Tiller Money logo

Tiller Money

Personal Finance

Spreadsheet-based personal finance

From
$79/year
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.; Tiller Money no native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps
  • They diverge on capability: Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firefly III and Tiller Money actually diverge.

Attributes where Firefly III and Tiller Money differ
AttributeFirefly IIITiller Money
Starting priceFree$79/year
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerWeb, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
FoundedUnknown2015

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 Tiller Money

  • Auto-populates financial data
  • Customizable spreadsheets
  • Budget tracking
  • Financial templates
  • Bank accounts
  • Google Sheets
  • Excel
  • Web 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 Tiller Money
  • Someone who wants double-entry style accuracy rather than simple envelope budgetingnot Tiller Money
  • A privacy-focused user who refuses to put financial data on any third-party server, hosted or otherwisenot Tiller Money
  • A developer who wants API access to build custom bank import scripts for accounts with no standard connectornot Tiller Money

Tiller Money

  • Budget Managementnot Firefly III
  • Expense Trackingnot Firefly III
  • Investment Trackingnot 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.

Tiller Money

  • No native mobile app means mobile access limited to Google Sheets or Excel apps
  • Spreadsheet-based interface can be intimidating for non-technical users unfamiliar with formulas
  • Requires manual customization and setup of templates and formulas for advanced features
  • No built-in investment performance tracking or analysis at the depth some competitors offer
  • Customer support is email and community-based, not real-time chat or phone support

Pricing, plan by plan

Firefly III

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

Tiller Money

$79/year
  • Annual Subscription$79/year
    • Unlimited transaction import
    • Up to 5 connected spreadsheets
    • AutoCat categorization

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 Tiller Money if

  • You need auto-populates financial data.
  • You work on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel.
  • You also want customizable spreadsheets.
Tiller Money review

Questions people ask

Is Firefly III or Tiller Money better?
Neither clearly leads. Firefly III starts at Free and Tiller Money at $79/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firefly III or Tiller Money?
Firefly III has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Firefly III and $79/year for Tiller Money.
Does Firefly III or Tiller Money run on more platforms?
Firefly III runs on Web, Linux, Docker. Tiller Money runs on Web, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel.
Can I use Firefly III for free?
Yes. Firefly III has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tiller Money starts at $79/year.
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 Tiller Money is typically brought in for.
What can Firefly III do that Tiller Money cannot?
Firefly III covers Double-entry style ledger, Multi-currency accounts, Bill and subscription tracking, Rule engine. Tiller Money covers Auto-populates financial data, Customizable spreadsheets, Budget tracking, Financial templates.

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.

Tiller Money: How much does Tiller Money cost?

Tiller Money costs $79 per year with no free tier. A 30-day free trial is available. The annual subscription includes 5 connected spreadsheets and unlimited categories.

Source
Firefly III: Does it support multiple currencies?

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

Tiller Money: Does Tiller work with Google Sheets and Excel?

Yes. Tiller automatically feeds daily bank transactions and account balances to Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets you own. Your data remains yours permanently.

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.

Tiller Money: How many banks and financial institutions does Tiller connect to?

Tiller connects to 21,000+ US banks, credit card accounts, brokerages, and loan servicers via Yodlee and MX data providers. New banks are added weekly.

Source
Tiller Money: What is AutoCat in Tiller?

AutoCat is Tiller's 100% customizable automatic categorization feature that learns your spending patterns. You can set rules like 'file all grocery store transactions above $10 as groceries and below $10 as snacks.'

Source
Tiller Money: Does Tiller have a mobile app?

Tiller does not have a dedicated mobile app. Instead, it uses Google Sheets and Excel apps on mobile devices to access your spreadsheets. Mobile access is primarily for viewing, not transaction entry.

Source
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