Zero-based budgeting made simple
Give every dollar a job with envelope-style budgeting. Track spending in real-time, roll over unused budget, and see exactly where your money goes.
Privacy-focused personal finance that stays on your server.
Actual Budget
Actual Budget is a self-hosted alternative to YNAB with zero-based budgeting, bank imports, and mobile apps. Your financial data stays on your server, fully encrypted and under your control.
Actual Budget is an open-source project. We make it easier to deploy and manage, but all credit goes to the original developers. Learn more about the Actual Budget project →
Zero-based budgeting (envelope method) with real-time sync
Mobile apps for iOS and Android with offline support
CSV/OFX bank import with automatic categorization rules
What you get
All the features you'd expect, plus the control and privacy of self-hosting.
Your data stays private
All financial data is stored on your server. No cloud sync to third-party services, no data mining, no selling your transaction history to advertisers.
Sync across all devices
Desktop web app and native mobile apps for iOS and Android. Changes sync instantly across all devices with offline support for when you're not connected.
What's included
Built-in safety features
Login integration, automatic backups, and monitoring come included. Everything runs on your server; we handle the setup and give you clear guides for when things go wrong.
Unified authentication
Single sign-on across all apps using Auth0. Sign in with GitHub, email, or passkeys. One account, all your apps—no need to create separate passwords.
Automatic backups with verification
Nightly encrypted backups with automatic restore testing. Your budget data is backed up alongside all other platform data with the same reliability guarantees.
LAN and remote access
Access from your home network without authentication for convenience, or securely from anywhere with SSO. Your choice of access method without compromising security.
Resource requirements
Plan your deployment with these hardware requirements. All tiers include overhead for Docker and supporting services.
Light Resource Usage
Minimum Configuration
Good for testing and small-scale use
- CPU
- 1 core
- RAM
- 256MB
- Storage
- 5GB
- Capacity
- 1-5 users
Recommended
Production Configuration
Best performance and user experience
- CPU
- 1 core
- RAM
- 512MB
- Storage
- 10GB
- Capacity
- 5-15 users
Important notes
- Extremely lightweight Node.js application
- Uses SQLite for data storage (no separate database server needed)
- Storage grows with transaction history (typically 100MB per year)
- Can run on minimal hardware like Raspberry Pi
How it works
Here's how everything fits together. All the setup files are in the docs if you want to customize things.
How it's accessed
Automatic SSL certificates for both local and remote access. Security headers protect against common attacks while allowing offline-capable features.
Local-first data storage
SQLite database stored on your server with automatic backups. Fast performance and simple data portability—just back up the database file.
Lightweight and fast
Runs in a single container with minimal resource usage. No complex database setup, no heavy dependencies—just a simple Node.js server.
Get started in three steps
Use the portal to deploy your app, set it up, and start using it—all through your web browser.
01
Enroll your device
Download the agent installer from the portal dashboard. The installer handles Docker setup and connects your device to your UnboundBytes account automatically.
02
Deploy Actual Budget
Select Actual Budget from the application catalog, choose your deployment target, and click deploy. The portal configures everything—containers, tunnels, and SSL certificates.
03
Access your budget
Your Actual Budget instance is available at {yourname}.unboundbytes.com/budget. Download the mobile apps and connect them to your server for on-the-go access.
Common questions
Still have questions? Join our community chat or check out the support page for more help.
Can I import from YNAB or Mint?
Yes. Actual Budget supports importing from YNAB4 and nYNAB formats, as well as generic CSV imports from Mint and other services.
Do the mobile apps work offline?
Yes. The mobile apps download your budget for offline access. Changes sync automatically when you reconnect to your server.
Can multiple people use the same budget?
Yes. Multiple devices can connect to the same budget file with real-time sync. Perfect for couples or families managing finances together.
Learn more
Check out the docs, upstream projects, and support channels.