Actual Budget vs budgetzero
Actual Budget
actualbudget.orgbudgetzero
budgetzero.ioSide by side
| Figure | Actual Budget | budgetzero |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Personal Finance Software | 8.7 (#18) | 7.7 (#122) |
| Spec score · Budgeting And Expense Tracking | 8.7 (#4) | 8.3 (#6) |
| Account sync | both | manual |
| Budgeting | Envelope budgeting lets users assign only cash they have on hand. | The product supports zero-based envelope budgeting. |
| Budgeting tools | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platforms | Download pages list desktop clients for Windows, macOS and Linux. | Desktop apps are available for Windows and Mac. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | Actual Budget is a privacy-focused finance app built around envelope budgeting. | BudgetZero is a free, open-source, offline-first zero-based envelope budgeting system. |
| Reports | The app includes net worth and cash flow reports, plus a custom report engine. | The site describes customizable reports on financial progress. |
Plans
In their own words
Actual Budget
Actual Budget is a privacy-focused finance app built around envelope budgeting. It lets users assign only cash they have on hand, manage split transactions and transfers, and track bills and net worth. The app stores data on the local device and a selected Actual server, and it works without a network connection. Reports include net worth and cash flow, alongside a custom report engine, and users can export reports. Actual imports QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053 and CSV files. Bank syncing requires actual-server and credentials from a chosen provider, and automatic syncing is off by default. Optional end-to-end encryption prevents the server from accessing encrypted budget data, but it does not cover bank sync tokens; losing the encryption password without a local copy means the encrypted data cannot be recovered. Desktop clients are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, with web access and several self-hosting options. The free, MIT-licensed plan costs nothing.
budgetzero
budgetzero has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.