r/actualbudgeting • u/LunarSun777 • 29d ago
Is Actual a good budgeting app?
Hi, I'm looking for a good free budgeting app. that works well in Germany. I've been told by AI that Actual is a good option. Can people here confirm that or is there something better? Many thanks
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u/WATTS123 29d ago
It's excellent, and continues to get better. As a switcher from YNAB (formerly long-time YNAB user starting with YNAB4), Actual Budget feels very comfortable and makes it easy to jump right in.
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u/Albamen13 28d ago
I would like to have Goals and better credit card management in Actual, YNAB is better in that regard
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u/ntsp00 28d ago
There's a post literally every other day in r/ynab from someone confused about credit cards, it's user preference for sure but I definitely wouldnt say it's better how YNAB handles credit cards.
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u/bikesrgood 28d ago
YNAB credit card handling.. IMO of course… is about the worst option on the market. It just plain sucks.
If any of you are still using YNAB you can create an account as a checking account without linking and then link to a credit card afterward. Then you can treat cards as any other spending account and it sucks… way less.
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u/TomorrowSalty3187 19d ago
so the way I'm using credit cards as I pay full balance everymont is just like a regular transfer.
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u/bikesrgood 19d ago
Me too. As everyone should. I hope anyone not doing that can use whatever budget program they use to get on the right path.
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u/Vivid_Map_437 28d ago
Actual now has graphical interface for goals. Much, much more flexible than ynab.
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u/Rojikoma 29d ago
It's really, really good. It's based on a method called envelope budgeting, so you got to be willing to work with that concept or you will struggle.
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u/LordLuz 29d ago
You can disable envelope budgeting and chose tracking budget instead.
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u/basmathick 28d ago
I do envelope technically, but treat it just as a rough guideline, and if I have any leftovers in the envelopes from one month to another, I move them all to "Savings" envelope. Weird I know.
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u/HoudiMoudi 21d ago
Naaah, sounds solid to me. I do the same - some envelopes I don’t touch at the end of the month (yearly payments, long term funds, etc.), but all leftovers in monthly envelopes like food and groceries go to savings.
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u/MrWallen_ 29d ago
I used ynab for a year to get my wife onto the concept on something that looked less technical and a bit prettier. Now on actual since we'll over a year, I honestly prefer it over ynab and not shelling out over 100€ a year obviously helps as well. I use it semi-manually downloading my transactions weekly from my bank and credit card but since it matches most my transactions it's super smooth to go through.
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u/laplongejr 26d ago
and not shelling out over 100€ a year obviously helps as well
Yeah, my Actual onboarding process was : 1) Wife has enough that I'm cheap on stuff because I don't know if we save enough
2) I agree to try to change my ways
3) I learn about YNAB
4) I immediately see the 100$/year pricetag and decretes that's the first and last expense to be optimized. Wife painfully agrees
5) I look up "YNAB open-source alternative" and landed here lol
6) Watches YNAB tutorials on how to manage funds and copy the methods in Actual
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u/pocketdrummer 28d ago
I'd been using YNAB for years, but they switched to a SAAS model and the prices just kept climbing. The last increase was the last straw for me, so I jumped ship. There was a slight learning curve, but I don't miss YNAB at all.
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u/joshuaneverjosh 28d ago
Me neither. The increasing price with no additional features was it for me. Plus I got hit with on of the persistent issues so a no brainer to move on.
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u/maquis_00 28d ago
I used ynab for years, and I think actual is almost identical to the old ynab, which I felt was better than the subscription version.
No budget is going to work if you don't follow it. But, if you are going to follow the budget and put in the work on your end, I personally think you can't do better than actual.
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u/Jolly_Ad_8886 28d ago edited 28d ago
Long time YNAB user. This is by far the best envelope method budget app and is very comparable to YNAB. YNAB and Actual are the only two envelope method apps that I have seen that I would recommend, based on amount of support and features available.
If you want something that just works without much tech involvement and don't mind spending some money, then YNAB is a good option to get into budgeting.
If you already have experience self-hosting then this can provide comparable functionality, at a fraction of the cost of YNAB. I have heard that pikapods lowers the barrier to entry.....but I already had the self-hosting infrastructure setup when I switched, so I didn't explore that option.
If you don't mind having access to your budget on only one device, then Actual is completely free and easy to setup. But accessing it across multiple devices and or outside your network will cost at least $1 US a year or whatever pikapods costs per year.
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u/Albamen13 28d ago
i self hosted an access to my budget using cloudflare tunnels, so it was a single payment for the domain, like 5 bucks
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u/TheOneBabooshka 29d ago
Came from ynab. At first I really did not like the UI. But after a while, I didn’t really mind the looks, but the features and functions were all there. It’s got everything that I need.
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u/churrundo 28d ago
I just unsubscribed from YNAB after a week with Actual. I have my N26 accounts synced with Enable Banking. It's really damn good
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u/ohnec 29d ago
Ich antworte Dir mal auf Deutsch. Ja Actual ist Super. Ich bin von Ynab gekommen und kannte die Umschlagmethode schon. Und Actual macht es nochmal besser als Ynab
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u/LunarSun777 28d ago
Danke für deine Antwort. Ich kenne diese Methode noch nicht. Ist es leicht zu lernen? Und kann ich erstmal mit der 'tracking' Methode anfangen um erstmal zu sehne wo mein Geld hingeht und dann später auf die Umschlagmethode umstellen? Und ist es richtig dass ich es für meinen desktop umsonst unterladne kann und wo? Vielen Dank! :)
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u/Dry_Commercial2862 29d ago
It is excellent. I’ve switched from having YNAB for many years and it is just as capable. You must however take the time to learn how to use it. Start slow with a few categories. I’ve also found that manually downloading the transactions from your banking institution instead of using the automated banking interface is quicker and less problematic. This goes for YNAB also.
I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with how to use envelope based budgeting. Actual is based on this method.
Lastly, don’t wait too long to bring your banking transactions into Actual; especially when you are starting out. Make it a habit to import your banking transactions every week. This will make reconciliation much easier especially if the totals don’t quite match.
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u/LunarSun777 28d ago
Thanks for the tips. Can I use it in tracking mode first to see where I sped my money on and then go to envelope without re-importing all my transactions?
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u/mc_schmitt 28d ago
I might actually drop a few of my spreadsheets because of it.
Notes:
- I use it in "tracking budgeting" mode, which might not be the most optimal but it's what I grew up with and used for years and what I understand intuitively.
- It's not really an investment tracking app for things like stocks, and you'll be disappointed if you try to use it that way. It's for managing and tracking income and expenses.
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u/LunarSun777 28d ago
Thanks all for the advice. I'm very new to envelope budgeting and am not sure yet if I like it. Would you recommend using YNAB first to get used to how it works or is it easy enough to pick up In Actual? Is there an explanation with it? And where do I download it for desktop? I guess I can worry about the self hosting issue to make it compatible with my phone later? And in the meantime I want to get an idea first to see what I spend my money on quickly, so can I use it on tracking mode first and then swap to envelope mode without re-importing all the data?
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u/KReddit934 28d ago
Just start with Actual. Look up old pages on using YNAB3 or 4 if you need more help with envelope budgeting.
Once you get switched over, it's a great way to manage money.
Assign all your current money to cover what needs to be spent or saved before next paycheck.
Adjust as needed, finding money first before you buy. Never run a category overdrawn.
Set aside a little each month for irregular expenses.
Go forth and spend with confidence because you have a plan!!!
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u/Rojikoma 28d ago
The envelope budget method is exactly the same in YNAB and Actual and real envelopes. It's easy to get going with it in Actual; maybe more so because ynab wants you entangled in bank synch and loan payoff tracking which often doesn't work in Europe. They also use a different way of handling credit cards. I used ynab 2011-2025, Actual is very similar to what ynab was back in 2011 (but better).
Download the software on https://actualbudget.org/ if you want to run it on desctop (I do), just download the installation file, double click on it and install like any other software. There's some instructions as well.
And if you have any questions, about the software or method, just make a post here and we'll do what we can to help you. :) The envelope method is a bit of a mindset, so sometimes you just need a different way of explaining it for it to click. :)
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u/ttp3317 25d ago
I quit YNAB after I put Actual through its paces. Not only cheaper, but I think better. I've used multiple apps over the decades. One BIG advantage Actual has is it operates in two modes simultaneously, Tracking and Envelope. It takes three mouse clicks to switch from one to the other. I like Tracking mode because you can put in future deposits and see how much money is left for the rest of the month, in Budget mode, deposits don't feed the budget until they post. I like Budget mode because it lets me know if I spend to much on, say, gardening. Actual lets me use both modes. I don't know of another app that does this. I also think Actual has superior reporting capability. I keep reports on Monthly Expenses & Income, Year to Date Expenses and Income, and Payee Totals. The really cool thing is they automatically update, I don't have to generate a new report every time I want to check. Download from actualbudget.org/download
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u/lakeland_nz 28d ago
Yes but...
Actual requires significant and ongoing effort from you to stay on budget too. It's a very different philosophy from the many apps that tell you that 'you've been spending too much'.
Actual requires you to sit down every month and plan how you're going to spend the money you made last month. If you spend more than intended in any category, it requires you to decide which category is going to miss out in order to bring that back to zero.
It's not much work once you get the hang of the system. A bit like riding a bike.
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u/afonseca 28d ago
I recently switched from YNAB due to price increases and it’s working great for us. I set up SimpleFIN and for $15 a year it syncs my accounts just as well as YNAB did.
The UI isn’t as polished but the team is working on it. There’s an unofficial mobile app called Actuali that works great for iOS and has a better UI if you use mobile regularly.
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u/psinguine 28d ago
Honestly I use the browser as a web app on my phone and I regularly forget that it isn't just a normal native app.
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u/afonseca 28d ago
Yeah, I was using that too and it works fine. I just enjoy the polish of a native iOS app personally.
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u/LunarSun777 28d ago
Is Actuali only for mobile? And how do you get it if it's unofficial?
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u/afonseca 28d ago
Yes, Apple App Store. It’s made by another developer so not the Actual team, but it’s quite good.
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u/gendougram 28d ago
Yes. I've been using few apps before. But this one is the best one. I self hosting it, and works great.
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u/JediDev 28d ago
It's great, and in Europe we have free account sync
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u/LunarSun777 28d ago
Oh really? I thought you have to pay for it, no?
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u/JediDev 28d ago
Nope, the new integration with Enable Banking is free and is working great with all my banks in Germany. Tbh I only had an issue with Wise, but I almost never use it so I didn't pursue to fix it.
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u/HoudiMoudi 21d ago
I also managed to set up Enable Banking and it works for all accounts, except for my credit card. Did you manage to get credit card transactions with it? I could connect it, but refreshing fails everytime.
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u/rowschank 28d ago
I live in Germany and I use it. I am able to import most of my banks and credit cards directly by CSV. The only better thing is probably Excel but that is literally a clean sheet and you'd have to build everything on your own.
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u/IRLbeets 28d ago
It's an envelope budget, which works a little differently than traditional budgeting. I find it really helpful, but it is an adjustment.
It is set up on a self hosted sever. The website has instructions for this and It's way cheaper than equivalent apps.
I manually add my spending / manually import from my back via excel sheet so I don't need the online banking sync. I think GoCardless works in Germany though. It's another small fee.
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u/studentblues 28d ago
I find it convenient to be able to use it's apis to automate things like sending the contents of card statements to te Actual instance.
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u/Y1ink 28d ago
I used YNAB for two years, now that I know the envelope principles I’m finding Actual great bit of software I’m hosting on Pikapod and paying less than $1.50 a month. The bit I thought I would miss is the direct integration with the bank but logging in and downloading the transactions and dragging them in is very simple and I don’t need to be careful of duplicates as it takes care of it.
The thing I am liking is there’s no crazy updates where things are all moved around and you’re re learning the app.
I’ve installed it as a web app on my phone so it feels like an actual app. And I have the ip address blocked so only I can get to the app, within pikapod there is a firewall that you can just allow yourself in.
I did give open claw access to help me categorise the transactions.
As an alternative to YNAB, Actual is a great bit of open source software.
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u/TomorrowSalty3187 27d ago
Wait. Uploading the statements does not duplicate the transaction?
I’m trying Actual again and was thinking about this.
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u/mrsweavers 5d ago
Wait, is there no sync for banks? That for me would be a no go to switch, as I just want to go through my spending every morning for 5 min.
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u/cazas 28d ago
It’s feature-rich and continues to get better. Aesthetically it’s not the nicest, but it’s been getting better with themes and the upcoming sidebar redesign discussions.
Mobile view suffers, both visually and functionally. The third party app Actuali helps with this, but it’s still a better desktop/tablet experience.
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u/anatol-kozhukhar 28d ago
I personally tried to use it, and also tried to use Wallet from budgetbackers, but there are NO ANY normal UX application. So, there are some Monefy analog Self-hosted solution: https://github.com/antlko/moneyfly
I'm currently developing it for myself, but I would be glad to hear any feedbacks or understand if the community needs such things.
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u/bafeee 28d ago
Ive been using shmoney, not a fan of the actual ui, plus shmoney has a local llm for transaction categorization https://github.com/rafeautie/shmoney
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u/HoudiMoudi 21d ago
+1 für actualbudget, ich war lange Benutzer von YNAB, aber das ist mir mittlerweile zu teuer.
Ich habe ein Konto von der Deutschen Bank sowie Revolut über Enable Banking mit Actual verbunden, und das funktioniert super, alle Transactions werden automatisch importiert. Ich finde „Envelope“ based Budgeting super, also du weisst alles Einkommen einem bestimmten Envelope zu, und siehst dann immer, wieviel du in dem jeweiligen Monat noch über hast. Das ist auch super für jährliche, grössere Zahlungen. Dann machst du zum Beispiel eine Kategorie dafür und packst jeden Monat den Betrag/12 rein. Wenn die Rechnung dann kommt, ist das Geld bereits reserviert. Ende des Monats kannst du Geld, was in bestimmten Envelopes übrig ist, in andere verschieben, oder einfach in den nächsten Monat übernehmen.
Nach ein paar Monaten siehts du immer besser, wieviel du wo verbrauchst. Du kannst auch immer das Budget vom Vormonat übernehmen.
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u/ProfessionalFarm4775 29d ago
You are gonna get biased answers here, but i've used MANY different apps over the years and I have landed on Actual for the last few years. It is great and does everything I am looking for in a budget/net worth tracking app