Actual vs ezbookkeeping
| Tagline | Local-first zero-sum budgeting app with optional cross-device sync | Lightweight self-hosted personal bookkeeping app with multi-currency support |
| Category | Finance & Budgeting | Finance & Budgeting |
| Replaces | YNAB, Mint | Mint, YNAB |
| GitHub stars | 27k | 5.1k |
| Language | Nodejs | Go |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Self-host difficulty | 2/5 Easy | 2/5 Easy |
| Deploy options | Docker Docker Compose Manual | Docker Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | today | 2 days ago |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
Actual
- Bank sync coverage is narrower than YNAB's direct connections, especially outside the US/EU
- No mobile native app; the web app is mobile-responsive but not fully optimised for touch
- Investment tracking and net-worth projections are basic compared to Mint/Quicken
- Multi-currency support is limited and requires manual workarounds
ezbookkeeping
- No automatic bank/account import; transactions must be entered or imported via CSV
- Budgeting is basic; no envelope or zero-based budgeting like YNAB
- No bill reminders or subscription tracking
- Reporting is limited to basic charts; no advanced financial planning features
Bottom line
Both are a similar lift to self-host; choose Actual for the larger community and ecosystem. Actual has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
ezbookkeeping
Lightweight self-hosted personal bookkeeping app with multi-currency support