Actual vs Kill Bill
| Tagline | Local-first zero-sum budgeting app with optional cross-device sync | Open-source subscription billing and payments platform with real-time analytics |
| Category | Finance & Budgeting | Finance & Budgeting |
| Replaces | YNAB, Mint | QuickBooks |
| GitHub stars | 27k | 5.6k |
| Language | Nodejs | Java |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 2/5 Easy | 4/5 Involved |
| Deploy options | Docker Docker Compose Manual | Docker Docker Compose Kubernetes Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | today | 7 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
Kill Bill
- No built-in UI for end users; requires integrating or building a customer portal
- Documentation is comprehensive but can be complex for teams without Java expertise
- Does not include general ledger or bookkeeping — only billing and payments
- Limited built-in reporting compared to QuickBooks; requires external BI tooling
Bottom line
Choose Actual if you want the lower-effort setup; 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.
Kill Bill
Open-source subscription billing and payments platform with real-time analytics