Overview
Fava is a Python web interface for Beancount, a plain-text double-entry accounting system. It provides interactive balance sheets, income statements, portfolio tracking, budgets, and transaction editing in the browser while the underlying data lives in plain-text files. It is installed via pip and started with a single command, requiring no database server. It is well-suited for developers and power users comfortable with text-file accounting.
Where it falls short of Mint
- All data entry is in plain-text Beancount syntax; no GUI transaction entry out of the box
- No automatic bank import; requires manual or third-party import scripts
- Steep learning curve for Beancount format and double-entry concepts
- No mobile app; purely browser-based
We list the gaps honestly so you can decide if the trade-off is worth owning your data.
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