Side by side
| Feature | UrBudget | Actual Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9 once after a 30-day trial; sync is optional at $2 a month | Free and open source (MIT license). Hosting a sync server is up to you, on your own machine or a paid host such as PikaPods |
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11, macOS 12 or later | Windows, Mac and Linux apps, and in a browser; on phones, as an installed web page |
| Between devices | Built-in sync, encrypted with your passphrase before upload. Nothing to set up or maintain | Through a sync server you host or rent; end-to-end encryption is optional |
| Bank connections | None. Import statement files (CSV, OFX, QFX, QIF), checked row by row | Built in, through GoCardless (EU and UK) and SimpleFIN (US and Canada) |
| Coming from YNAB | Paste a token and click Import: targets, notes and schedules come over, every month is checked against YNAB's totals, and you can import again to pull in changes. YNAB's export file works too | Built-in importers for YNAB4 and the current YNAB that keep your history |
| Source code | Closed | Open, on GitHub |
Which one fits you
Actual Budget, if you
- want free, open-source software
- use Linux, or want to budget in a browser
- want transactions to arrive from your bank through GoCardless or SimpleFIN
- are happy to run a server for sync, or pay a host to
- still have a YNAB4 budget to bring over
UrBudget, if you
- want a native Windows or Mac app with nothing to host or keep up to date on a server
- want sync between your computers that's encrypted and just works, for $2 a month
- are leaving YNAB and want a one-click import, checked month by month, that you can repeat while you decide
- want a loan planner, twelve reports and an optional budget assistant that uses your own ChatGPT plan or API key
Actual is a good project, and if free and open source matters most to you, it's the one to pick. UrBudget is for people who'd rather pay $9 once and not think about servers.
Actual Budget's details are from actualbudget.org, its install guide and its GitHub repository, checked October 17, 2026. UrBudget isn't affiliated with Actual Budget.