Actual Budget vs SelfCapsule.
Two Local-First Budget Apps.
Both apps keep your budget on your own device and both support envelope budgeting. Actual Budget is free, open source, and syncs through a server you host. SelfCapsule runs no server at all, encrypts its database on your device, and has a native app for iPhone and iPad.
Quick verdict
Choose Actual Budget if you want open-source code, a free app, and the same budget on several devices through a server you control. With a server and your own provider keys, it can also pull transactions from banks through services such as SimpleFIN and Enable Banking. Choose SelfCapsule if you would rather run no server, want the app itself to encrypt your data, and want an iPhone and iPad app from the App Store. SelfCapsule never connects to a bank; you import the statements your bank lets you download.
How Actual Budget and SelfCapsule Compare
Every Actual Budget entry comes from Actual Budget's own pages, read on 13 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars. See the sources.
| Dimension | Actual Budget | SelfCapsule |
|---|---|---|
| Where your data lives | ||
| Where your data lives | On your device. A server you run, or a paid host such as PikaPods, syncs it between devices. | On your device only. No account, no cloud sync, no server. |
| Sync between devices | ||
| Sync between devices | Yes, through the Actual server. | No sync service. |
| Bank connection | ||
| Bank connection | Optional. Akahu, Enable Banking, GoCardless, SimpleFIN, or Pluggy.ai, using API keys you sign up for. Needs a server. | None. You import statement files you download from your bank. |
| File import | ||
| File import | CSV, QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053. | Mac: CSV, TSV, OFX, QFX, QIF. iPhone and iPad: CSV, OFX, QFX. |
| Encryption on your device | ||
| Encryption on your device | Local data is not encrypted by the app; the docs recommend full disk encryption. Optional end-to-end encryption for data on the server. | AES-256 (SQLCipher) on Mac. Apple's device encryption on iPhone and iPad. |
| Open source | ||
| Open source | Yes, MIT license. | No. |
| Price | ||
| Price | Free. Cloud hosting for the server (PikaPods, Fly.io) is paid. | Free tier. Pro is $29 once. |
| Platforms | ||
| Platforms | Desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux. A web app served by your server, which can be installed on a phone. | Mac (direct download), iPhone and iPad (App Store). Windows coming soon. |
| Budgeting method | ||
| Budgeting method | Envelope budgeting. | Mac: envelope, zero-based, 50/30/20, or category limits. iPhone and iPad: category budgets, with unspent money rolling over if you choose. |
| Export | ||
| Export | Export data from Settings. | Encrypted backup (AES-256-GCM, passphrase) on all platforms. Mac: report CSV export (Pro), no transaction export screen yet. iPhone and iPad: transaction CSV export. |
Which One Fits You
Where Actual Budget Is the Better Fit
- You want to read or change the code. Actual is MIT-licensed and developed in the open on GitHub.
- You want one budget on several devices, synced through a server you control.
- You want transactions downloaded from your bank and are happy to set up a provider account such as SimpleFIN or Enable Banking.
- You use Windows or Linux today. SelfCapsule for Windows is not out yet.
- You want the whole app free, with no paid tier.
Where SelfCapsule Is the Better Fit
- You do not want to run, pay for, or secure a server.
- You want the app to encrypt its own database: AES-256 on Mac, Apple's device encryption on iPhone and iPad.
- You want a native iPhone and iPad app from the App Store.
- You want AI help with categories and questions that runs on your device, with no account to sign in to.
- You would rather import a statement than give any service access to your bank.
Budgeting
Local-First Budgets on Your Device.
Give income a job across categories and watch each target fill as spending comes in. Every number is calculated from the database on your device.
Budgets
Pick the method that fits how you think about money.
Goals
$6,400 of $10,000
$1,350 of $2,200
Import
Bring Your Statements. Skip the Bank Login.
Import CSV, OFX, or QFX files on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, plus TSV and QIF on Mac. Map CSV columns once and save the template. Your bank credentials never leave your bank.
Import transactions
Bring in a CSV from any bank. We map the columns for you.
Match your file to the ledger
Switching
Moving From Actual Budget to SelfCapsule
SelfCapsule reads transaction files, so the cleanest move is to bring your history across from your bank's own downloads.
- 1
Keep an export of your Actual budget.
In Actual, open Settings and choose Export data. Keep that file as your archive. SelfCapsule imports CSV, TSV, OFX, QFX, and QIF transaction files rather than Actual budget files.
- 2
Download statements from your bank.
OFX or QFX files carry dates and amounts in a fixed structure, so they need no column mapping. CSV works too; you map the columns once.
- 3
Install SelfCapsule and import.
Download the Mac app, or get the iPhone and iPad app from the App Store. Create your accounts, then import each statement into its account.
- 4
Set up envelopes.
On Mac, choose Envelope as your budget method in Settings. On iPhone and iPad, turn on rollover for each category so unspent money carries into the next month. Then recreate the categories you used in Actual.
FAQ
Questions Worth a Direct Answer
Is SelfCapsule an Actual Budget alternative?
Yes, for people who want local-first budgeting without running a server. Both apps keep your data on your device. Actual Budget is open source and syncs through a server you host. SelfCapsule runs no server, encrypts its database on your device, and has iPhone and iPad apps on the App Store.
Does Actual Budget need a server?
Not for budgeting. Actual's install guide says a server is not required, but you need one to sync between devices, use bank sync, use Actual on a mobile device or in a web browser, or use the API. The desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux work offline without one.
Is Actual Budget free?
Yes. Actual is free and open source under the MIT license. If you host its server with a cloud provider such as PikaPods or Fly.io, you pay for that hosting. SelfCapsule has a free tier and a one-time $29 Pro upgrade.
Does Actual Budget encrypt my data on my device?
Actual's documentation says data on your local device is not encrypted and recommends full disk encryption. Its optional end-to-end encryption protects the budget data stored on your server. SelfCapsule encrypts its database on Mac with AES-256, and on iPhone and iPad the database is protected by Apple's built-in device encryption.
Can SelfCapsule connect to my bank like Actual's bank sync?
No. SelfCapsule never asks for a bank login. You download statements from your bank and import them: CSV, TSV, OFX, QFX, or QIF on Mac, and CSV, OFX, or QFX on iPhone and iPad.
Is SelfCapsule open source?
No. SelfCapsule's source code is not public. If reading the code yourself matters most, Actual Budget is open source.
Sources, Checked October 2026
We read each Actual Budget page below on 13 October 2026. Actual Budget can change its prices and features at any time, so check its own pages before you decide. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Actual Budget
- Actual Budget: home page (local-first, sync, bank sync, file import), accessed 13 October 2026
- Actual Budget docs: Installing Actual (server features, desktop apps, hosting), accessed 13 October 2026
- Actual Budget docs: Connecting Your Bank, accessed 13 October 2026
- Actual Budget docs: Importing Transactions, accessed 13 October 2026
- Actual Budget docs: Sync and end-to-end encryption, accessed 13 October 2026
- Actual Budget docs: Backing Up Your Actual Budget (export), accessed 13 October 2026
- Actual Budget on GitHub (MIT license), accessed 13 October 2026
SelfCapsule
Your finances. Contained.
A free tier covers core budgeting. Upgrade once if you want the full toolkit. Compare SelfCapsule with other apps.
Download SelfCapsule