privacyapps.ioPrivacy checkup

Private budgeting apps

13 apps, each with a privacy passport

Budgeting apps hold your income, spending and often bank logins. Private ones keep the ledger on your device or your own server and let you import statements yourself instead of linking a bank account through a data broker.

If you only try two

Privacy passport
Actual Budget
Budgeting
Our pick
No tracking
Yes
Open source
Yes
Only you can read it
Your server
No account
Yes
Free
Yes
5 of 5 checks
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
Fast envelope budgeting, your data stays yours
Privacy passport
Cashew
Budgeting
Our pick
No tracking
Yes
Open source
Yes
Only you can read it
On device
No account
Yes
Free
Free plan
5 of 5 checks
- Android
- iPhone
- Web
Friendly phone budgeting, no account needed

All 13 budgeting apps

Passes

Works on

13 of 13 apps

Actual BudgetPick

Self-hosted29.7k

Local-first envelope budgeting app that keeps your data on the device, with optional end-to-end encrypted sync to your server.

No tracking
Open source
On your server
No account
Free

Mac
Windows
Linux
Web

CashewPick

App4.7k

Open-source budgeting app with budgets, goals and subscriptions, storing data on the phone with optional Google Drive backup.

No tracking
Open source
Stays on device
No account
Free plan

Android
iPhone
Web

My Expenses

App1.2k

Long-running open-source Android expense tracker with accounts, budgets and CSV import, storing data on the phone.

Tracking not stated
Open source
Stays on device
No account
Free plan

Android

Firefly III

Self-hosted25k

Self-hosted personal finance manager with budgets, rules and reports, running on your own server with no cloud.

No tracking
Open source
On your server
Account needed
Free

Web

GnuCash

App4.4k

Free double-entry accounting program for home and small business finances, keeping your books in a local file.

No tracking
Open source
Stays on device
No account
Free

Mac
Windows
Linux

HomeBank

App

Free desktop app for tracking personal accounts and budgets with charts and bank file import, all stored locally.

No tracking
Open source
Stays on device
No account
Free

Mac
Windows
Linux

KMyMoney

App

KDE's open-source personal finance manager with accounts, budgets and investments, keeping data in a local file.

No tracking
Open source
Stays on device
No account
Free

Mac
Windows
Linux

Money Manager Ex

App2.3k

Open-source money manager for desktop that tracks accounts, budgets and bills in a local, optionally encrypted file.

No tracking
Open source
Stays on device
No account
Free

Mac
Windows
Linux

ezBookkeeping

Self-hosted5.8k

Lightweight self-hosted bookkeeping app for daily spending, with a mobile-friendly web interface on your own server.

No tracking
Open source
On your server
Account needed
Free

Web

Spliit

Service3k

Open-source app for splitting shared expenses with friends and family, with no ads and no account needed.

Tracking not stated
Open source
Provider can read it
No account
Free

Web

I Hate Money

Service1.4k

Simple open-source web app for shared expenses among housemates or trips, free to use or run on your own server.

Tracking not stated
Open source
Provider can read it
No account
Free

Web

Wallos

Self-hosted8.7k

Self-hosted tracker for subscriptions and recurring bills, with renewal reminders and spending stats on your server.

No tracking
Open source
On your server
Account needed
Free

Web

Ghostfolio

Service9.6k

Open-source wealth tracker for stocks, ETFs and crypto that you can self-host or use as a hosted subscription.

Tracking not stated
Open source
Provider can read it
Account needed
Free plan

Web

What to check in budgeting apps

1 Where is your ledger stored: device, own server or vendor cloud?
2 Does it need a bank connection or work from your own imports?
3 Is there an account, and is sync end-to-end encrypted?

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