# Best open source budgeting and finance software > The best open source budgeting app is HyperSwitch, with 45,286 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Actual and Firefly III are strong alternatives. This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: HyperSwitch leads for freelancers and home use. The overall ranking weighs GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 44 apps in the finance & budgeting category of the appsgit catalog. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | |---|---| | Question | What is the best open source budgeting app? | | Picks | 15 | | Top pick | HyperSwitch (45,286 stars) | | Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 | | Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-budgeting-software | ## Top picks 10 of the 44 apps in the finance & budgeting category, ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [HyperSwitch](https://appsgit.com/apps/hyperswitch) (45,286 stars, Apache-2.0, Rust, Docker): HyperSwitch has 45,286 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,103 commits in the last year. - [Actual](https://appsgit.com/apps/actual) (29,330 stars, MIT, TypeScript, Docker): Actual has 29,330 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,392 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint. - [Firefly III](https://appsgit.com/apps/firefly-iii) (24,832 stars, AGPL-3.0, PHP, Docker): Firefly III has 24,832 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,574 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint. - [Sure](https://appsgit.com/apps/sure) (10,402 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): Sure has 10,402 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,851 commits in the last year. - [Ghostfolio](https://appsgit.com/apps/ghostfolio) (9,402 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Ghostfolio has 9,402 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,449 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint. - [Lago](https://appsgit.com/apps/lago) (10,657 stars, AGPL-3.0, Go, Docker): Lago has 10,657 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 174 commits in the last year. - [OctoBot](https://appsgit.com/apps/octobot) (6,679 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker, AI features): OctoBot has 6,679 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 660 commits in the last year. - [Invoice Ninja](https://appsgit.com/apps/invoice-ninja) (10,223 stars, Elastic-2.0, source-available, PHP, Docker): Invoice Ninja has 10,223 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Elastic License 2.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 2,002 commits in the last year; it replaces QuickBooks and Xero. - [ezbookkeeping](https://appsgit.com/apps/ezbookkeeping) (5,718 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): ezbookkeeping has 5,718 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 827 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB. - [hledger](https://appsgit.com/apps/hledger) (4,746 stars, GPL-3.0, Haskell, Docker): hledger has 4,746 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,992 commits in the last year. ## Best for freelancers and home use Ranked for freelancers and home use (the same order for each) on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [HyperSwitch](https://appsgit.com/apps/hyperswitch) (45,286 stars, Apache-2.0, Rust, Docker): HyperSwitch has 45,286 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,103 commits in the last year. For freelancers it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Actual](https://appsgit.com/apps/actual) (29,330 stars, MIT, TypeScript, Docker): Actual has 29,330 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,392 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint. For freelancers it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Firefly III](https://appsgit.com/apps/firefly-iii) (24,832 stars, AGPL-3.0, PHP, Docker): Firefly III has 24,832 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,574 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint. For freelancers it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Sure](https://appsgit.com/apps/sure) (10,402 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): Sure has 10,402 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,851 commits in the last year. For freelancers it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Ghostfolio](https://appsgit.com/apps/ghostfolio) (9,402 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker): Ghostfolio has 9,402 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,449 commits in the last year; it replaces YNAB and Mint. For freelancers it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. ## How this list was made - Candidates: the 44 apps in the finance & budgeting category. Archived projects and projects with no commit in the last two years are left out. - Base score: GitHub stars on a log scale plus commits in the last 12 months (log scale, capped at 1,000). - Bonus points for a published Docker image, an OSI-approved open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - Each "Best for" section re-ranks the same apps with that audience's profile (for example startups add points for permissive licenses, project websites and recent commits; small business for Docker images and deploy guides). - Source-available apps can rank, but they are labelled and never described as open source. ## FAQ ### Is HyperSwitch free? Yes. HyperSwitch is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan. ### Which open source budgeting app is best for a freelancer? HyperSwitch ranks first for freelancers, with 45,286 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Actual and Firefly III follow. The freelancers ranking adds points for Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits on top of stars and activity. ### Which open source budgeting app is best for home use? HyperSwitch ranks first for home use, with 45,286 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Actual and Firefly III follow. The home use ranking adds points for Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits on top of stars and activity. ### Can I self-host these budgeting and finance software with Docker? Yes, all of them. HyperSwitch, Actual and Firefly III publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. ### Are all of these budgeting and finance software open source? 9 of the 10 apps on this list are open source; 1 is source-available. Source-available licenses add conditions, such as limits on hosted or commercial use, so read them before you deploy. ## Related questions - [What is the best open source budget management app?](https://appsgit.com/best/budget-management) - [What is the best open source accounting software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-accounting-software) - [What is the best open source ERP?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-erp) - [What is the best open source CMS?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-cms) - [What is the best open source team chat app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-team-chat) - [What is the best open source file sharing app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-file-sharing) - [What is the best open source analytics tool?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-analytics) - [What is the best open source URL shortener?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-url-shorteners) ## See also - [Best open source budget management apps](https://appsgit.com/best/budget-management) - [All finance & budgeting apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/finance-budgeting) - [All accounting & invoicing apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/accounting-invoicing) - [All ERP & inventory apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/erp-inventory) - [Open-source alternatives to YNAB](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/ynab) - [Open-source alternatives to Mint](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/mint) - [Open-source alternatives to QuickBooks](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/quickbooks) - [Open-source alternatives to Xero](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/xero) - [Open-source alternatives to FreshBooks](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/freshbooks) - [Open-source alternatives to Wave](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/wave) - [Actual Budget vs Firefly III](https://appsgit.com/compare/actual-vs-firefly-iii) - [Akaunting vs Invoice Ninja](https://appsgit.com/compare/akaunting-vs-invoice-ninja) - [How to self-host Actual Budget with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/actual) --- Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-budgeting-software Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. 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