What is the main difference between Actual and Firefly III?

Actual and Firefly III are both budgeting apps but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: Actual or Firefly III?

The choice between Actual and Firefly III depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from Actual to Firefly III?

Migration between Actual and Firefly III is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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Actual vs Firefly III

Learn how Actual and Firefly III differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these budgeting apps is best for you.

Actual

Privacy-focused personal finance app using envelope budgeting, multi-device sync, optional end-to-end encryption, and bank sync for US, EU, and UK users.

Visit Actual Read more

28,490stars+619(+2.2%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
4 hours ago
Repository age
4 years
Version
v26.8.1
License
MIT
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
actualbudget/actual

Sponsor Actual ongithub.com

Firefly III

Track transactions, budgets, and accounts with a double-entry system, multi-currency support, rule engine, and REST API. Fully self-hostable.

Visit Firefly III Read more

24,470stars+273(+1.1%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
12 hours ago
Repository age
12 years
Version
v6.6.6
License
AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
firefly-iii/firefly-iii

Sponsor Firefly III ongithub.com

Detailed Comparison

Both Actual and Firefly III have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Comparable

Community & Popularity

Both tools have similar popularity levels, with Actual having 28,490 stars and Firefly III having 24,470 stars on GitHub. In terms of developer contributions, Actual has 2,921 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Actual wins

Growth Momentum

Actual is growing faster, adding 619 stars in the last 30 days (+2.2%) against adding 273 stars for Firefly III (+1.1%). Actual is both larger and pulling further ahead.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Actual last updated 4 hours ago and Firefly III 12 hours ago.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, SCSS. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Actual uses Typescript, JSX while Firefly III leverages CSS, Bash, Vue, PHP, Laravel.

Firefly III wins

Project Maturity

Firefly III has been in development longer, starting 12 years ago, compared to Actual which began 4 years ago. This 7.9-year head start suggests Firefly III may have more mature features and established processes.

Actual wins

Licensing

Actual uses the MIT license, which is more permissive than Firefly III's AGPL-3.0 license, potentially offering greater flexibility for commercial use and integration.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Budgeting Apps. However, they also have distinct specializations: Firefly III extends into Personal Finance Management.

Comparable