Actual Budget

Actual Budget uses the envelope budgeting method, where you allocate money to specific categories before spending it, giving you clear visibility into what's available to spend. All your data stays on your device by default (local-first architecture), and you can optionally enable bank syncing through goCardless for automatic transaction import. It's open source and available on web and mobile.

This approach appeals to people who want financial privacy and respond well to the psychological boundaries of envelope budgeting. If you value knowing exactly what you can spend in each category and don't want your financial data stored on company servers, Actual's local-first design combined with optional bank sync offers a good balance.