Tally vs Actual Budget

Actual Budget is free, open source and local-first: your data lives on your own machine, with optional self-hosted sync. It imports files like Tally does, and offers optional bank sync. Tally is not open source, syncs to a Tally server, and is not self-hostable by the public. Actual suits people who want to own the whole stack. Tally suits people who want a ready-made app.

Last updated

4 decisive differences

  1. Bank linking

    Tally
    None, by design. Tally never logs in to your bank.
    Actual Budget
    Optional. SimpleFIN for the US and Canada, GoCardless for the EU and UK.Source: Actual Budget

  2. File import

    Tally
    CSV (Wise and TD Canada Trust layouts), OFX, QFX, QBO, QIF and text-based PDF. Up to 20 MB per file, 50 files at once.
    Actual Budget
    Yes: QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053 and CSV.Source: Actual Budget

  3. Multi-currency

    Tally
    One account per currency. Overview shows By currency (exact) or Combined (converted, marked with ≈). Converter with 173 currencies on Android.
    Actual Budget
    Not stated on its homepage.

  4. Platforms

    Tally
    Android app (in testing) and a web app (in testing). No iPhone app. The Windows app is only a demo window.
    Actual Budget
    A web and desktop app, with self-hosted sync.Source: Actual Budget

Actual Budget facts from its own website, checked on . The full table and every source are below.

How do Tally and Actual Budget differ, row by row?

Side by side, using Actual Budget's own website on 8 October 2026. Where its site does not say, the table says so.

Tally compared with Actual Budget
What it doesTallyActual Budget
PriceNot decided yet. No public sign-up.Free and open source. Donations are welcome. Others such as PikaPods offer paid hosting.Source: Actual Budget
PlatformsAndroid app (in testing) and a web app (in testing). No iPhone app. The Windows app is only a demo window.A web and desktop app, with self-hosted sync.Source: Actual Budget
Bank linkingNone, by design. Tally never logs in to your bank.Optional. SimpleFIN for the US and Canada, GoCardless for the EU and UK.Source: Actual Budget
File importCSV (Wise and TD Canada Trust layouts), OFX, QFX, QBO, QIF and text-based PDF. Up to 20 MB per file, 50 files at once.Yes: QIF, OFX, QFX, CAMT.053 and CSV.Source: Actual Budget
Multi-currencyOne account per currency. Overview shows By currency (exact) or Combined (converted, marked with ≈). Converter with 173 currencies on Android.Not stated on its homepage.
CanadaTD Canada Trust and Wise file layouts are built in. Starter rules cover many Canadian merchants. Canadian dollar is the default.SimpleFIN bank sync covers Canada.Source: Actual Budget
PrivacyNo bank aggregator, no analytics, no ads. Your budget data syncs to a Tally server over HTTPS. Not end-to-end encrypted.Local-first. "You own your data." Optional end-to-end encryption, so the server cannot read it.Source: Actual Budget
AI featuresNone.Not stated on its homepage.
Rival facts checked on

Prices change. Check Actual Budget's own pages before you decide.

What does Actual Budget do better?

Actual Budget is ahead in these ways.

  • Free and open source, so anyone can read the code.
  • Local-first: your data stays on your own machine unless you set up sync.
  • Optional end-to-end encryption on synced data. Tally does not offer it.
  • Import from YNAB4 and nYNAB, and a live demo you can try now.
  • A community on Discord and GitHub.

What does Tally do differently?

Tally is in development, so these are the choices it has made, not a claim to be better.

  • A ready-made server and Android app, with no setup. (Tally is still in development, so this applies to testing.)
  • Safe to spend, a cash-flow forecast and recurring bill detection built in.
  • Per-currency accounts and a converter with 173 currencies.
  • TD Canada Trust and Wise layouts built in, and many Canadian merchant rules.

Who should pick Tally or Actual Budget?

It depends on whether you want your bank linked.

Where do these facts come from?

Every Actual Budget fact comes from a page on its own site, read on 8 October 2026.

Tally facts follow Tally's own fact sheet. Tally is in development: no public sign-up, no price yet, no iPhone app.

Keep reading

The guides explain the file method and what the numbers mean.

Budgeting guidesAll comparisons