Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Buckets Budgeting VS Actual Budget

Compare Buckets Budgeting VS Actual Budget and see what are their differences

Buckets Budgeting logo Buckets Budgeting

Beautiful, privacy-minded budgeting app

Actual Budget logo Actual Budget

Robust and simple budgeting that works
  • Buckets Budgeting Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-02-01
  • Actual Budget Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18

Buckets Budgeting features and specs

  • Visual Organization
    Buckets Budgeting provides a clear visual representation of where money is allocated, making it easier to track spending and savings in different categories.
  • Easy to Use
    The interface is user-friendly, allowing users to easily manage their budgets without a steep learning curve.
  • Customizable
    Users can create and manage custom categories for their budget, tailoring the system to fit personal financial goals and habits.
  • Flexibility
    It allows for adjustments in real time, which helps users adapt their budgets according to unexpected expenses or changes in income.
  • Goal-Oriented
    Encourages users to set financial goals for each bucket, promoting better financial planning and management.

Possible disadvantages of Buckets Budgeting

  • Limited Advanced Features
    May lack some advanced features that experienced budgeters or business users might need, such as investment tracking or more comprehensive financial reports.
  • Manual Entry
    Users are required to manually enter transactions, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error.
  • Paid Software
    It is a paid service, which might not be ideal for users looking for a completely free budgeting tool.
  • Learning Curve for Detailed Use
    While basic functionality is easy, some users might find it challenging to fully utilize its potential for more detailed budgeting.
  • Limited Integrations
    Integration with other financial services or apps is limited, which means users might need to manage multiple tools separately.

Actual Budget features and specs

  • Privacy
    Actual Budget offers a high level of privacy as it runs locally on your computer, meaning your financial data does not get stored on third-party servers.
  • Speed and Performance
    Since Actual Budget is a local application, it runs faster and is more responsive compared to some web-based tools.
  • Offline Access
    Users can access and manage their budgets even without an internet connection, which is not always possible with cloud-based budgeting tools.
  • Unique Budgeting Approach
    Actual Budget uses an envelope budgeting system, which can be particularly effective for people who prefer this method of financial management.
  • Customizability
    The software allows for a high degree of customization, enabling users to tailor it to their specific budgeting needs.
  • Data Import Options
    It supports importing transactions from various financial institutions and accepts data from other budgeting tools to make the transition smoother.

Possible disadvantages of Actual Budget

  • Initial Setup
    The initial setup can be time-consuming and might require a steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with envelope budgeting.
  • Manual Updates
    Users may need to manually update their financial transactions frequently, which can be tedious compared to services that offer automatic syncing.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Actual Budget does not offer a dedicated mobile app, which might be a drawback for users who prefer managing their finances on-the-go.
  • Platform Dependency
    Being a locally installed software, it is dependent on the platform it runs on, which may cause issues for users with different types of operating systems.
  • Cost
    While there is a free version, some advanced features require a subscription, which may not be ideal for users seeking a completely free solution.
  • Community and Support
    With a smaller user base compared to some more established budgeting tools, finding community support or troubleshooting advice may be more challenging.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Buckets Budgeting and Actual Budget)
Personal Finance
13 13%
87% 87
Financial Planner
25 25%
75% 75
Finance
11 11%
89% 89
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Actual Budget seems to be a lot more popular than Buckets Budgeting. While we know about 56 links to Actual Budget, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Buckets Budgeting. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Buckets Budgeting mentions (4)

  • Monitoring your spending
    I use Buckets (budgetwithbuckets.com /r/budgetwithbuckets). It's a budgeting application. There are a few different ones around. I used to use YNAB but they decided to double prices and that pissed me off so I left it. You can also just use excel. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Moving forward, what are your plans?
    I've been trying Buckets (budgetwithbuckets.com) myself and it's very similar, and so far, have been working really well. Their nYNAB import (in the beta release) works extremely well also... Source: about 3 years ago
  • YNAB to Buckets guide
    For sure! If you're comfortable using GitHub, you can use the Issue Tracker (link at the top of the budgetwithbuckets.com site). Or from within the app, click Help > Report Bug. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Moving on from 2013 and FYI, deleting your [nYNAB] account will get you a partial refund
    I chose https://budgetwithbuckets.com/ Currently lacks a mobile app and recurring transactions, but I've found good workarounds for both, and the $15/yr 3rd party sync seems to work with all my accounts. Source: about 3 years ago

Actual Budget mentions (56)

  • GnuCash 5.9 Released
    For this I recommend https://actualbudget.com/ . It is in many ways like You Need A Budget but you can host it yourself for free. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Show HN: Wealthfolio: A Private, Open-Source Investment Tracker
    For that very reason I tried selfhosting Actual Finance[1] but it is more of a budgeting app than a networth tracking app. I ended up coding a small exporter[2] since I already had some stack in place that queries SimpleFI[3], which essentially allows querying balance and transaction information for most US-based banks (read only); most similar to plaid but a lot more developer-friendly afaik. [1]... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Tell HN: YNAB will partly remove direct bank imports
    I use Actual budget. It’s open source, free, but you’ll have to figure out hosting. Bank sync is currently provided in North America by SimpleFin ($15/year) And in Europe by GoCardless I host mine in a Docker container on my NAS. [1] https://actualbudget.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Budgeting App
    If you are tech-savvy then maybe https://actualbudget.com/ - similar to YNAB, but free & open-source. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud (2019)
    Looks visually quite similar to https://actualbudget.com/ (open-source, local-first). Did one influence the other? Are they both inspired by some other budget software? - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Buckets Budgeting and Actual Budget, you can also consider the following products

YNAB - Working hard with nothing to show for it? Use your money more efficiently and control your spending and saving with the YNAB app.

Firefly III - Financial manager, it can help you keep track of expenses, income, budgets and everything in...

MoneyWallet - Advanced expense manager that allows you to track your expenses and plan budgets.

Mint - Free personal finance software to assist you to manage your money, financial planning, and budget planning tools. Achieve your financial goals with Mint.

GnuCash - A personal and small-business financial-accounting software, licensed under GNU/GPL and available for Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BSD, and Solaris.

HomeBank - Access Financial Services. Easy, fee-free banking for entrepreneurs Get the financial tools and insights to start, build, and grow your business.