Viridel vs Actual Budget — private local-first app
Another local-first budget — with Viridel’s Ready to Assign, bills, loans, and native apps in one product.
Another local-first budget — with Viridel’s Ready to Assign, bills, loans, and native apps in one product.
Actual Budget is the honest local-first cousin: open source, often self-hosted, envelope-style. This page is for people who want that privacy posture without running a sync server, and who want bills, loans, net worth, and official mobile apps in one maintained product.
Key differences
Actual is a project you can audit and host. Viridel is a product: Google sign-in, a 34-day hosted demo, €50 Lifetime, optional Plus in Frankfurt, and native apps Q1 2027 included. You are buying maintenance, not a git clone.
Both are local-first and both skip bank sync. Viridel adds Ready to Assign with a full finance surface — registers, amortizing loans, investments, a due calendar — so you are not stitching modules yourself.
Choose Actual if you require open-source self-hosting and zero vendor. Choose Viridel if you want the same privacy default with a single Lifetime and someone else on call for the stack.
Viridel is best for
- You want local-first without running your own sync server.
- You want polished mobile apps and a single Lifetime unlock.
- You need loans, net worth, and a finance calendar beyond the budget grid.
Where Viridel is stronger
- Local-first without operating your own sync server.
- Bills, loans, net worth, and calendar included.
- Official iOS/Android path with Lifetime (Q1 2027).
- Optional Plus sync without self-hosting.
Where Actual Budget still wins
- Not open source — you cannot audit every line.
- Vendor-operated; Actual has no vendor lock if you host it.
- Actual’s power-user community is dedicated and deep.
- No Actual budget file import.
Actual Budget is best for
- Fully open-source code you can audit and self-host.
- A dedicated community of Actual power users.
- Zero vendor lock if you operate the stack yourself.
Actual Budget is an open-source, local-first budgeting project (self-host or desktop) popular with privacy-minded users.
Pick the tool that fits how you actually budget. Viridel will not pretend bank sync is a bug in the other product — if you need Direct Import, that is a real reason to stay. The Free demo lets you find out without a card.
What Viridel will not do: we will not tell you a competitor is bad just to win the click. If Actual Budget fits your operation, use it.
Frequently asked questions
Why choose Viridel over Actual Budget?
Choose Actual if you want open-source self-hosting. Choose Viridel if you want a maintained product with native apps, Ready to Assign, bills/loans/net worth, and optional Plus sync without running servers.