Firefly III

Self-Hosted

Open-source personal finance manager for budgeting and expense tracking

Overview

Firefly III is an open-source personal finance tool that lets users track income, expenses, budgets, and investments with full data control. It supports multiple currencies, bank imports (CSV, Plaid plugins), and detailed reports on net worth, spending habits, and savings goals. Deployable via Docker, Docker Compose, or traditional web servers (PHP 8.1+, MySQL/MariaDB), it offers envelope budgeting, transaction categorization, and financial milestone tracking. Ideal for privacy-focused users, it avoids third-party data sharing by being self-hosted.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  firefly_iii:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: firefly-iii
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Multiple currency support
Bank transaction imports (CSV/Plaid)
Budget tracking & goal setting

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Firefly III hard to install?

It’s easy with Docker—use a single command or Docker Compose for a full setup. Non-Docker installs need PHP, a web server (Nginx/Apache), and MySQL/MariaDB, which may require basic technical knowledge.

? Is it a good alternative to YNAB?

Yes—It offers envelope budgeting and goal setting like YNAB but is open-source and self-hosted. Unlike YNAB, it has no subscription cost, though automatic bank sync may require CSV imports or plugins in some cases.

? Is it completely free?

Yes—Firefly III is licensed under MIT, so it’s free to use, self-host, and modify. All core features are available without hidden fees or premium tiers.

Top Alternatives

YNAB (You Need A Budget) Search Google

Mint Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Money, Budgeting & Management

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Privacy-focused (self-hosted data)
⊕ No subscription fees
⊕ Extensive customization options

Cons

⊖ Requires technical setup (Docker/web server)
⊖ No native mobile app
⊖ Limited automatic bank sync in some regions