PocketSmith alternatives: 4 open-source picks
PocketSmith costs $14.95/mo — $179.40 a year. These 4 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Money Manager Ex, KMyMoney and Firefly III. All 4 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Imported transactions, categories and cash-flow forecasts without a subscription; calendar presentation is the loss.
Imports, categorisation and cash-flow forecasting on the desktop; the forecast is not dressed as a calendar.
Personal finance manager with budgets, rules, and reports — your money data stays home.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Local-first envelope budgeting with multi-device sync and bank import.
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Firefly III · Actual Budget
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a PocketSmith alternative
Easiest to get running
Money Manager Ex — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Firefly III, with 20,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 4, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Works on your phone
Money Manager Ex has a mobile app on iOS and Android.
what you give up by leaving PocketSmith
- bank feeds, multi-currency data, forecasting depth, sync, and support
- direct bank feeds
- tax filing guarantees
- payroll and payments
- accountant ecosystem and support
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
PocketSmith alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money Manager Ex | open source | one-click install | macos, windows, linux, ios, android | 2,200 | 2026-08 |
| KMyMoney | open source | one-click install | macos, windows, linux | 202 | 2026-07 |
| Firefly III | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 20,000 | 2026-08 |
| Actual Budget | MIT | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 20,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for PocketSmith
People still pay for PocketSmith because people pay because accurate money records and dependable institution connections are worth more than the visible charts. The recurring cost buys import normalization, reconciliation, rule drift, exchange rates, backups, audit trails, tax changes, bank APIs, and support, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $179.40 a year.
questions about switching from PocketSmith
Is there an open-source alternative to PocketSmith?
Yes: Money Manager Ex, KMyMoney, Firefly III and 1 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace PocketSmith?
Our verdict is YES. Firefly III (20k stars), Actual Budget (20k stars), Money Manager Ex (2k stars) are mature open-source replacements for PocketSmith — self-host in one command and stop paying $14.95/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/pocketsmith.
What is the easiest open-source PocketSmith alternative to set up?
Money Manager Ex — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source PocketSmith alternative?
By GitHub stars, Firefly III (20,000). Actual Budget is next with 20,000.
