Is Aspire Budgeting really free?

Yes. The Aspire Budgeting spreadsheet is completely free — no trial, no credit card, no subscription. Aspire Turbo ($5/month) is an optional upgrade that adds CSV import and auto-categorization.

Is Actual Budget free?

Actual Budget is open source and free to self-host. However, their hosted sync service (Actual Cloud) costs $5.84/month. Self-hosting requires technical knowledge — you need to run a server.

Do both use zero-based budgeting?

Yes. Both Aspire and Actual implement zero-based envelope budgeting where every dollar is assigned to a category. The methodology is identical.

Can I access my budget on mobile with Actual?

Actual has a progressive web app that works on mobile browsers but no native iOS/Android app. Aspire works through the Google Sheets app, which is available on both platforms.

Do I need to be technical to use Actual Budget?

For the hosted version, no. But to self-host (and avoid the monthly fee), you need Docker or a server to run it on. Aspire requires zero technical setup — just copy a Google Sheet.

Which has better reporting?

Actual has more built-in report types including net worth tracking and cash flow. Aspire has spending reports, trend reports, and income vs. expense — and since it's a spreadsheet, you can build any custom report you want.

Aspire Budgeting vs Actual Budget

Two free zero-based budgeting tools, two different philosophies. One lives in Google Sheets. The other is a self-hosted app. Here's how to choose.

Try Aspire free

No sign-up. No server required. Copy to your Drive and start.

The fundamental difference

Actual Budget is a self-hosted web application — you run it on your own server (or pay for their cloud hosting). It's a full-featured budgeting app with bank sync, reports, and rule-based automation. Aspire is a Google Sheets template — no servers, no installation, no accounts. Just a spreadsheet in your Drive that implements the same budgeting methodology.

How long does setup take?

Aspire: ~2 minutes

Click "Copy to Google Drive"
Open the Dashboard tab
Add your category names

No account creation. No email required. No bank linking.

Actual Budget: 5–30+ minutes

Sign up for Actual Cloud ($5.84/month) or deploy Docker container on your own server
Create a budget file
Set up categories and groups
Connect bank sync via GoCardless or SimpleFIN (optional)
Import any existing transaction history

Self-hosting adds significant time for Docker/server configuration.

Feature comparison

Feature	Aspire Budgeting	Actual Budget
Price	Free	Free (self-host) or $5.84/month (cloud)
Setup required	Copy a Google Sheet (2 min)	Docker/server setup or sign up for cloud
Budgeting method	Zero-based envelope	Zero-based envelope
Platform	Google Sheets (web, iOS, Android)	Web app (self-hosted or cloud)
Bank sync	No (CSV import with Turbo)	Yes (GoCardless, SimpleFIN)
Open source	No (but it's a visible spreadsheet)	Yes (MIT license)
Customizability	Full (it's a spreadsheet)	Source code modifiable (requires dev skills)
Partner sharing	Free (Google Sheets sharing)	Share login or multi-user (cloud)
Reports	Spending, trends, income vs. expense	Net worth, cash flow, spending, custom
Transaction rules	Auto-categorization (Turbo)	Rule-based automation
Technical skill needed	None	Some (for self-hosting)
Works offline	Google Sheets offline mode	Yes (local-first architecture)

When Actual Budget is the better choice

Actual is an impressive project. Choose it if:

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You want bank sync and automatic transaction importing without paying $109/year (YNAB).
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You're comfortable with Docker or running a small server (or willing to pay $5.84/month for their cloud).
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You value open source and want to inspect (or modify) the code yourself.
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You want advanced reporting like net worth tracking and custom date-range analysis.
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You prefer a dedicated budgeting app UI over a spreadsheet.

When Aspire is the better choice

✓
You don't want to set up or maintain a server. Aspire is a Google Sheet. Copy it and you're done. No Docker, no ports, no updates to manage.
✓
You want instant partner sharing. Share the Sheet with your partner — both edit in real time. Actual requires sharing credentials or setting up multi-user.
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You want spreadsheet customizability. Add columns, build formulas, create custom views — no coding required. Actual's customization requires modifying source code.
✓
You trust Google's infrastructure. Your data syncs across devices via Google Drive without managing backups. Self-hosted Actual means you're responsible for backups.
✓
You're not technical. If "Docker" and "self-host" mean nothing to you, Aspire is the obvious choice. Zero technical barriers.
✓
You like spreadsheets. Some people genuinely prefer the spreadsheet experience. If that's you, Aspire is purpose-built for it.

What "it's a spreadsheet" actually means

Actual is open source and customizable if you can write code. Aspire is customizable for anyone who can use a spreadsheet — no dev skills required:

Custom paycheck allocation

Build a formula that automatically splits each paycheck across categories based on percentages you define.

Tax-deductible flagging

Add a column to mark transactions as tax-deductible. Filter at tax time for an instant summary.

Conditional formatting alerts

Color-code categories that are close to their limit. Red when overspent, yellow when 90% used.

Custom reports and charts

Build pivot tables, create Google Charts, or add sparklines — no JavaScript or React knowledge needed.

Side hustle tracking

Add a dedicated sheet for freelance income, expenses, and profit margin — all linked to your main budget.

Shared expense splitting

Track who paid what and build formulas to calculate who owes whom at the end of the month.

Actual's source code is modifiable if you're a developer — but for non-technical users, Aspire's spreadsheet customization is far more accessible.

Privacy and data ownership

Both tools prioritize your control over data — but the mechanism differs:

Aspire

Storage: Your Google Drive — you control access, backups, and sharing.
Third-party access: None. No bank credentials, no aggregators, no intermediaries.
Encryption: Google's infrastructure encryption (at rest and in transit).
If you leave: Nothing changes. The spreadsheet is yours permanently.

Actual Budget

Storage: Self-hosted: SQLite database on your own server. Cloud: Actual's hosted service.
Third-party access: Bank sync uses GoCardless or SimpleFIN (optional). Self-hosted means no third party sees your data unless you opt into sync.
Encryption: Optional end-to-end encryption for synced data. With E2E enabled, even the sync server can't read your budget.
If you leave: Self-hosted: your data stays on your server. Cloud: export before canceling.

Both Aspire and Actual are strong privacy choices. The difference: Aspire relies on Google's infrastructure with zero setup, while Actual offers even more control if you're willing to self-host.