Mercury vs Actual Budget
Detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs
A
Actual Budget
Open-source envelope budgeting app
4.4
Editorial RatingQuick Comparison
Rating
4.5
vs4.4
Starting Price
Free
vsFree
Pricing Model
free
vsfree
Feature
Mercury
Actual Budget
Business Checking
Savings Accounts
Corporate Cards
Treasury Management
Team Permissions
API Access
Envelope budgeting
Bank sync (SimpleFIN)
End-to-end encryption
Multi-device sync
Transaction import (QIF/OFX/CSV)
Self-hosted sync server
Mercury Pros
- Beautiful and intuitive banking interface
- No fees on the free tier for most operations
- Strong API for programmatic banking
- FDIC insured up to $5M through sweep networks
- Fast domestic and international transfers
- Great startup ecosystem integrations
Mercury Cons
- Not a chartered bank - uses partner banks
- No physical branch locations
- Cash deposits are not straightforward
- International features are limited
- Customer support can be slow during high volume
- Some account restrictions for certain industries
Actual Budget Pros
- Completely free with all features
- Local-first — fast and responsive
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Dead simple self-hosting (single container)
- Active community development (MIT license)
- 70% cheaper than YNAB even with add-ons
Actual Budget Cons
- Mobile apps deprecated (web app only)
- Bank sync US/Canada only
- No investment tracking
- No REST API for automation
- Credit card handling assumes full payoff
- Plugin system not yet shipped