Head-to-head · Personal Finance Software
Actual Budget vs Copilot Money
Actual Budget leads on 1 check, Copilot Money on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreActual Budget · 7.7/10
- Free planonly Actual Budget
- Free trialonly Copilot Money
Actual Budget scores higher on our rubric for personal finance software: 7.7 against 6.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #16 and #32.
Actual Budget offers free plan; Copilot Money doesn't.
Actual Budget is the better fit for free, private, customizable budgeting. Copilot Money is the better fit for AI-assisted finance for Apple users.
- Actual Budget fits best
Free, private, customizable budgeting
- Copilot Money fits best
AI-assisted finance for Apple users
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Side by side
| Feature | Actual Budget 7.7/10 Visit ↗ | Copilot Money 6.1/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 7.7 | 6.1 |
| Ranking | #16 in Personal Finance Software | #32 in Personal Finance Software |
| Best for | Free, private, customizable budgeting | AI-assisted finance for Apple users |
| Pricing model | Free | Paid |
| Starting price | Free | $7.92/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | — |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted | Cloud, Desktop, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Web, macOS, iOS |
| Integrations | 5 integrations | 7 integrations |
| Features Actual Budget 4/4 · Copilot Money 4/4 | ||
| Budgeting tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bill tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Net-worth tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Report export | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Account sync | Both | Both |
| Mobile apps | Not checked yet | Ios |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Actual Budget is a free, open-source personal finance application for individuals who want envelope-style budgeting with control over how their data is stored. It supports account management, transaction categorization and imports,… Read the review → |
Copilot Money is personal finance software for individuals and households that want spending, budgets, recurring bills, investments, savings goals, cash flow, and net worth in one interface. It connects supported U.S. financial accounts,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Actual Budget — where it wins
- Free MIT-licensed software with envelope-style budgeting
- Local-first storage with optional synchronization and encryption
- Supports broad file imports, reports, exports, and an API
Where it doesn't
- Official mobile applications are deprecated
- Bank synchronization must be triggered manually
- Multi-device synchronization requires an Actual server
Copilot Money — where it wins
- Tracks budgets, bills, cash flow, investments, goals, and net worth
- AI categorization and conversational Money Assistant
- Available on web, macOS, iPhone, and iPad
Where it doesn't
- Supports U.S.-based financial institutions and accounts only
- No permanent free plan after the 30-day trial
- Monthly billing costs more than annual billing
- Actual Budget7.7/10 · Free plan
Free, open-source budgeting with local storage, imports, reports, and optional self-hosting.
Visit Actual BudgetFull verdict → - Copilot Money6.1/10 · 30-day trial
A capable AI-assisted finance app for Apple users who accept a paid subscription.
Visit Copilot MoneyFull verdict →
All personal finance software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update