Firefly III
A meticulous imported ledger with rules and reports in Docker; powerful, private and willing to teach accounting words.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- AGPL-3.0+
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Official Docker Compose deployment; a separate Firefly III Data Importer is normally added for bank files
- Operational Setup
- The first obstacle is operating a real web service, Docker, a database, application secrets, TLS, mail, backups, upgrades, and usually the separate importer plus an API token.
- Where Your Data Lives
- Transactions, accounts, budgets, rules, and metadata live in the configured MariaDB/MySQL or PostgreSQL database; uploads and generated files live in persistent server volumes.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- Firefly III is more operationally demanding and less approachable than Lunch Money for quick imports, flexible rules, multi-currency personal use, and API-driven automation.
Replaces 3 paid apps
up to $28.98/mo ($348/yr) in subscriptions
Firefly III FAQ
Common questions
Is Firefly III free and open source?+
Firefly III is an open-source tool licensed under AGPL-3.0+ that runs on self-host. A meticulous imported ledger with rules and reports in Docker; powerful, private and willing to teach accounting words.
What paid software does Firefly III replace?+
Firefly III serves as a free replacement for 3 paid SaaS applications: Lunch Money, Monarch Money, Quicken Simplifi, saving up to $28.98/month ($348/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Firefly III?+
Installation: Official Docker Compose deployment; a separate Firefly III Data Importer is normally added for bank files. Setup notes: The first obstacle is operating a real web service, Docker, a database, application secrets, TLS, mail, backups, upgrades, and usually the separate importer plus an API token.
What is the catch or trade-off with Firefly III?+
Firefly III is more operationally demanding and less approachable than Lunch Money for quick imports, flexible rules, multi-currency personal use, and API-driven automation.