1
Step 1Open the server Apps tab
Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.
Back to all templates
Actual Budget
Application256MB+ RAM
Privacy-focused local-first personal finance app with envelope budgeting and bank sync
budgetingfinancepersonal-financeenvelope-budgeting
Deploy Actual Budget in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Actual Budget
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Actual Budget on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Actual Budget template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted personal budgeting app with SQLite-backed budgeting server on your VPS, then verify the Actual Budget web UI in a browser.
About 7 minutesBrowser verified
2
Step 2Choose an app template
Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.
3
Step 3Search for Actual Budget
Use the template picker search to find Actual Budget in the Server Compass template catalog.
4
Step 4Select the Actual Budget template
Choose the Actual Budget template. Server Compass fills the Actual Budget server with persistent local data.
5
Step 5Review the Actual Budget settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named actual-budget-demo and used host port 5006.
6
Step 6Deploy Actual Budget
Review the generated environment values, confirm the port is available, and click Deploy Now.
7
Step 7Watch the deployment progress
Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the Actual Budget image, starts the container, and verifies the stack.
8
Step 8Confirm Actual Budget is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Actual Budget app is marked Running with its application URL available.
9
Step 9Open Actual Budget in the browser
Open the application URL in a browser. The Actual Budget web UI confirms the site is reachable.
After Actual Budget Opens
- Sign in with the initial admin account and configure company details before production use.
- Configure password setup, budgets, HTTPS, and import settings before production use.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing Actual Budget to users.
- Back up the Actual Budget data volume before relying on it for production finance data.
Verified Result
The Actual Budget web UI loaded successfully in a browser.
Actual Budget deployment questions
What does the Actual Budget template deploy?
It deploys Actual Budget with persistent local budget storage.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 5006, which maps to the Actual Budget web service on container port 5006.
Why does the guide stop at the login or setup web UI?
The tutorial verifies the clean Actual Budget web UI because password setup, budget creation, imports, and security settings depend on the production server.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Actual Budget template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Terminal Deployment
Actual Budget CLI Deployment
Deploy Actual Budget the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.
1
Connect to Your Remote Server
Begin by establishing a secure connection to your server through the terminal.
terminal
# Access your VPS
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
# With SSH key authentication
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-private-key root@YOUR_SERVER_IPFirst time? Ensure Docker is installed first: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
Set Up Your App Folder
Create a dedicated folder for your application files.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/actual-budget
cd ~/apps/actual-budget3
Set Up Docker Compose
Create the following docker-compose.yml in your project directory:
docker-compose.yml
services:
actual:
image: actualbudget/actual-server:latest
ports:
- "5006:5006"
volumes:
- actual_data:/data
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
actual_data:
Deployment Settings
PORTHost port to expose(default: 5006)4
Spin Up the Stack
Run Docker Compose to launch your application.
terminal
# Launch the stack
docker compose up -d
# Verify container status
docker compose ps
# Follow the logs
docker compose logs --follow5
Open the Application Port
Configure UFW to allow traffic to your application.
terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 5006/tcp
sudo ufw reload
# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:5006Skip the Terminal
Make it simple with Server Compass.
Server Compass makes deploying Actual Budget effortless. Visual setup, one-click deploy, done.
- No terminal required
- Point-and-click setup
- Auto SSL certificates
- Rolling deployments
- Health monitoring
- Instant rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license
After Deployment
After deploying Actual Budget with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
1
Open the Actual Budget URL in your browser
2
Create a password for your server
3
Create your first budget file
4
Set up accounts and budget categories
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Actual Budget FAQ
Common questions about self-hosting Actual Budget
How do I deploy Actual Budget with Server Compass?
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Actual Budget from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.
What are the system requirements for Actual Budget?
Actual Budget requires a minimum of 256MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.
Can I migrate my existing Actual Budget data?
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Actual Budget backup and restore procedures.
How do I update Actual Budget to the latest version?
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Actual Budget image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Is Actual Budget free to self-host?
Actual Budget is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.
Ready to Self-Host Actual Budget?
Download Server Compass and deploy Actual Budget to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
Download Server Compass