If you’ve been using Quicken for years but are frustrated by its growing complexity and subscription pricing, it may be time to look at a simpler option. In this video, I review Actual Budget, a free and open-source budgeting and expense-tracking application that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

I walk through installation on Linux Mint, basic setup, importing bank transactions, and how budgeting and reporting work in day-to-day use. I’ll also cover its limitations, including investment tracking, and explain why its manual, user-controlled approach may actually be a benefit.

This is a practical, real-world overview to help you decide whether Actual Budget can realistically replace Quicken for your personal finances.

NOTE: there is ZERO sponsorship of this video! I came across Actual Budget when I was looking for an alternative to Quicken for my own use and have been impressed enough with it to recommend it to others.

*Chapters:*
00:00 Introduction
00:57 What Is Actual Budget?
03:17 Setup, Installation and Walk-Through
26:14 Reporting and Budgeting
31:44 Why I’m a Fan of Actual Budget

For more videos on Linux and open-source software: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtnIC6RrGqLz10sdKtjf8yYA0J2BewEyV

#ActualBudget #QuickenAlternative #OpenSourceSoftware #PersonalFinance

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Actual Budget is a free, open-source personal finance application that offers a lightweight alternative to Quicken. It supports tracking budgeting and envelope budgeting methods, runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS, and allows local or server-based data storage. The software handles account management, transaction categorization, bank imports via QFX files, and basic investment tracking through manual entries. Unlike Quicken, it doesn't automatically download market data or perform extensive automation, focusing instead on user control and simplicity. Setup involves creating accounts (on-budget and off-budget), defining spending categories, importing or manually entering transactions, and optionally creating budgets based on historical spending patterns.

The Best Quicken Alternative (Actual Budget Deep Dive)