Beancount Import vs Kresus
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Beancount Import | Kresus |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 471 | ★ 800 |
| First released | 2018 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Mint | Mint, Bankin |
What are Beancount Import and Kresus?
Beancount Import
Beancount Import is a tool for semi-automatically importing transactions from financial institutions into Beancount plain-text accounting files. It provides a web interface to review, classify, and reconcile imported entries.
- Semi-automated import
- Web review interface
- Transaction classification
- Reconciliation support
Kresus
Kresus is a free, open-source personal finance manager that aggregates your bank accounts and helps you track expenses and budgets. It uses the Woob library to import banking data automatically.
- Automatic bank data import
- Expense categorization
- Budget and chart views
- Alerts on balances
Beancount Import vs Kresus: key differences
Beancount Import is written in Python, while Kresus is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Beancount Import versus AGPL-3.0 for Kresus. Kresus is the more established project (first released 2015), while Beancount Import arrived in 2018. Kresus lists first-class Docker deployment; Beancount Import does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Beancount Import if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Requires Beancount knowledge
- Per-institution configuration
Choose Kresus if…
- Hands-off bank syncing in supported regions
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Bank support varies by country
- Sparse documentation
Frequently asked questions
Is Beancount Import or Kresus better?
Neither is universally better. Kresus has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Beancount Import and Kresus free and open-source?
Yes. Beancount Import is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Kresus under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beancount Import and Kresus with Docker?
Beancount Import: check the project docs for container support. Kresus: yes.