Buckets vs MoneyWallet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Buckets | MoneyWallet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 30 · At risk | 11 · At risk |
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 198 | ★ 635 |
| First released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Replaces | YNAB, Mint | Mint, Wallet by BudgetBakers |
What are Buckets and MoneyWallet?
Buckets
Buckets is an envelope-style budgeting application for Windows, macOS, and Linux built with Electron/TypeScript. Budgets are stored in a local file, bank statements can be imported, and it works fully offline. Its source code is published in the buckets/application repository.
- Bucket-based envelope budgeting
- Offline-first desktop app
- Bank statement import
- Self-hostable sync
MoneyWallet
MoneyWallet is an open-source Android app for managing personal finances. It records transactions across multiple wallets and currencies, and supports budgets, debts, recurring payments, and optional backup to cloud storage.
- Multi-wallet support
- Budgets and recurring transactions
- Debt tracking
- Backup to cloud storage
Buckets vs MoneyWallet: key differences
Buckets is written in TypeScript, while MoneyWallet is built with Java. MoneyWallet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Buckets. MoneyWallet has the considerably larger community, at 635 GitHub stars versus 198.
Why pick each one
Choose Buckets if…
- Flexible budgeting model
- Privacy-focused
Watch out for
- Sync setup is manual
- Smaller community
Choose MoneyWallet if…
- Works fully offline
- Material design interface
Watch out for
- Android only
- No web interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Buckets or MoneyWallet better?
MoneyWallet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Buckets if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Buckets and MoneyWallet free and open-source?
Yes. Buckets is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MoneyWallet under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buckets and MoneyWallet with Docker?
Buckets: check the project docs for container support. MoneyWallet: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Buckets or MoneyWallet?
MoneyWallet has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Buckets. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.