SHSelfHostIndex

Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) vs Firefly III

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
RI Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) Manage your Core Lightning node with RTL VS FI Firefly III Self-hosted personal finance manager
FeatureRide The Lightning (Core Lightning)Firefly III
CategoryBudgeting & FinanceBudgeting & Finance
LicensefreeAGPL-3.0
LanguageTypeScriptPHP
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, one-clickdocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 796★ 24,254
First released20222016
Replaces—Mint, YNAB

Why pick each one

Choose Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Written in TypeScript
Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) details

Choose Firefly III if…

  • Powerful budgeting features
  • Strong API for automation
Firefly III details

Frequently asked questions

Is Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) or Firefly III better?

Neither is universally better. Firefly III has the larger community, while Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) and Firefly III free and open-source?

Yes. Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) is licensed under free and Firefly III under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning) and Firefly III with Docker?

Ride The Lightning (Core Lightning): yes. Firefly III: yes.

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