Firefly III vs Lightning Shell
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?
Firefly III
Self-hosted personal finance manager
VS
Lightning Shell
Web shell with a selection of LN node management utilities
| Feature | Firefly III | Lightning Shell |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | PHP | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,254 | — |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Mint, YNAB | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Lightning Shell if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Firefly III or Lightning Shell better?
Neither is universally better. Firefly III has the larger community, while Lightning Shell is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Firefly III and Lightning Shell free and open-source?
Yes. Firefly III is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Lightning Shell under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firefly III and Lightning Shell with Docker?
Firefly III: yes. Lightning Shell: yes.