Firefly III vs LnVisualizer
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
LnVisualizer
View the Lightning Network from your node's perspective
| Feature | Firefly III | LnVisualizer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,254 | ★ 6 |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Mint, YNAB | — |
Why pick each one
Choose LnVisualizer 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
Frequently asked questions
Is Firefly III or LnVisualizer better?
Neither is universally better. Firefly III has the larger community, while LnVisualizer is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Firefly III and LnVisualizer free and open-source?
Yes. Firefly III is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LnVisualizer under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firefly III and LnVisualizer with Docker?
Firefly III: yes. LnVisualizer: yes.