Firefly III vs LN Markets

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?
FeatureFirefly IIILN Markets
CategoryBudgeting & FinanceBudgeting & Finance
LicenseAGPL-3.0free
LanguagePHPVue
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, one-click
GitHub stars★ 24,254★ 13
First released20162022
ReplacesMint, YNAB

Why pick each one

Choose Firefly III if…

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

Choose LN Markets if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Written in Vue
LN Markets details

Frequently asked questions

Is Firefly III or LN Markets better?

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

Are Firefly III and LN Markets free and open-source?

Yes. Firefly III is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LN Markets under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Firefly III and LN Markets with Docker?

Firefly III: yes. LN Markets: yes.

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