Firefly III vs Public Pool's Web
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
Public Pool's Web
Modern web interface for managing your Public Pool's data
| Feature | Firefly III | Public Pool's Web |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | PHP | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,254 | ★ 5 |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Mint, YNAB | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Public Pool's Web if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in Ruby
Frequently asked questions
Is Firefly III or Public Pool's Web better?
Neither is universally better. Firefly III has the larger community, while Public Pool's Web is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Firefly III and Public Pool's Web free and open-source?
Yes. Firefly III is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Public Pool's Web under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firefly III and Public Pool's Web with Docker?
Firefly III: yes. Public Pool's Web: yes.