Firefly III vs Samourai Server
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
Samourai Server
Your private backing server for Samourai Wallet
| Feature | Firefly III | Samourai Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,254 | ★ 3 |
| First released | 2016 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Mint, YNAB | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Samourai Server if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Firefly III or Samourai Server better?
Neither is universally better. Firefly III has the larger community, while Samourai Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Firefly III and Samourai Server free and open-source?
Yes. Firefly III is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Samourai Server under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firefly III and Samourai Server with Docker?
Firefly III: yes. Samourai Server: yes.