Helipad vs Sure

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?
FeatureHelipadSure
CategoryBudgeting & FinanceBudgeting & Finance
LicensefreeAGPL-3.0
LanguageJavaScriptRuby
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdocker, one-clickdocker, source
GitHub stars★ 37★ 9,323
First released20222025
ReplacesMint, Quicken

Why pick each one

Choose Helipad 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
Helipad details

Choose Sure if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 9.3k GitHub stars
  • Written in Ruby
Sure details

Frequently asked questions

Is Helipad or Sure better?

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

Are Helipad and Sure free and open-source?

Yes. Helipad is licensed under free and Sure under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Helipad and Sure with Docker?

Helipad: yes. Sure: yes.

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