Lightning Node 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?
Lightning Node
Run your personal Lightning Network node
VS
Sure
Community-driven personal finance app
| Feature | Lightning Node | Sure |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | free | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24 | ★ 9,323 |
| First released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Replaces | — | Mint, Quicken |
Why pick each one
Choose Lightning Node 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
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Lightning Node or Sure better?
Neither is universally better. Sure has the larger community, while Lightning Node is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Lightning Node and Sure free and open-source?
Yes. Lightning Node is licensed under free and Sure under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lightning Node and Sure with Docker?
Lightning Node: yes. Sure: yes.