Actual Budget on Ubuntu 24.04 (Docker + Nginx + SSL)

Actual Budget is an open-source, self-hosted personal finance and budgeting application inspired by the envelope-based budgeting philosophy popularized by tools like YNAB. It allows you to track income, expenses, accounts, and categories with full control over your financial data. Actual Budget is designed for users who want powerful budgeting features without subscriptions, ads, or cloud lock-in.

Running Actual Budget on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) provides a modern, secure, and long-term supported platform. Ubuntu 24.04 includes systemd 255, OpenSSL 3, and up-to-date Docker and Nginx packages, making it ideal for deploying Actual Budget in a production-ready, self-hosted environment secured with HTTPS.

Architecture Overview

LayerComponentRole
OSUbuntu 24.04 LTSStable, long-term supported Linux base
Container RuntimeDocker / Docker ComposeRuns Actual Budget server
ApplicationActual Budget (Node.js)Core budgeting engine and web interface
Data StorageLocal storage / SQLiteStores budgets, transactions, and user data
Reverse ProxyNginxHTTPS termination, routing, compression
TLSLet’s Encrypt / PKISecure web access to the UI

Actual Budget runs as a lightweight Node.js service, making it efficient and suitable even for small VPS instances.

Why Use Actual Budget?

  • Envelope-based budgeting – assign every euro or dollar a job
  • Self-hosted & open-source – complete control over your financial data
  • No subscriptions – free to use, no monthly fees
  • Privacy-first – no tracking, no third-party analytics
  • Multi-account support – track bank accounts, cash, and credit cards
  • Powerful reports – spending trends, category analysis, cash flow
  • Web-based UI – accessible from desktop, tablet, or mobile browser

Actual Budget vs Other Budgeting Tools

Feature / CapabilityActual BudgetYNABMintFirefly III
HostingSelf-hostedCloud onlyCloud onlySelf-hosted
CostFree, open-sourceSubscriptionFree (ads/data)Free
PrivacyFull controlCloud-basedData-driven adsFull control
Envelope budgeting✅ Yes✅ Yes❌ No❌ Partial
ComplexitySimple & focusedModerateSimpleAdvanced
Best forPersonal budgetingPower usersCasual usersAccounting-heavy users

Actual Budget is ideal for users who want YNAB-style budgeting without recurring costs or cloud dependency.

Security & Best Practices

  • Run Actual Budget behind Nginx with HTTPS enabled.
  • Bind the application container to localhost and expose only Nginx.
  • Store secrets and configuration using environment variables.
  • Enable UFW and allow only ports 80 and 443.
  • Automate SSL certificate renewals using Certbot.
  • Back up Actual Budget data directories regularly.
  • Keep Ubuntu, Docker, and Actual Budget images updated.
  • Use strong passwords and restrict access to trusted users.

Typical Use Cases

  • Personal budgeting – track monthly income and expenses
  • Family finance management – shared household budgets
  • Privacy-focused users – avoid SaaS budgeting platforms
  • Long-term financial planning – savings goals and spending control
  • Minimalist finance tracking – simple, distraction-free budgeting

Deploying Actual Budget on Ubuntu 24.04 with Docker, Nginx, and SSL gives you a secure, private, and subscription-free budgeting platform — combining modern usability with full data ownership and long-term reliability.

Create a Cloud Server Instance on Shape.Host

Before installing Actual Budget, you need a clean Ubuntu 24.04 VPS.

Go to https://shape.host and log in.

Click Create.

Select Instance.

Shape.host Resources dashboard with Create > Instance highlighted.

Choose a data center close to your location or users.

Shape.host instance form with the data center location selector highlighted.

Select Ubuntu 24.04 (64-bit) as the operating system.

Choose a plan (recommended minimum):

2 vCPUs

4 GB RAM

20 GB NVMe SSD

Shape.host instance form with the operating system image selector highlighted.

Click Create Instance.

Wait about 30 seconds for provisioning.

Shape.host instance form with the Create Instance button highlighted.

Copy the public IP address of your server.

Your Ubuntu server is now ready.

Shape.host Resources dashboard with the server IP address highlighted.

Step 1: Connect to the Server via SSH

Linux / macOS

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Windows (PowerShell or Windows Terminal)

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Accept the fingerprint when prompted. You are now logged in as root.

Step 2: Update the System

apt update
apt upgrade

These commands refresh the package index and upgrade installed packages to the latest versions.

Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 3: Install Required Dependencies

apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

These packages are required to securely add and verify the Docker repository.

Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 4: Create Docker Keyrings Directory

mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings

This directory stores trusted GPG keys.

Step 5: Add Docker GPG Key

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

Imports Docker’s official signing key.

Step 6: Add Docker Repository

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] \
https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(lsb_release -cs) stable" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

Allows Docker to be installed from the official Docker repository.

Step 7: Update Package List Again

apt update

Loads the newly added Docker repository.

Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 8: Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose

apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Installs Docker Engine and Docker Compose v2.

Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 9: Verify Docker Installation

docker version
docker compose version

Confirms Docker and Docker Compose are installed correctly.

Step 10: Create Actual Budget Directory

mkdir -p /opt/actual

This directory will store the Docker configuration and application data.

Step 11: Enter the Directory

cd /opt/actual
Terminal showing the installed Docker Compose version.

Step 12: Create Docker Compose Configuration

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the exact configuration from your history:

services:
  actual:
    image: ghcr.io/actualbudget/actual-server:latest
    container_name: actual-budget
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:5006:5006"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
    environment:
      - ACTUAL_SERVER_URL=https://budget.example.com
      - TZ=Europe/Bucharest

Explanation:

  • Actual Budget runs inside a Docker container
  • Port 5006 is bound only to localhost for security
  • Budget data is stored persistently in ./data
  • ACTUAL_SERVER_URL must match the final domain

Save and exit the editor.

Terminal showing the GNU nano editor and configuration text.

Step 13: Start Actual Budget

docker compose up -d

Starts the Actual Budget server in the background.

Terminal showing container image download progress.

Step 14: Verify the Container Is Running

docker ps

You should see the actual-budget container listed as running.

Terminal showing the Docker container listing.

Step 15: Test Actual Budget Locally

curl http://127.0.0.1:5006

Confirms the application responds locally before exposing it via Nginx.

Step 16: Install Nginx

apt install nginx
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 17: Enable and Start Nginx

systemctl enable nginx
systemctl start nginx
Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

Step 18: Create Nginx Reverse Proxy Configuration

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/actual

Paste:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name budget.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5006;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}
Terminal showing web server configuration text.

Step 19: Enable the Nginx Site

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/actual /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/actual
rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

Step 20: Test and Reload Nginx

nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx
Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

Step 21: Install Certbot and Enable SSL

apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
certbot --nginx -d ubuntu-tutorials.shape.host

Certbot automatically issues and configures a free SSL certificate.

Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.
Terminal showing Certbot certificate commands and messages.

Access Actual Budget Securely

https://your-domain.com

Actual Budget is now fully installed and secured on Ubuntu 24.04.

Actual initial server password setup screen.
Actual accounts overview.

Applications like Actual Budget, ChangeDetection.io, Miniflux, Ghostfolio, NocoDB, and HedgeDoc require fast and reliable infrastructure.

Shape.Host provides:

  • High-performance NVMe Cloud VPS
  • Instant provisioning
  • Clean OS templates
  • Excellent uptime
  • Easy scalability

Visit https://shape.host to deploy your next self-hosted application with confidence.