Kresus

Kresus is a personal finance manager that takes a different approach from most popular budgeting apps. Instead of living on somebody else’s server, it runs on the user’s own machine or a small home server. That choice makes it especially attractive to people who want to keep financial data private and under their own control. Despite being self-hosted, it still looks and feels modern thanks to its clean web interface.

Everyday use

In practice, Kresus works much like the online dashboards people are already used to. Bank accounts can be connected (mainly in Europe, through supported connectors), and transactions appear automatically. Expenses fall into categories, budgets can be set, and charts highlight spending habits over time. Because it’s web-based, the same view opens on a laptop, tablet, or phone — as long as they’re connected to the home server. The key difference: data never leaves that server.

Specs & notes

Getting started

Running Kresus usually means setting up a small Linux box or spinning it up in Docker. After installation and database configuration, the user connects bank feeds if available in their region. From then on, everything is handled through the browser.

Who uses it

It tends to attract technically minded people — Linux fans, self-hosting hobbyists, or households that already run a home server. It also appeals to those who don’t want their financial history stored in someone else’s cloud but still want a polished interface.

Why it sticks

Kresus has remained relevant because it blends control with usability. It delivers the graphs, budgets, and automation people expect, but without handing data over to a third party. For privacy-focused users, that balance is rare, and it’s what keeps Kresus on their shortlist.