Actual Budget
Docker MCP server connecting Claude Desktop/LibreChat/LobeChat to Actual Budget for natural-language budgeting, transaction management, and financial insights.
What is Actual Budget?
Actual Budget is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to docker mcp server connecting claude desktop/librechat/lobechat to actual budget for natural-language budgeting, transaction management, and financial insights.
Docker MCP server connecting Claude Desktop/LibreChat/LobeChat to Actual Budget for natural-language budgeting, transaction management, and financial insights.
This server falls under the Finance & Fintech category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Docker MCP server connecting Claude Desktop/LibreChat/LobeCh
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx actualConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Actual Budget
The Actual Budget MCP server connects AI assistants like Claude Desktop, LibreChat, and LobeChat to your local Actual Budget instance, enabling natural language personal finance management. It exposes tools for querying account balances, reviewing transactions, generating spending reports by category, and managing budgets without opening the Actual Budget interface. Developers and individuals who self-host Actual Budget can use this server to ask questions like 'how much did I spend on groceries last month?' and get real answers from their live financial data.
Prerequisites
- Actual Budget installed and running locally or accessible via a remote server URL
- Docker (recommended) or Node.js 18+ for local setup
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, LibreChat, or LobeChat
- Your Actual Budget sync ID and server password
Pull the Docker image
The easiest way to run the Actual Budget MCP server is via Docker. Pull the official image from Docker Hub.
docker pull sstefanov/actual-mcp:latestRun the server with your Actual Budget credentials
Start the container, passing your Actual Budget server URL, password, and budget sync ID as environment variables. Replace the values with your real credentials.
docker run -d \
-e ACTUAL_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:5006 \
-e ACTUAL_PASSWORD=your_password \
-e ACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_ID=your_sync_id \
sstefanov/actual-mcp:latestBuild from source (alternative)
If you prefer running without Docker, clone the repository and build locally using Node.js.
git clone https://github.com/s-stefanov/actual-mcp.git
cd actual-mcp
npm install
npm run buildConfigure your MCP client
Add the server to your Claude Desktop or compatible client configuration. When running locally after building from source, point to the built index.js file.
{
"mcpServers": {
"actual-budget": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/actual-mcp/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"ACTUAL_SERVER_URL": "http://localhost:5006",
"ACTUAL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
"ACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_ID": "your_sync_id"
}
}
}
}Test with a balance query
Once connected, verify the integration by asking your AI assistant for your current account balances. This confirms the server is communicating with Actual Budget successfully.
Actual Budget Examples
Client configuration
Configure Claude Desktop to connect to a locally built Actual Budget MCP server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"actual-budget": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/actual-mcp/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"ACTUAL_SERVER_URL": "http://localhost:5006",
"ACTUAL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
"ACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_ID": "your_budget_sync_id",
"ACTUAL_BUDGET_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD": "your_encryption_password"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Natural language queries you can send to your AI assistant once connected.
- "What are my current account balances?"
- "Show me my spending by category for last month"
- "How much did I spend on groceries in May?"
- "Create a new budget category called Entertainment"
- "Show me all transactions over $100 from this month"Troubleshooting Actual Budget
Connection refused or cannot reach Actual Budget server
Verify ACTUAL_SERVER_URL points to a running Actual Budget instance. If running locally, confirm Actual Budget is started and the port (default 5006) is not blocked by a firewall.
Authentication error or budget not found
Double-check ACTUAL_PASSWORD and ACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_ID. You can find the sync ID in Actual Budget under Settings > Advanced. If your budget uses an encryption key different from the login password, set ACTUAL_BUDGET_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD separately.
Docker container exits immediately
Run without -d to see startup errors: docker run -e ... sstefanov/actual-mcp:latest. Common causes are missing environment variables or an unreachable ACTUAL_SERVER_URL from inside the container — use the host's actual IP instead of localhost.
Frequently Asked Questions about Actual Budget
What is Actual Budget?
Actual Budget is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that docker mcp server connecting claude desktop/librechat/lobechat to actual budget for natural-language budgeting, transaction management, and financial insights. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Actual Budget?
Follow the installation instructions on the Actual Budget GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Actual Budget?
Actual Budget works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Actual Budget free to use?
Yes, Actual Budget is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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