Ghostfolio vs Firefly III: Which Should You Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
These tools solve different problems. Ghostfolio tracks investment portfolios — stocks, ETFs, crypto, net worth over time. Firefly III tracks daily finances — income, expenses, budgets, bills. Most people need one or the other; some need both.
Overview
Ghostfolio (MIT-like license, started 2021) is a wealth management dashboard that pulls live market data and visualizes your investment portfolio. Firefly III (AGPLv3, started 2016) is a personal finance manager focused on transaction tracking, budgeting, and expense categorization. Despite both being “finance apps,” they barely overlap.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ghostfolio | Firefly III |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Investment portfolio tracking | Budget and expense management |
| Stock/ETF tracking | Yes (live market data) | No |
| Cryptocurrency tracking | Yes | Partial (manual entry) |
| Net worth over time | Yes (investment-focused) | Yes (cash-focused) |
| Budget tracking | No | Yes (detailed categories, limits) |
| Expense categorization | No | Yes (tags, categories, bills) |
| Transaction import (bank) | No | Yes (CSV, OFX, MT940, CAMT, Spectre, Salt Edge) |
| Recurring transactions | No | Yes (bills, scheduled transactions) |
| Multi-currency | Yes (investment currencies) | Yes (full multi-currency accounting) |
| Dividend tracking | Yes | No |
| Performance metrics (XIRR, TWR) | Yes | No |
| Asset allocation charts | Yes | No |
| Piggy banks (savings goals) | No | Yes |
| Reports and charts | Investment-focused | Budget-focused |
| API | REST API | Comprehensive REST API |
| Mobile app | No (responsive web) | No (responsive web) |
| Market data source | Yahoo Finance (default) | N/A |
| Docker setup | 3 containers | 2 containers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
Installation Complexity
| Aspect | Ghostfolio | Firefly III |
|---|---|---|
| Containers | 3 (app + PostgreSQL + Redis) | 2 (app + MySQL/PostgreSQL) |
| RAM idle | ~300 MB | ~200 MB |
| Config complexity | Low (4 env vars + secrets) | Low (5 env vars + secrets) |
| First-run setup | Create account via UI | Create account via UI |
| Dependencies | PostgreSQL 15, Redis | MySQL 8 or PostgreSQL |
Both are straightforward Docker deployments. Ghostfolio adds a Redis container for caching market data; Firefly III skips the cache layer. Setup time is under 10 minutes for either.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | Ghostfolio | Firefly III |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | ~300 MB (3 containers) | ~200 MB (2 containers) |
| RAM (active use) | ~500 MB | ~350 MB |
| CPU | Low (spikes during market data fetches) | Low |
| Disk | ~500 MB + database | ~300 MB + database |
| Background processing | Market data polling | Recurring transaction processing |
Both are lightweight. Ghostfolio is marginally heavier due to Redis and periodic market data fetching. Neither will stress even a low-powered VPS.
Community and Support
| Metric | Ghostfolio | Firefly III |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 4k+ | 16k+ |
| Contributors | 50+ | 100+ |
| Documentation | Good | Excellent (comprehensive docs site) |
| Development pace | Very active (weekly releases) | Active (monthly releases) |
| Community | GitHub Discussions, Reddit | GitHub Discussions, Reddit, Discourse |
| Maturity | Newer (2021) | Mature (2016) |
Firefly III has a larger community and more mature ecosystem, including third-party tools like Firefly III Data Importer for bank synchronization. Ghostfolio is newer but iterating rapidly with frequent releases.
Use Cases
Choose Ghostfolio If…
- You want to track investment portfolios (stocks, ETFs, bonds, crypto)
- You need live market data and performance metrics (XIRR, time-weighted returns)
- You care about asset allocation across accounts and brokerages
- You track dividends and investment income
- You want a net worth dashboard focused on investments
Choose Firefly III If…
- You want to track income and expenses with category-based budgeting
- You need bank transaction import from CSV, OFX, or automated bank connections
- You track recurring bills and subscriptions
- You want savings goals (piggy banks) with progress tracking
- You need multi-currency expense tracking for travel or international living
- You want the most comprehensive personal finance tool available self-hosted
Use Both If…
- You track both investments AND daily budgets. They’re complementary — Ghostfolio for your brokerage accounts, Firefly III for your bank accounts and credit cards.
Final Verdict
These are not competing tools. Ghostfolio is for investment tracking — it answers “how are my investments performing?” Firefly III is for budget management — it answers “where is my money going?”
If you only self-host one: most people benefit more from Firefly III, because expense tracking affects daily financial decisions. Investment tracking is important but less actionable day-to-day. For dedicated investors who already have budgeting habits, Ghostfolio fills a gap that Firefly III can’t.
For a different take on personal finance, Actual Budget offers envelope-style budgeting with a cleaner UI than Firefly III, though with fewer import options.
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