What is Firefly III?
Firefly III is a free, open-source cross-platform personal finance manager that helps you track your expenses, income, and budget. It’s designed to be user-friendly, flexible, and secure, making it an excellent alternative to commercial budgeting software. With Firefly III, you can manage your finances from anywhere, at any time, using any device with a web browser.
Firefly III offers a range of features that make it an ideal choice for individuals and families looking to take control of their finances. Its key features include budgeting, expense tracking, investment tracking, and financial reporting. Additionally, Firefly III provides a family budget workflow with snapshots and restore points, ensuring that you can easily track changes and recover from mistakes.
Key Features
Family Budget Workflow
Firefly III’s family budget workflow allows you to create a budget that works for everyone in your household. You can set budgets for individual family members, track expenses, and receive alerts when someone goes over budget. The workflow also includes snapshots and restore points, making it easy to track changes and recover from mistakes.
Repositories and Journals
Firefly III uses repositories and journals to store your financial data. Repositories are used to store your accounts, budgets, and transactions, while journals are used to store your financial history. This approach provides a clean and organized way to manage your finances.
Restore Points
Firefly III’s restore points feature allows you to save your financial data at regular intervals. This means that if you make a mistake or need to revert to a previous version of your budget, you can easily do so. Restore points provide an added layer of security and peace of mind when managing your finances.
Installation Guide
System Requirements
Before installing Firefly III, ensure that your system meets the following requirements:
- PHP 7.2 or higher
- MySQL 5.7 or higher
- A web server (e.g., Apache, Nginx)
Installation Steps
To install Firefly III, follow these steps:
- Download the Firefly III installation package from the official website.
- Extract the package to a directory on your web server.
- Create a new database for Firefly III and grant the necessary permissions.
- Run the installation script to configure Firefly III.
- Log in to Firefly III and start managing your finances.
Technical Specifications
Database Support
Firefly III supports MySQL and PostgreSQL databases.
Operating System Support
Firefly III can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
Web Server Support
Firefly III can run on Apache and Nginx web servers.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Firefly III offers several advantages, including:
- Free and open-source
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Family budget workflow with snapshots and restore points
- Secure and reliable
Cons
Firefly III has a few limitations, including:
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Limited mobile app support
FAQ
Is Firefly III free?
Yes, Firefly III is completely free and open-source.
Is Firefly III secure?
Yes, Firefly III uses industry-standard encryption and security measures to protect your financial data.
Can I use Firefly III on my mobile device?
Firefly III has limited mobile app support, but you can access it through a web browser on your mobile device.