Commerce
Self-host Firefly III on a VPS
A personal finance manager you own.
Track accounts, budgets and transactions with double-entry accounting and reports.
Why self-host Firefly III?
Firefly III keeps your financial data on your own server rather than a budgeting SaaS.
How to install Firefly III
- 1
Provision a VPS
Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.
- 2
Install the stack
Install PHP/Laravel + MySQL/Postgres.
- 3
Deploy the application
Follow the project’s official install guide for your distribution.
- 4
Enable HTTPS
Serve it on your own domain behind a reverse proxy with a certificate.
- 5
Back it up
Schedule a database dump plus a copy of any uploaded files to an off-box location.
Practical tips
- Give Firefly III its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
- Reverse-proxy Firefly III and terminate TLS at the proxy so certificates are managed in one place.
- Take a VPS snapshot before major upgrades so you can roll back cleanly.
- Keep Firefly III patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.
Frequently asked questions
- How much RAM does Firefly III need?
- Plan on 1–2 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
- What stack does Firefly III run on?
- PHP/Laravel + MySQL/Postgres.
- Can I run other things on the same VPS?
- Yes — size the plan so Firefly III plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.
Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Actual Budget, Paperless (docs), YNAB (hosted) — browse all app guides.