Questions, answered.
Privacy, self-hosting, getting your transactions in, and what it's like to use day to day.
The basics
What is Zero?
Envelope budgeting you host yourself. You give every dollar of income a category until Ready to assign hits $0. Then the transfer plan tells you what to move between accounts.
Everything lives in one SQLite file on your own machine. There's no account to create and no subscription.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Zero is free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. You run it on your own computer or a small home server.
The only optional cost is an AI agent subscription if you want to use AI import.
Why is it called Zero?
Because that's where a budget lands when every dollar has somewhere to go: Ready to assign reads $0. When it does, the header says so.
Do I need to know how to code?
Not to use it. Installing takes a few terminal commands, and the README walks through each one. After that it's an app in your browser.
Your data and privacy
Where does my data live?
In a single SQLite file on the machine running Zero. Nothing is sent anywhere: there are no accounts, no analytics and no telemetry.
Is there a login?
No, on purpose. Anyone who can reach Zero can use it, so keep it on your own computer or a private network like Tailscale. Don't put it on the open internet without authentication in front. Read the security notes.
How do I back it up?
Run npm run backup, or copy the database file. That file is the whole budget. Zero also backs it up before every update.
What if I stop using Zero?
Your data is never locked in. Export your transactions as CSV at any time, and the database is a standard SQLite file that any SQLite tool can open.
Getting money in
Does Zero connect to my bank?
No. There's no bank sync, so your bank credentials never leave the bank. Add transactions by hand (including from your phone), import a CSV, or have your AI agent reconcile a statement.
How does AI import work?
It runs in your AI agent, not in Zero. Zero ships an import-txns skill for agents like Claude Code or Codex. Share a statement (a screenshot, CSV or pasted text) and the agent matches each line, backs up, and inserts only what's missing.
Your statement goes to your AI provider, like anything else you send it. Zero never sends it anywhere.
Will importing create duplicates?
No. CSV import skips rows already in Zero or repeated in the file. AI import matches every line first, including pending charges that post for a different amount.
Can I bring my history from YNAB?
Yes. Zero recognizes a YNAB register export, along with nine bank formats, and multi-account exports are mapped to your Zero accounts by name. Anything else can be mapped column by column with a live preview. More on switching to Zero.
Using Zero
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. Quick add is a thumb-sized screen for logging a purchase at the register, and it installs on your phone like an app. The full budget is best on a larger screen. To reach Zero away from your desk, see the remote access guide.
Can my partner and I share it?
Yes. Zero is one budget for the household, and everyone opens it from their own device.
What is the transfer plan?
Zero reads your budget against your real account balances and hands you a checklist: send this much to savings, pay this much to the card, leave the rest in checking. It's recalculated every time, so it never drifts.
Which currencies does it support?
US dollars, for now.
Still curious?
The fastest answer is to run it. It's free, and your data stays on your machine.