Ledgr

Self-hosted personal finance app with bank sync, budgets, net worth and investment tracking

FinanceTypeScriptv0.3.4
Ledgr

Ledgr

Self-hostable personal finance app with automatic bank sync and AI agent support.

License: AGPL v3 TypeScript Next.js Docker MCP

Ledgr Dashboard

Ledgr connects to your bank accounts through Plaid or SimpleFIN, automatically syncs and categorizes transactions, and gives you budgets, investment tracking, bill detection, and financial reports — all running on your own server with your own data.

It also exposes an MCP server, so AI assistants like Claude can query your finances through natural conversation.

You: "How much did I spend on dining out last month?"
Claude: Based on your transactions, you spent $342.18 on dining out in April...
Ledgr MCP demo in Claude Code

Querying your finances from Claude Code via MCP

Features

  • Automatic bank sync — connect 12,000+ banks via Plaid (real-time webhook sync or scheduled polling), or via SimpleFIN if you'd rather not use a Plaid developer account
  • Smart categorization — four-tier pipeline: your rules > merchant defaults > Plaid categories > AI fallback
  • Budgets — set monthly budgets by category, track progress in real time
  • Investment tracking — portfolio holdings, performance history, and allocation breakdowns, synced automatically from Plaid or SimpleFIN
  • Recurring bill detection — automatically identifies subscriptions and recurring charges
  • Financial reports — spending, income, net worth, and category trends over time
  • AI agent interface (MCP) — query your finances from Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP client
  • In-app AI chat — ask questions about your finances right from the dashboard
  • BYOK AI — bring your own API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or local models) for chat and categorization
  • CSV/OFX/QFX import & CSV export — for accounts not supported by Plaid, and for getting your data out
  • Self-hosted — Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, your data never leaves your server
Ledgr budgets screen with per-category spending progress

Monthly budgets by category, tracked against real spending

Ledgr spending report with category breakdown

Spending, income, cash flow, trends, and net worth reports

Quick Start

Requires Docker and Docker Compose.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KenTaniguchi-R/ledgr/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

This creates a ledgr/ directory, downloads docker-compose.yml, and starts the app.

Prefer to see the steps first?
mkdir ledgr && cd ledgr
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KenTaniguchi-R/ledgr/main/docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d

Visit http://localhost:4200, create an account, and start exploring.

On first boot, Ledgr generates an encryption key and session secret and stores them in the app data volume. Back up that volume (or the /data/encryption-key file) along with your database — losing the key means losing access to encrypted data like Plaid and SimpleFIN tokens. Prefer to manage the key yourself? Set ENCRYPTION_KEY in a .env file (see Configuration) and it takes precedence.

Add your Plaid keys to .env to enable bank sync — see Connect Your Bank below (or skip the keys and use SimpleFIN). The app works without either via CSV import.

Connect Your Bank

  1. Sign up at dashboard.plaid.com and get your client_id and secret from Developers > Keys
  2. Add them to a .env file next to your docker-compose.yml (start from .env.example if you don't have one):
    PLAID_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
    PLAID_SECRET=your_secret
    PLAID_ENV=production      # or sandbox for fake data
    
  3. Restart: docker compose restart
  4. In the app, go to Accounts > Link Bank to connect via Plaid

Plaid's free trial plan includes 10 production connections and unlimited sandbox access. After that, the Launch plan is pay-as-you-go with no contract. Don't have Plaid keys yet? The app still works — import transactions via CSV and add Plaid later.

Plaid Link bank connection

Connect any of 12,000+ banks through Plaid

Or connect via SimpleFIN

SimpleFIN works out of the box — no developer account or .env changes needed.

  1. Get a SimpleFIN Bridge account and generate a Setup Token from your bridge provider
  2. In the app, go to Accounts > Link Bank and choose the SimpleFIN option
  3. Paste your Setup Token to connect

SimpleFIN has no webhooks, so accounts sync on a daily schedule (SCHEDULER_SIMPLEFIN_SYNC_CRON, see Configuration) instead of in real time. Investment holdings sync the same way as they do for Plaid.

Connect Your AI Agent

Ledgr ships with a built-in MCP server and plugin support.

First, enable the MCP endpoint in your .env and restart:

MCP_ENABLED=true

Then pick your tool:

Claude Code

/plugin marketplace add KenTaniguchi-R/ledgr
/plugin install ledgr@ledgr

Codex CLI

codex plugin marketplace add KenTaniguchi-R/ledgr

OpenCode — add to opencode.json:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "plugin": ["ledgr"]
}

OpenClaw

openclaw plugins install ledgr --marketplace KenTaniguchi-R/ledgr

Hermes

hermes plugins install KenTaniguchi-R/ledgr
Other MCP clients (Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, etc.)

Point any MCP-compatible client to your Ledgr instance:

http://localhost:4200/api/mcp

On first connection, Ledgr redirects you through an OAuth flow to authorize access.

Available Tools

ToolDescription
list_accountsLinked bank accounts and balances
get_account_summaryBalance totals by account type
get_transactionsSearch and filter transactions
update_transaction_categoryRecategorize a transaction
mark_transaction_transferMark or unmark a transaction as a transfer
get_budgetBudget progress for a month
set_budget_categorySet a category's budget amount
list_categoriesSpending categories
get_spending_reportSpending breakdown over a date range
get_income_vs_expenseIncome vs. expense trends
get_net_worth_historyNet worth over time
get_holdingsInvestment portfolio holdings
get_portfolio_summaryPortfolio value and allocation
get_upcoming_billsRecurring transactions and bills
get_dashboard_summaryOverview of your finances
show_financial_dashboardInteractive dashboard widget
sync_accountsTrigger a bank sync

Read, write, and sync tools are gated by OAuth scopes (ledgr:read, ledgr:write, ledgr:sync) that you grant during authorization.

Example prompts:

  • "How much did I spend on groceries this month?"
  • "Show me my budget status"
  • "What recurring bills do I have?"
  • "Generate a spending report for Q1"
  • "Sync my accounts and show my balances"

Comparison

LedgrActual BudgetFirefly III
Automatic bank syncPlaid (12,000+ banks) or SimpleFINSimpleFIN (US/CA), GoCardless (EU/UK)SimpleFIN, GoCardless, Spectre (via Data Importer)
Built-in MCP serverYes----
AI categorizationYes (BYOK)----
Investment trackingYes----
Self-hostableYesYesYes
DatabasePostgreSQLSQLiteMySQL/Postgres
LicenseAGPL-3.0MITAGPL-3.0

Updating

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Migrations run automatically on container startup.

Configuration

VariableRequiredDefaultDescription
ENCRYPTION_KEYNoauto-generatedEncrypts Plaid tokens & API keys. Generated on first boot and persisted in the app data volume; set your own with openssl rand -hex 32
BETTER_AUTH_SECRETNoauto-generatedSession secret, persisted in the app data volume. Set your own with openssl rand -base64 32
PORTNo4200Host port for the app
POSTGRES_PASSWORDNoledgrDatabase password (change in production)
PLAID_CLIENT_IDNo--Plaid client ID
PLAID_SECRETNo--Plaid secret key
PLAID_ENVNoproductionproduction or sandbox
PLAID_SYNC_MODENopollpoll (scheduled) or webhook (real-time)
PLAID_WEBHOOK_URLNo--Public URL for Plaid webhooks (webhook mode)
SCHEDULER_SIMPLEFIN_SYNC_CRONNo45 4 * * *Daily SimpleFIN account sync (no webhooks, so this is the only sync trigger)
AI_PROVIDERNo--openai, anthropic, google, openrouter, or custom
AI_API_KEYNo--Provider API key for AI chat & categorization
MCP_ENABLEDNofalseEnable the MCP endpoint for AI agents

See .env.example for all options.

Development

If you're self-hosting Ledgr, use the Quick Start above. The instructions below are for contributors.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 24+
  • pnpm 10+
  • PostgreSQL 18 (or pnpm dev:db to start one in Docker)

Setup

git clone https://github.com/KenTaniguchi-R/ledgr.git
cd ledgr
pnpm install
cp .env.example .env        # Fill in ENCRYPTION_KEY
pnpm dev:setup              # Start DB + migrate + dev server

To run the full app in Docker from source (instead of pulling the pre-built image):

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml up -d

Commands

pnpm dev                    # Dev server (Turbopack)
pnpm test                   # Unit + integration tests
pnpm test:e2e               # Playwright E2E tests
pnpm lint                   # ESLint
pnpm typecheck              # Type checking
pnpm db:studio              # Drizzle Studio (DB browser)

Tech Stack

LayerChoice
FrameworkNext.js 16 (App Router)
LanguageTypeScript
UIshadcn/ui + Tailwind CSS 4
ChartsRecharts 3
DatabasePostgreSQL 18 via Drizzle ORM
AuthBetter Auth
Bank SyncPlaid Node SDK, SimpleFIN
AIVercel AI SDK (BYOK)
MCPModel Context Protocol SDK
TestingVitest + Playwright + Stryker

Roadmap

  • Plaid webhook support (real-time sync)
  • AI chat assistant (in-app)
  • OFX/QFX import
  • SimpleFIN bank sync (Plaid alternative)
  • Automatic transfer detection between accounts
  • Mobile-responsive UI
  • Multi-currency support
  • Custom report builder
  • Goal tracking (savings goals, debt payoff)
  • Recurring budget templates

See Issues for what's being worked on.

Security

Security is critical for a finance app. If you discover a vulnerability, please do not open a public issue. Instead, see SECURITY.md for responsible disclosure instructions.

For details on how Ledgr handles your data, see PRIVACY.md.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue first to discuss what you'd like to change. See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup and workflow details.

  1. Fork the repo
  2. Create your branch (git checkout -b feat/my-feature)
  3. Commit your changes
  4. Push and open a Pull Request

License

AGPL-3.0 — you can self-host freely. If you modify and distribute the server, you must open-source your changes.

Installation

Source-derived launch command. Check the maintainer’s required arguments and credentials before running:

bash
docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/kentaniguchi-r/ledgr:0.3.4

Set up in your AI client

Merge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-github-kentaniguchi-r-ledgr": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "ghcr.io/kentaniguchi-r/ledgr:0.3.4"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.

Claude Desktop setup reference

Package

ghcr.io/kentaniguchi-r/ledgr:0.3.4docker

Compatible MCP Clients

Ledgr works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.

  • Claude Desktop~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.
  • Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect.
  • VS Code.vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.
  • Windsurf~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect.
  • Claude Code.mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.

Learn More