Our verdict: Money Manager Ex is a straightforward, private way to track where your money goes, with budgets, scheduled payments and investments in a local database. It is easier than GnuCash but has no automatic bank sync and a plain interface.
About Money Manager Ex
Money Manager Ex (MMEX) is free, open-source personal finance software under the GNU GPL v2, with no ads or charges. Your data is stored in a single local database file that can be encrypted with AES-256, and you can place that file in your own cloud folder to use it from several computers.
You create accounts in multiple currencies, record income and expenses with payees, categories and tags, and set up scheduled transactions for recurring bills. MMEX also tracks stocks and fixed assets, compares budgets with real spending and imports and exports QIF and CSV files. Advanced users can build custom reports with SQL, Lua and HTML.
What it does well
- Accounts and currencies. Checking, savings, credit card and investment accounts in multiple currencies.
- Scheduled transactions. Recurring bills and income entered automatically on schedule.
- Budgets. Yearly and monthly budgets compared with actual spending.
- Stocks and assets. Track shares and fixed assets as part of your net worth.
- Encrypted database. Optional AES-256 encryption of the local data file.
Who it is for
Good fit
People who want to track personal spending and budgets privately on their PC.
Look elsewhere
Users who expect automatic bank synchronization or full double-entry accounting.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free and open source, no ads
- Data stays in a local, optionally encrypted file
- Budgets, scheduled payments and investments
- Portable version available
Cons
- No automatic bank sync; import QIF or CSV files instead
- Plain, dated interface
How to install Money Manager Ex
The download button fetches the 64-bit Windows installer from the official GitHub release; a portable ZIP is also available. On first start the wizard creates a new database and your first account. Turn on encryption when creating the database if the file will sit in a cloud folder.
Questions about Money Manager Ex
Is Money Manager Ex free?
Yes. MMEX is free and open source under the GNU GPL v2, without ads or paid features.
Can I use Money Manager Ex on several computers?
Yes. Put the database file in a cloud folder of your choice, and use the Android app to view it on a phone.
Can it import bank statements?
Yes. It imports QIF and CSV files exported from your bank.
