European open banking

How to set up European bank sync in Actual Budget

This guide walks through connecting Synci to an Actual server using SimpleFIN, from bank authorisation to your first reconciled import. Have access to your Actual server and bank login before you begin.

By Synci · Last verified

Before you start

  • Check your bank and account type in Synci’s directory.
  • Use an Actual server with SimpleFIN bank-sync support; a browser-only budget cannot run server-side bank sync.
  • If you already have a budget, make a backup before changing bank-sync credentials.

Sources: Actual Budget: SimpleFIN setup

Set up the connection step by step

  1. Check your bank

    Find the bank in Synci’s directory and inspect the supported account types, history, and consent duration. Check that your Actual server supports SimpleFIN.

  2. Connect and share accounts

    Authorize the bank in Synci, add the Actual Budget destination, and select the accounts you want to make available.

  3. Use the SimpleFIN token in Actual

    Copy the Synci setup token into Actual’s SimpleFIN setup, then map each shared account to its budget account. Keep the one-time token private.

  4. Run Bank Sync

    Actual retrieves data from Synci when you run Bank Sync. Review the imported transactions and reconcile the balance.

Changing source without losing track of your budget

Keep the migration small at first: one account and one checked import. A working connection is only part of success; the budget should also contain the transactions you expect exactly once.

  • Make a budget backup before changing bank-sync credentials.
  • Record the last reconciled date and balance for each account.
  • Map the new source to the intended existing budget accounts, rather than creating unwanted duplicates.
  • Review the overlapping import period. Identifiers and descriptions can differ between providers.
  • If you already use SimpleFIN, inspect Actual’s current credential model before replacing its token.

Bank refresh and Actual import are separate

Synci refreshes from the bank according to your settings, plan, and upstream limits. Actual then pulls the data available in Synci. Repeatedly pressing Bank Sync cannot force a bank to provide a newer balance or bypass its request limits.

Your first import is limited by the history the bank exposes and the destination’s supported range. Pending and booked records may also be handled differently by the source and app; reconcile after switching rather than assuming identical behavior.

Questions and answers

Do I need a SimpleFIN Bridge account to use Synci with Actual?
No. Synci supplies the SimpleFIN source for the accounts you share from Synci. You paste a token generated by Synci into Actual.
Does Synci work with a self-hosted Actual server?
Yes, when that server supports Actual’s SimpleFIN bank sync and can make outbound requests to Synci. Synci does not need to connect into your server to push transactions.

Sources and verification

Checked on 25 September 2026. Provider details can change; follow the linked documentation for current setup requirements.

Put your bank data to use.

Check your bank, connect the accounts you need, and choose where to use them.