Actual Budget MCP Server vs SaturnZap
A side-by-side look at the Actual Budget MCP Server and SaturnZap MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Actual Budget MCP Server for finance & fintech work as a local process; choose SaturnZap for finance & fintech as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Actual Budget MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Finance & Fintech domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
ACTUAL_DATA_DIR, ACTUAL_SERVER_URL, ACTUAL_PASSWORD, ACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_ID, ACTUAL_SYNC_TTL_MS, ACTUAL_BUDGET_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD, ACTUAL_SESSION_TOKEN. - You want tools like
get-transactions, create-transaction, update-transaction.
Choose SaturnZap when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Finance & Fintech domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
SZ_PASSPHRASE.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Finance & Fintech | Finance & Fintech |
| Quality signal | 63/100 · Good | 41/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | ACTUAL_DATA_DIRACTUAL_SERVER_URLACTUAL_PASSWORDACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_IDACTUAL_SYNC_TTL_MSACTUAL_BUDGET_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORDACTUAL_SESSION_TOKEN | SZ_PASSPHRASE |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 266 | 7 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 40 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Actual Budget MCP Server | View SaturnZap |
Tools & capabilities
Actual Budget MCP Server tools 40
get-transactionscreate-transactionupdate-transactionget-accountsbalance-historyspending-by-categorymonthly-summarybudget-vs-actualnet-worthcategory-trendsspending-by-payeecash-flow- +28 more on the listing page
SaturnZap tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Actual Budget MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"actual-budget-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"actual-mcp"
],
"env": {
"ACTUAL_DATA_DIR": "YOUR_ACTUAL_DATA_DIR_HERE",
"ACTUAL_SERVER_URL": "YOUR_ACTUAL_SERVER_URL_HERE",
"ACTUAL_PASSWORD": "YOUR_ACTUAL_PASSWORD_HERE",
"ACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_ID": "YOUR_ACTUAL_BUDGET_SYNC_ID_HERE",
"ACTUAL_SYNC_TTL_MS": "YOUR_ACTUAL_SYNC_TTL_MS_HERE",
"ACTUAL_BUDGET_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD": "YOUR_ACTUAL_BUDGET_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD_HERE",
"ACTUAL_SESSION_TOKEN": "YOUR_ACTUAL_SESSION_TOKEN_HERE"
}
}
}
}
SaturnZap
{
"mcpServers": {
"saturnzap": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"saturnzap"
],
"env": {
"SZ_PASSPHRASE": "YOUR_SZ_PASSPHRASE_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Actual Budget MCP Server is categorized under Finance & Fintech and uses a local stdio subprocess. SaturnZap belongs to Finance & Fintech and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Actual Budget MCP Server for finance & fintech work and SaturnZap for finance & fintech.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Actual Budget MCP Server is listed as free. SaturnZap has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add actual-budget-mcp-server and saturnzap as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Actual Budget MCP Server has a quality signal of 63/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 266 GitHub stars. SaturnZap has 41/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 7 GitHub stars.