How to Self-Host Econumo with Docker Compose

What Is Econumo?

Econumo is a self-hosted personal and family budgeting app built for multi-currency households. Track expenses across currencies, share accounts with family members, create flexible budgets, and see where your money goes — all on your own server. The multi-currency support is its standout feature, handling automatic conversion between currencies without relying on a third party.

GitHub: github.com/econumo/econumo

Prerequisites

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended)
Docker and Docker Compose installed (guide)
256 MB of free RAM
A domain name (optional, for remote access)

Docker Compose Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  econumo:
    image: ghcr.io/econumo/econumo:0.10.0
    container_name: econumo
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8181:80"
    environment:
      APP_ENV: prod
      APP_SECRET: change_this_to_a_random_hex_string
      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://econumo:change_this_strong_password@postgres:5432/econumo?serverVersion=16
      MAILER_DSN: null://null
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
    networks:
      - econumo

  postgres:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    container_name: econumo-db
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: econumo
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: change_this_strong_password
      POSTGRES_DB: econumo
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U econumo"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
    networks:
      - econumo

volumes:
  postgres_data:

networks:
  econumo:

Before starting:

Change both change_this_strong_password values to the same strong password
Generate APP_SECRET with: openssl rand -hex 32
Set MAILER_DSN if you want email notifications (e.g., smtp://user:pass@smtp.example.com:587)

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Note: First startup takes up to 90 seconds as the app runs database migrations and compiles assets.

Initial Setup

Open http://your-server-ip:8181 in your browser
Register your account (first user becomes the admin)
Set your base currency (defaults to USD — configure additional currencies in settings)
Create your first account (checking, savings, credit card, etc.)
Start logging transactions

Configuration

Setting	What It Does
`APP_SECRET`	Symfony encryption key — required for security
`DATABASE_URL`	PostgreSQL connection string
`MAILER_DSN`	Email notification transport (SMTP, Sendmail, etc.)
`APP_ENV`	Set to `prod` for production

Multi-Currency Setup

Econumo starts with USD. To add more currencies:

Go to Settings → Currencies in the web UI
Add currencies you use (EUR, GBP, JPY, etc.)
Econumo fetches exchange rates automatically
Transactions in different currencies convert to your base currency for reporting

Shared Accounts (Family)

Econumo supports shared accounts between users:

Create additional user accounts via the registration page
In account settings, invite other users to share specific accounts
Each user sees their own dashboard but shared accounts appear for both
Transaction permissions can be set per shared account

Reverse Proxy

Example Nginx Proxy Manager configuration:

Field	Value
Domain	`budget.yourdomain.com`
Scheme	`http`
Forward Host	`econumo`
Forward Port	`8181`
SSL	Request a new certificate

For more options: Reverse Proxy Setup

Backup

Back up the PostgreSQL database:

docker exec econumo-db pg_dump -U econumo econumo > econumo_backup.sql

Restore:

docker exec -i econumo-db psql -U econumo econumo < econumo_backup.sql

For automated backup strategies: Backup Strategy

Troubleshooting

App Returns 500 Error

Symptom: HTTP 500 error after first deploy.

Fix: Wait up to 90 seconds for initial startup. Check logs for migration errors:

docker logs econumo

If migrations failed, the database may not have been ready. Restart:

docker compose restart econumo

Exchange Rates Not Updating

Symptom: Multi-currency transactions show stale rates.

Fix: Econumo fetches rates on a schedule. Ensure the container has internet access. Manually trigger rate refresh from the settings page.

”Connection refused” to Database

Symptom: Database connection errors in logs.

Fix: Verify the DATABASE_URL matches your PostgreSQL credentials. The hostname must be postgres (the service name), not localhost.

Resource Requirements

Resource	Usage
RAM	~150-256 MB (PHP + PostgreSQL)
CPU	Low
Disk	~200 MB for application, minimal for data

Econumo vs Other Finance Apps

Feature	Econumo	Firefly III	Actual Budget
Multi-currency	Native with auto-rates	Manual conversion rules	Basic support
Shared accounts	Yes (family)	No (single user)	No
Budgeting	Flexible budgets	Rule-based budgets	Envelope method
Bank syncing	No	GoCardless (EU)	SimpleFIN (US, paid)
API	REST API	Full REST API	Limited
Mobile app	Responsive web	Third-party	Progressive web app

Verdict

Econumo fills a specific niche: multi-currency household budgeting with shared accounts. If you and your partner earn in different currencies, or you track finances across countries, Econumo handles this better than Firefly III or Actual Budget. For single-currency personal budgeting, Actual Budget is simpler. For comprehensive financial tracking with automation rules, Firefly III is more powerful. Econumo is the right choice when multi-currency and family sharing are your primary requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Econumo handle currency conversion?

Econumo automatically fetches exchange rates from external services on a schedule. Transactions in different currencies are converted to your base currency for reports and budgets. You set a base currency during setup (defaults to USD), and all reporting uses that base for totals. Exchange rates update automatically — no manual rate entry needed.

Can family members use Econumo simultaneously?

Yes. Create separate user accounts through the registration page. In account settings, invite other users to share specific accounts (checking, savings, joint expenses). Each user sees their own dashboard, but shared accounts appear for both. Transaction permissions can be configured per shared account.

Does Econumo support bank import?

No. Econumo doesn’t have bank syncing or OFX/CSV import. All transactions are entered manually. For users who want bank import, Firefly III supports GoCardless (EU banks) and Actual Budget supports SimpleFIN (US banks, paid). Econumo’s strength is multi-currency and family sharing, not automation.

Can I track investments in Econumo?

Econumo is a budgeting and expense tracking tool, not an investment tracker. For investment portfolio tracking, use Ghostfolio. You can use Econumo alongside Ghostfolio — track daily expenses and budgets in Econumo, track your investment portfolio in Ghostfolio.

What’s the first startup time for Econumo?

Up to 90 seconds. On first launch, Econumo runs database migrations and compiles Symfony assets. If you see a 500 error immediately after deployment, wait 90 seconds and refresh. Subsequent restarts are much faster since migrations only run once. Check docker logs econumo if the app doesn’t come up after 2 minutes.

How do I migrate from another budgeting app to Econumo?

There’s no built-in import tool. Migration requires manual data entry or scripting through Econumo’s REST API. For large datasets, export from your current app (CSV/JSON), write a script to transform and POST transactions to Econumo’s API. For small datasets, manual entry is faster than writing migration code.