moneyPersonal Finance Backend

Local-first finance data your agent can rely on. Encrypted SQLite, stable CLI + JSON contracts, BYOK providers — no embedded AI, no required server.

Guide

GitHub

~/projects/finance — money

# no credentials needed$ money demo accounts list --json{"meta": { "schema": "1.0.0", "demo": true },"data": { "accounts": [ { "name": "Chase Checking" }, { "name": "Amex Gold" } ] },"errors": []}$ money tx search "Costco"

Introduction

See money in action

A product introduction: what money does, how the CLI fits in, and how JSON contracts work for external agents.

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Encrypted SQLite

Financial data at rest in an encrypted local file you control — not plaintext SQLite, not someone else's cloud.

BYOK Providers

Plaid, Bridge, and more as adapters. You bring credentials; no managed proxy or subscription.

Stable JSON Contracts

Versioned envelopes, deterministic sorting and pagination — built for scripts, cron, and agents.

CLI-First

Human output by default; --json when you need parseable stdout. No web server required.

Explicit Sync Boundary

Read commands use local data only. Network I/O happens when you link or sync — not on every query.

Demo Mode

money demo … runs against bundled sample data — no credentials required.

Quick start paths

Step 1 · Try without credentials

Demo mode

Bundled sample data; safe to run anywhere. meta.demo: true on every envelope.

# Install via Homebrew
$ brew install --cask thedavidweng/tap/money

# Or via Go
$ go install github.com/thedavidweng/money/cmd/money@latest

# Try with sample data
$ money demo accounts list --json
$ money demo transactions search "coffee"

Step 2 · Connect a provider

Real sync (BYOK)

Bring your own Plaid / Bridge credentials. Stored in your encrypted local DB.

# Interactive setup
$ money setup

# Link an institution, then sync
$ money link
$ money sync
$ money accounts list --json

All commands accept --json. Write operations require --dry-run or --confirm.

Documentation

docs/GETTING_STARTED.mdGetting startedInstall, setup, demo mode, and provider pricing.Open →docs/PRD.mdProduct requirementsWhy money exists, what it commits to, and what it is not.Open →docs/ARCHITECTURE.mdArchitectureModule boundaries, data flow, and contract design.Open →docs/SCHEMA.mdDatabase schemaCanonical tables for institutions, items, accounts, transactions.Open →docs/CONFIG.mdConfigurationConfig loading, env files, secrets, and resolution rules.Open →docs/ROADMAP.mdRoadmapPhased development, current focus, and deferred work.Open →

Why money

Many personal finance workflows depend on a single SaaS for truth, on products that bundle AI advisors, or on a full web app you must keep online. That conflicts with owning your data, choosing providers, and giving an external agent predictable, deterministic primitives.

money takes the opposite shape: a user-owned encrypted database, explicit sync to BYOK providers, and machine-readable envelopes. Your agent owns reasoning and memory — not the tool.

Key Commands

Command	Description
`money demo accounts list --json`	Try with sample data (no credentials)
`money setup`	Initialize config and encrypted database
`money link`	Link a financial institution
`money sync`	Sync linked provider data
`money accounts list`	List all accounts
`money transactions search`	Search transactions
`money doctor`	Diagnose environment

Architecture

Read commands never call the network. Outbound provider traffic only happens when you explicitly link or sync.

Providers map into canonical records — accounts, transactions, categories, tags, recurring items — and land in encrypted SQLite. Every command returns a versioned JSON envelope with deterministic sorting and pagination.

Read the full architecture document.