Subgrove vs Wallos: Hosted or Self-Hosted?
App Comparisons · The Subgrove Team · · Updated · 4 min read
Choose Wallos if you already run a server and want to own the software and the database; choose Subgrove if you want the same no-bank tracking without running anything. Neither one connects to your bank, and both handle several currencies and household members, so the real question is who keeps it online.
Disclosure: Subgrove is our app. Wallos's details come from its GitHub repository and changelog, checked in October 2026.
Wallos and Subgrove in one table
| Wallos | Subgrove | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Open-source web app you host (GPLv3) | Hosted web app, nothing to run |
| Setup | Docker, or PHP 8.3 with a web server and cron jobs | Sign up in a browser |
| Price | Free software; you pay for the server | Free up to 5 subscriptions; Pro $4.99/month or $39/year |
| Bank linking | No | No |
| Currencies | Many, converted to a main currency via a Fixer API key | 38, one total per currency, no conversion |
| Household | Household members | Household sharing and cost splitting (Pro) |
| Notifications | Email, Discord, Pushover, Telegram, Gotify, webhooks | Web push and email |
| Install on a phone | Installable web app with offline mode | Installable web app with offline mode |
| Export | CSV and JSON | CSV (Pro) |
| Updates and backups | Your job | Ours |
What Wallos gets right
Wallos is free, open-source and actively developed. The GitHub repository has around 8,700 stars and more than 200 releases; version 5.8.3 shipped on 1 October 2026. Its README lists category management, multi-currency support with exchange rates from the Fixer API, household members, logo search, notifications through several services, OIDC sign-in and optional AI recommendations. The changelog shows a calendar, budgets, an installable web app with an offline mode, and CSV and JSON export.
The bigger draw is ownership. The database sits on hardware you control, under a licence nobody can withdraw, and no company can raise the price on you. If you already run a homelab or a small VPS with Docker, adding Wallos costs you almost nothing, and it is probably the better answer for you.
What self-hosting asks of you
Wallos's README is clear about the work. A manual install needs PHP 8.3 with specific modules, a web server and a set of cron jobs for next-payment dates, exchange rates and notifications. Docker removes most of that, but you still choose where it runs, put it behind HTTPS if you want to reach it from your phone, apply updates and keep backups. Notifications go out through channels you configure: an SMTP server for email, or accounts with Discord, Telegram, Pushover or Gotify.
Subgrove takes that list off your plate:
- No server, no cron jobs. You sign up and start adding subscriptions. Updates reach everyone at once.
- Reminders work out of the box. Push and email reminders go out before every renewal, with the timing set per subscription, on the free plan.
- Reachable from anywhere. There's no home network, reverse proxy or certificate to set up before your phone can open the list. It installs to the home screen and works offline.
Cost once you count the server
Wallos is free, but it isn't free to run unless you already have a machine that's always on. If you'd be renting a server only for this, compare twelve months of that bill, plus your time, with Subgrove Pro's $39 a year. If you already pay for the server, Wallos is clearly cheaper. If your list is five subscriptions or fewer, Subgrove's free plan costs nothing either way.
Different approaches to currencies and sharing
Wallos converts your subscriptions into a main currency using exchange rates, once you add a Fixer API key. Subgrove doesn't convert at all: it shows a separate total for each currency you pay in, which matches what each card is charged but never gives one combined figure. Both support households; Subgrove's version lets you split a subscription between people so each member's total shows only their share, as described in how to split shared subscriptions.
Picking between them
- Wallos if you run servers already, want open-source software you control, and treat setup and upkeep as part of the fun.
- Subgrove if you want reminders on your phone today without becoming anyone's sysadmin.
Both keep your bank out of it, which avoids the bank-linking trade-off. If you'd like the hosted version of Wallos's idea, our hosted Wallos alternatives guide covers more options, and the free subscription cost calculator shows your total before you commit to either.