Install Actual Budget in Claude Code

What you need first

• Claude Code, installed.
• Node.js, which gives the npx command the server starts with.
• Your own values for YOUR_ACTUAL_SERVER_URL,YOUR_ACTUAL_BUDGET_ID.

Steps

1. Run this in a terminal, in the project folder. It adds the server for you in that project; put --scope user after claude mcp add to have it in every project.

claude mcp add --env ACTUAL_SERVER_URL=YOUR_ACTUAL_SERVER_URL --env ACTUAL_BUDGET_ID=YOUR_ACTUAL_BUDGET_ID --transport stdio actual-budget-mcp -- npx -y [email protected]

2. Replace YOUR_ACTUAL_SERVER_URL,YOUR_ACTUAL_BUDGET_ID with your own values.
3. Start Claude Code and type /mcp: the server is listed with its state.

Check it worked

Ask Claude Code: List the tools of actual-budget-mcp.

If it does not start

spawn npx ENOENT

Node.js is not on the PATH that Claude Code sees. Install it, or write the full path of npx in the config.

The server starts, but its tools fail

A YOUR_… placeholder is still in the config, or its value is wrong.