Vibecode Copilot Money
track this build5 steps, step by step0%A beautiful spending dashboard can be vibecoded, but Copilot's bank/investment sync, categorization, native Apple apps, and data-security posture are the product.
You are building a lean indie version of Copilot Money. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Copilot Money indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Copilot Money workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Import bank/CSV data, categorize transactions with rules/LLM, show budgets, investments, and net-worth charts. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - bank sync - iOS/Mac polish - transaction enrichment - investment tracking - mobile notifications - security posture If those capabilities are essential, use Actual Budget instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal finance dashboard to replace Copilot Money. Requirements: - Local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, charts with Chart.js, no build step. - No bank APIs: I drop CSV exports from my banks into imports/, a chokidar watcher ingests new files using per-bank column maps in mappings.json, and rows dedupe on a date+amount+description hash. - Categorization: ordered regex rules in rules.json run first; unmatched transactions land in a review page where one click assigns a category and offers to save the pattern as a new rule. Optional LLM fallback, key in .env. - Dashboard: current month spend by category against per-category budgets, a 12-month trend line, and top merchants. - Recurring detection: the same merchant at roughly monthly intervals gets flagged as a subscription and listed with its annual cost. This list alone tends to pay for the build. - Accounts and net worth: monthly balance snapshots per account, plotted over time. - Everything local in one SQLite file, localhost only, no telemetry; note in the README that the optional LLM call sends transaction text out, skip it if that bothers me. - Out of scope: automatic bank sync (Plaid needs approval and per-connection fees) and investment tracking; CSV import is the honest personal version. - README: how to add a new bank's CSV mapping. ## Required capabilities - Plaid/bank API or CSV import - secure storage - macOS/iOS/web app - categorization rules - charts ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Copilot Money. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Copilot Money indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Copilot Money workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Import bank/CSV data, categorize transactions with rules/LLM, show budgets, investments, and net-worth charts. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - bank sync - iOS/Mac polish - transaction enrichment - investment tracking - mobile notifications - security posture If those capabilities are essential, use Actual Budget instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal finance dashboard to replace Copilot Money. Requirements: - Local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, charts with Chart.js, no build step. - No bank APIs: I drop CSV exports from my banks into imports/, a chokidar watcher ingests new files using per-bank column maps in mappings.json, and rows dedupe on a date+amount+description hash. - Categorization: ordered regex rules in rules.json run first; unmatched transactions land in a review page where one click assigns a category and offers to save the pattern as a new rule. Optional LLM fallback, key in .env. - Dashboard: current month spend by category against per-category budgets, a 12-month trend line, and top merchants. - Recurring detection: the same merchant at roughly monthly intervals gets flagged as a subscription and listed with its annual cost. This list alone tends to pay for the build. - Accounts and net worth: monthly balance snapshots per account, plotted over time. - Everything local in one SQLite file, localhost only, no telemetry; note in the README that the optional LLM call sends transaction text out, skip it if that bothers me. - Out of scope: automatic bank sync (Plaid needs approval and per-connection fees) and investment tracking; CSV import is the honest personal version. - README: how to add a new bank's CSV mapping. ## Required capabilities - Plaid/bank API or CSV import - secure storage - macOS/iOS/web app - categorization rules - charts ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Copilot Money. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Copilot Money product brief ## Problem A beautiful spending dashboard can be vibecoded, but Copilot's bank/investment sync, categorization, native Apple apps, and data-security posture are the product. ## Product outcome Import bank/CSV data, categorize transactions with rules/LLM, show budgets, investments, and net-worth charts. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - Plaid/bank API or CSV import - secure storage - macOS/iOS/web app - categorization rules - charts ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - bank sync - iOS/Mac polish - transaction enrichment - investment tracking - mobile notifications - security posture ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal finance dashboard to replace Copilot Money. Requirements: - Local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, charts with Chart.js, no build step. - No bank APIs: I drop CSV exports from my banks into imports/, a chokidar watcher ingests new files using per-bank column maps in mappings.json, and rows dedupe on a date+amount+description hash. - Categorization: ordered regex rules in rules.json run first; unmatched transactions land in a review page where one click assigns a category and offers to save the pattern as a new rule. Optional LLM fallback, key in .env. - Dashboard: current month spend by category against per-category budgets, a 12-month trend line, and top merchants. - Recurring detection: the same merchant at roughly monthly intervals gets flagged as a subscription and listed with its annual cost. This list alone tends to pay for the build. - Accounts and net worth: monthly balance snapshots per account, plotted over time. - Everything local in one SQLite file, localhost only, no telemetry; note in the README that the optional LLM call sends transaction text out, skip it if that bothers me. - Out of scope: automatic bank sync (Plaid needs approval and per-connection fees) and investment tracking; CSV import is the honest personal version. - README: how to add a new bank's CSV mapping. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Copilot Money capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# Copilot Money indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Copilot Money workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Import bank/CSV data, categorize transactions with rules/LLM, show budgets, investments, and net-worth charts. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - bank sync - iOS/Mac polish - transaction enrichment - investment tracking - mobile notifications - security posture If those capabilities are essential, use Actual Budget instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal finance dashboard to replace Copilot Money. Requirements: - Local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, charts with Chart.js, no build step. - No bank APIs: I drop CSV exports from my banks into imports/, a chokidar watcher ingests new files using per-bank column maps in mappings.json, and rows dedupe on a date+amount+description hash. - Categorization: ordered regex rules in rules.json run first; unmatched transactions land in a review page where one click assigns a category and offers to save the pattern as a new rule. Optional LLM fallback, key in .env. - Dashboard: current month spend by category against per-category budgets, a 12-month trend line, and top merchants. - Recurring detection: the same merchant at roughly monthly intervals gets flagged as a subscription and listed with its annual cost. This list alone tends to pay for the build. - Accounts and net worth: monthly balance snapshots per account, plotted over time. - Everything local in one SQLite file, localhost only, no telemetry; note in the README that the optional LLM call sends transaction text out, skip it if that bothers me. - Out of scope: automatic bank sync (Plaid needs approval and per-connection fees) and investment tracking; CSV import is the honest personal version. - README: how to add a new bank's CSV mapping. ## Required capabilities - Plaid/bank API or CSV import - secure storage - macOS/iOS/web app - categorization rules - charts ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# Copilot Money product brief ## Problem A beautiful spending dashboard can be vibecoded, but Copilot's bank/investment sync, categorization, native Apple apps, and data-security posture are the product. ## Product outcome Import bank/CSV data, categorize transactions with rules/LLM, show budgets, investments, and net-worth charts. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - Plaid/bank API or CSV import - secure storage - macOS/iOS/web app - categorization rules - charts ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - bank sync - iOS/Mac polish - transaction enrichment - investment tracking - mobile notifications - security posture ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal finance dashboard to replace Copilot Money. Requirements: - Local web app: Node + Express + better-sqlite3, charts with Chart.js, no build step. - No bank APIs: I drop CSV exports from my banks into imports/, a chokidar watcher ingests new files using per-bank column maps in mappings.json, and rows dedupe on a date+amount+description hash. - Categorization: ordered regex rules in rules.json run first; unmatched transactions land in a review page where one click assigns a category and offers to save the pattern as a new rule. Optional LLM fallback, key in .env. - Dashboard: current month spend by category against per-category budgets, a 12-month trend line, and top merchants. - Recurring detection: the same merchant at roughly monthly intervals gets flagged as a subscription and listed with its annual cost. This list alone tends to pay for the build. - Accounts and net worth: monthly balance snapshots per account, plotted over time. - Everything local in one SQLite file, localhost only, no telemetry; note in the README that the optional LLM call sends transaction text out, skip it if that bothers me. - Out of scope: automatic bank sync (Plaid needs approval and per-connection fees) and investment tracking; CSV import is the honest personal version. - README: how to add a new bank's CSV mapping. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Copilot Money capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay because the app feels native and current financial data appears automatically.
xbank sync
xiOS/Mac polish
xtransaction enrichment
xinvestment tracking
xmobile notifications
xsecurity posture
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
all 4 free alternatives to Copilot Money →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Copilot Money pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| copilot money | $13 | $7.92 | All product features; 1 household subscription; no feature-based paid tiers |
free tierno free tier; interactive test drive before signup, then 7-day free trial
billingmonthly + annual (annual $95/year; 39% below monthly)
verified 2026-08-13 · source ↗
Vibecode Copilot Money
Kinda. The core of Copilot Money is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: bank sync, iOS/Mac polish. Read the honest list above before committing.
How much does Copilot Money cost?
Copilot Money costs about $13/month (Monthly subscription, checked 2026-07-30), which is $156 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Copilot Money?
Honestly: bank sync; iOS/Mac polish; transaction enrichment; investment tracking; mobile notifications; security posture. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Copilot Money?
Yes: Wealthfolio (Portfolio, net worth, spending and budgets on your own device; automatic broker sync is the paid convenience.) GnuCash (Spending, budgets and investments in a serious double-entry desktop; simplicity did not make the balance sheet.) Money Manager Ex (A local ledger with budgets, reports and investments; the interface has no subscription budget.) All 4 curated free alternatives are at vibecodeit.com/copilot-money/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.