← Finlynq
Comparison

Finlynq vs Maybe / Sure

Maybe Finance was a venture-funded full personal-finance app that open-sourced after shutting down; Sure is the volunteer-run community fork that keeps it alive. Finlynq targets the same holistic user, but with a modern stack, per-user envelope encryption, and a first-party MCP server that neither Maybe nor Sure ships.

Last updated: 2026-05-29

When to choose Maybe / Sure

Maybe / Sure is probably the better pick if any of these matter to you more than owning your data:

  • You want the inherited brand recognition and net-worth-first dashboard from the well-known open-sourced-after-shutdown project.
  • You want Plaid bank aggregation already in the codebase. Maybe was Plaid-native (plus SimpleFIN), though Plaid is dormant after archival, so live sync means setting it up yourself.
  • You prefer a conventional Ruby on Rails + Hotwire monolith that senior Ruby contributors can drop right into.
  • You want full PFM scope (budgets, transactions, holdings, multi-currency) in one open-source app and don't need first-party AI or MCP.
  • You specifically want the actively-maintained Sure fork's community momentum.

When to choose Finlynq

Finlynq is the one to pick if any of these matter to you:

  • You want a single-team-led project with a clear roadmap. The original Maybe is archived, and Sure is volunteer-run with thinner roadmap clarity.
  • You want a first-party MCP server. Neither Maybe nor Sure ships one. Maybe's old in-app AI was in-process OpenAI function-calling (not MCP, and not exposed to external clients). Finlynq ships first-party MCP (HTTP + stdio) with read and write tools.
  • You want per-user envelope encryption where the operator can't read your data. Maybe and Sure have no app-layer column encryption.
  • You want a modern React / TypeScript stack the AI-tooling ecosystem speaks natively, rather than a Rails / Hotwire monolith.
  • You want an official managed cloud. Sure is self-host only; Finlynq offers finlynq.com/cloud.
  • You want to steer clear of Plaid dependency risk, the same aggregator cost that helped sink the original Maybe company. Finlynq's import and connector framework is Plaid-independent.

Side-by-side

 FinlynqMaybe / Sure
LicenseAGPL v3AGPL v3 (same as Finlynq)
HostingSelf-host (Docker + PostgreSQL) or managed cloudSelf-host via Docker (Sure fork); original Maybe cloud is gone
First-party MCPYes, 109 HTTP / 93 stdio toolsNo: Maybe's in-app AI was in-process OpenAI function-calling; no documented Sure MCP
MCP authOAuth 2.1 + DCR, Bearer API key, or stdioN/A (no MCP)
REST / HTTP APIYes, full surface mirrored from MCPPartial / internal; no mature documented public REST surface
Bank syncFile / email import + connector framework. No first-party Plaid today.Plaid + SimpleFIN in code; Plaid dormant post-archival (self-config required)
Encryption at restPer-user envelope encryption (AES-256-GCM, scrypt-derived KEK). Operator cannot decrypt.None at the app / column level
Multi-currencyNative, per-currency cost basis, FX locked at trade dateYes (native), via a flat exchange-rate table
Investment / portfolioLot-tracked cost basis, dividends, FX-aware aggregation; RRSP/TFSA/RESPYes: securities, holdings, crypto, performance (a Maybe strength)
Native mobile appYes, native iOS and Android apps (App Store, Google Play)No (Flutter companion code existed but never fully shipped)
Multi-user / householdNo (single-user)Yes (per-instance)
PricingDonation-based; same features on self-host and managed cloudFree (self-host); original paid tier is defunct
Funding / revenue modelBootstrapped, donationsOriginal raised ~$1.45M, shut down 2023, open-sourced, then archived July 2025 on a B2B pivot; Sure is volunteer / donation

Migrating from Maybe / Sure

  1. Export from Maybe or Sure. Use the CSV export of transactions and holdings, or your database export if you're self-hosting.
  2. Import into Finlynq at /import/reconcile. Review and edit each row; multi-currency, transfer pairs, and dedup are handled in staging, and you record holdings via the portfolio flow.
  3. Connect Claude (or any MCP client) at /mcp. Paste the URL into Claude, then Customize, then Connectors; OAuth handles auth.

FAQ

Is Maybe still being developed?▾
The original maybe-finance/maybe repository was archived in 2025. The community fork Sure (we-promise/sure) is the de facto continuation and is still active, but it is volunteer-run with a less defined roadmap.
Does Maybe/Sure have an MCP server?▾
No. The original Maybe had an in-app AI chat using OpenAI function-calling internally, but that's not MCP and it wasn't exposed to external AI clients. No documented Sure MCP exists. Finlynq ships first-party MCP.
Maybe has Plaid bank sync. Does Finlynq?▾
Maybe was Plaid-native, but Plaid is dormant after archival and needs self-configuration. Finlynq has no first-party Plaid and uses import plus a connector framework instead (SnapTrade on the roadmap).
Both are AGPL v3 and full PFMs. What's the real difference?▾
Project health (single-team-led with a roadmap vs a volunteer fork), stack (React/TypeScript vs Rails/Hotwire), per-user envelope encryption, and a first-party MCP server with write access. None of which Maybe or Sure offers.
Why did Maybe shut down?▾
Per its founders, a combination of bad timing, a long build before validating fit, few paying customers at launch, and painful, expensive Plaid aggregation. Finlynq's donation-funded, Plaid-independent model is a deliberate response to that.

Sources

Try Finlynq

Free, open source, AGPL v3. Run it on our managed cloud, or self-host with one Docker Compose file. You get the same features either way.

Try the managed cloudTry the live demo (no signup)Self-host with DockerSource on GitHub