Install

Arca runs as a single Docker container. Pick the way you usually add containers; each one takes a few minutes.

What you need

A machine that runs Docker (a NAS, an Unraid server, a mini PC or your own computer) and a folder where Arca can keep its data.

Docker

docker run -d \
  --name arca \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v /path/to/arca-data:/data \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  damianeickhoff/arca:latest

Replace /path/to/arca-data with a folder on your machine. Then open http://localhost:3000 (or http://<your-server-ip>:3000 from another device). The first start creates the database and opens the setup.

Docker Compose

Save this as docker-compose.yml in an empty folder:

services:
  arca:
    image: damianeickhoff/arca:latest
    container_name: arca
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
    environment:
      # Set to "true" only behind a reverse proxy that serves HTTPS.
      - COOKIE_SECURE=false
    restart: unless-stopped

Then start it:

docker compose up -d

To use another port, change the left number, for example "8080:3000".

Unraid

1. Download the template arca.xml and copy it to /boot/config/plugins/dockerMan/templates-user/ on your server.
2. In Unraid, go to Docker → Add Container, choose Template → User templates → Arca.
3. Map Data (/data) to /mnt/user/appdata/arca.
4. Apply, then open the WebUI from the Docker tab.

Where your data lives

Everything Arca needs to keep is in the /data folder you mapped:

What	Where
The database (all your transactions, budgets and settings)	finance.db (plus finance.db-wal and finance.db-shm while it runs)
Logos you uploaded for merchants	brand-icons/
Profile photos	avatars/
Receipt photos	receipts/
Backups Arca made before updates, and the ones you made	backups/

Back up that folder and you have everything. See Updating and backups.

Map /data to a real folder

If you don’t map /data to a folder on your server, Docker keeps it in a temporary volume and your data is gone when the container is recreated.

Opening Arca from outside your home

Arca works fine on your home network over plain http://. If you want to reach it from outside, put it behind a reverse proxy that serves HTTPS (Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy, Traefik, SWAG and so on) or use a VPN such as Tailscale or WireGuard.

When Arca sits behind a proxy that serves HTTPS, set this on the container:

COOKIE_SECURE=true

This marks the sign-in cookie as secure. Leave it at false (the default) when you open Arca over plain http://, otherwise signing in won’t stick.

Who can create an account

Only the very first visitor can create an account by themselves; that account becomes the admin. After that, new people need an invite link from an admin. Still, keep Arca behind HTTPS or a VPN before you expose it to the internet.

Settings you can change

Variable	Default	What it does
COOKIE_SECURE	false	true only when a reverse proxy serves Arca over HTTPS.
DB_PATH	/data/finance.db	Where the database lives. Logos and photos go next to it.
ALLOW_OPEN_SIGNUP	not set	Set to true to let anyone create an account again, without an invite link. Only for getting back into a household whose admin is locked out: set it, restart Arca, create a new account on the sign-in page (it becomes an admin) and remove the setting again.
BANK_SYNC_DISABLED	not set	Set to 1 to switch off the automatic daily bank sync.
BANK_SYNC_TOKEN	not set	A long random string, only if you want to start the bank sync from your own scheduler.
OLLAMA_HOST	http://localhost:11434	Where Arca finds Ollama for Scan receipt. Inside Docker, point it at your Ollama container or server, for example http://192.168.1.20:11434.
OLLAMA_VISION_MODEL	llava	The Ollama model that reads receipts. Install it first with ollama pull llava.

Install it on your phone

Open Arca in your phone’s browser and use Add to Home Screen (Safari: the share button; Chrome: the ⋮ menu). It then opens full screen, like an app. You still need a connection to your server: Arca doesn’t keep your data on the phone.

Start the bank sync from your own scheduler

Arca syncs connected banks once a day by itself. If you’d rather choose the moment yourself (for example with Unraid’s User Scripts plugin or cron):

1. Set BANK_SYNC_TOKEN on the container to a long random string, for example the output of openssl rand -hex 32.

2. Set BANK_SYNC_DISABLED=1 too if the built-in daily sync shouldn’t run next to it.

3. Call Arca from your scheduler:

   curl -fsS -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $BANK_SYNC_TOKEN" https://arca.example.com/api/bank/cron

It answers with the result per bank, or an error when an import or sync is already running. Banks only allow a few syncs a day, so there’s no point running it more than a few times a day.