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Data Providers

To save you from the tedious task of manual data entry, Sprout connects directly to your financial institutions using secure Data Providers. These services act as a bridge, safely fetching your account balances and transaction history so Sprout can display them in your dashboard.

Below is a list of the currently supported providers.

SimpleFIN

SimpleFIN is a popular choice for users who want a straightforward, affordable, and privacy-focused way to connect their bank accounts. It focuses on doing one thing well: securely reading your financial data.

How to Connect

Connecting Sprout to SimpleFIN is easy and only needs to be done once.

Get a SimpleFIN Token:

  • Log in to your account on the SimpleFIN Bridge Website.
  • Navigate to the "Connect an App" section (or click here to create a token).
  • Follow the prompts to select which bank accounts you want to share with Sprout.
  • At the end of the process, you will be given a long Setup Token string. Copy this to your clipboard.

Paste into Sprout:

  • Open your User Settings in Sprout.
  • Find the Finance Provider Settings section.
  • Select SimpleFIN API Token and paste your Setup Token into the API Key field.

Done!

  • Now when you go to link an account, Sprout will provide you SimpleFIN as an option.

Why Choose SimpleFIN?

  • Privacy-First: SimpleFIN acts as a strict read-only proxy. It does not store your bank credentials permanently and passes data directly to you.
  • Broad Support: Through its backend partners (like MX), it supports thousands of US and Canadian financial institutions.
  • Affordable: It offers a very low-cost subscription model compared to enterprise aggregators.

For more details on their service and pricing, visit the official SimpleFIN Website.

Zillow

Sprout uses Zillow to provide automatic valuation updates for your real estate assets. By linking a property via its physical address, Sprout can fetch the current Zestimate to ensure your net worth reflects the most up-to-date market data for your home or investment properties.

Warning

Zestimates are not always the most accurate representations of your property value. Only use these as a suggestion for trend tracking.

How it Works

Unlike many financial integrations, Zillow support in Sprout is designed to be "plug-and-play."

  • No API Keys Required: You do not need to sign up for a developer account or manage complex API keys. Sprout handles the data retrieval internally.
  • Address-Based Tracking: Simply provide the street address, city, state, and zip code of your property.
    • We'll locate the Zillow Property ID and keep this for later updates
  • Automatic Updates: Once a property is linked, Sprout will periodically refresh the valuation, tracking changes in your home equity over time without any manual input.

Plaid

Plaid is one of the most widely used financial data aggregators in the world. It provides high-fidelity connections to over 12,000 financial institutions across North America and Europe, supporting everything from traditional bank accounts to credit cards and investment holdings.

Self-Hosting Configuration

To use Plaid with your self-hosted instance of Sprout, you must provide your own API credentials. This ensures your financial data remains private to your server.

Security Warning

Never share your Plaid Client ID or Secret. These keys grant access to your financial integrations. If you are using version control (like GitHub) to manage your Sprout deployment, ensure these variables are stored in a secure .env file or as encrypted secrets.

Variable Description
sprout_providers_plaid_clientId Your unique Plaid Client ID found in the dashboard.
sprout_providers_plaid_secret Your Plaid Secret key (Sandbox, Development, or Production).

Setup Instructions

Follow these steps to get your credentials and connect your first account:

  1. Create a Plaid Developer Account
    • Go to the Plaid Dashboard and create an account.
    • Complete the initial onboarding profile to gain access to the Sandbox environment.
    • Elevate your account by acquiring production access. This will be required for you to use real data, as often as you want.
  2. Add support for apps
    • If you intend on using the Sprout app, go to Developers -> API.
    • Select Allowed Android package names, select configure.
    • Enter the name sprout.croudebush.net. Click submit.
  3. Get Your API Keys
    • Navigate to Team Settings > Keys.
    • Copy your Client ID.
    • Under Secrets, reveal and copy the secret that matches your intended environment. You'll probably want production.
  4. Configure Sprout
    • Add the copied keys to your environment variables sprout_providers_plaid_clientId and sprout_providers_plaid_secret.
    • Restart your Sprout server to apply the changes.
  5. Link Your Accounts
    • In the Sprout app, go to Add Account and select Plaid.
    • Use the secure Plaid Link UI to log in to your bank.

Why Choose Plaid?

  • Industry Standard: Most major US banks have "OAuth" integrations with Plaid, meaning you often don't have to share your bank password with Plaid at all—you simply authorize Sprout through your bank's own website.