I used to live inside a monster Excel file.
Fourteen worksheets. Manual price updates every Monday. A custom VBA script that broke whenever my bank changed its export format. I told myself this was the only way to get real numbers – not the sanitised, marketing-friendly returns that brokers show you.
Then I spent three months testing every halfway‑decent portfolio tracker I could find. The goal was simple: automated daily prices, support for crypto and bonds, accurate time‑weighted returns, and zero chance of me fat‑fingering a dividend entry.
Here are the five tools that survived. They range from completely free to “expensive but worth it for serious investors”. Each solved a specific problem that my spreadsheet never could.
1. Ghostfolio – best for open‑source privacy
Free self‑hosted / cloud from ~$8/month
Ghostfolio is the surprise of the bunch. It’s a clean, privacy‑first portfolio tracker that you can run on your own server (or pay them to host). The interface looks like a modern banking app, but underneath it supports stocks, ETFs, crypto, and even cash accounts.
What I love: the “static analysis” feature that tells you if you’re overexposed to a single sector or currency. It also calculates your real annualised return (including dividends) without asking for API keys to your broker – you can import CSV files or use public market data. For someone who values data ownership, this is the only logical choice.
Downside: setting up the self‑hosted version requires Docker knowledge. The cloud version is easier but costs a small monthly fee.
2. Portfolio Performance – the analyst’s dream
Free / open‑source (desktop only)
If Ghostfolio is the minimal‑ist, Portfolio Performance is the opposite. It’s a Java‑based desktop application that looks intimidating at first – because it is. But under that 1990s interface hides the most accurate return calculator I have ever used.
It supports FIFO, LIFO, and tax‑optimised sales. It handles corporate actions (splits, mergers, spin‑offs) correctly. And it generates reports that would make a CFA weep with joy. I use it once a quarter for a full audit of my real performance, ignoring the “personal rate of return” that my brokers show (which is usually inflated).
Not for beginners. But for serious investors who want to know exactly how much money they’ve made – down to the last cent – this is the gold standard.
3. Getquin – social + solid analytics
Free tier / Pro ~$5/month
Getquin started as a European social network for investors (think “Instagram for portfolios”), but its tracking engine has become surprisingly good. You connect your brokers via an API (they use a third‑party aggregator called Plaid for US brokers), and it automatically pulls your transactions and positions.
The analytics are not as deep as Portfolio Performance, but they are more than enough for 95% of investors: daily P&L, asset allocation, dividend calendar, and a clean mobile app. The social aspect is optional – you can keep everything private. I recommend it to friends who want a “set and forget” tracker without manual data entry.
Caveat: the free tier only shows 12 months of history. The paid tier is cheap and unlocks all data.
4. Sharesight – the king of tax reporting
Free (up to 10 holdings) / Paid from ~$15/month
Sharesight has been around for over a decade, and it shows. The interface is dated, but the reporting engine is unmatched. It supports dozens of stock exchanges worldwide, handles currency conversion for international holdings, and generates tax reports for multiple countries (including the US, UK, Australia, and Canada).
During tax season, I export a single PDF from Sharesight and hand it to my accountant. It includes capital gains, dividend income, and foreign tax credits. No manual calculation needed. If you hold international stocks or have more than a handful of positions, the paid plan pays for itself in time saved.
The free tier allows up to 10 holdings with manual price updates – but the real value is in automatic brokerage feeds and tax reports, which require a subscription.
5. R2 + Worker (what this site uses) – the DIY path
Free (up to 10 GB of data)
Full disclosure: this website’s comparison tool is itself a mini‑portfolio tracker. Under the hood, it pulls daily prices from Yahoo Finance and FRED, stores them in Cloudflare R2, and serves them via a Worker. The source code is open and you can adapt it for your own portfolio.
Why would you go this route? Because you own your data completely. No third party sees your holdings. You can add any asset that Yahoo or FRED tracks – weird ETFs, crypto, even old‑school mutual funds. And the cost is zero for most users (Cloudflare’s free tier is generous).
The trade‑off: you need basic coding skills (or a helpful AI). The interface is a chart and a table – not a full accounting system. But for tracking total return and risk across a few dozen assets, it’s surprisingly effective.
How to choose – a decision matrix
Instead of a long conclusion, here’s a simple cheat sheet based on what you value most:
- “I want privacy and I can code” → Ghostfolio (self‑hosted) or build your own with R2.
- “I want the most accurate return calculation possible” → Portfolio Performance (desktop, free).
- “I hate manual data entry” → Getquin (auto‑sync via broker API).
- “Tax season gives me anxiety” → Sharesight (best‑in‑class tax reports).
- “I just want a free, simple web dashboard” → This website’s tool is enough for basic return comparisons.
All five tools are better than a broken spreadsheet. Pick one, import your history, and you’ll finally see the truth about your investment performance – the good, the bad, and the volatile.
Disclosure: I have no affiliation with any of these tools. This is not financial advice. Always do your own research before trusting any software with your financial data.