The Three Platforms
"Open-source portfolio tracker" usually means one of two projects. It helps to be clear about what each actually is, because they solve the problem very differently.
Ghostfolio
A self-hosted web app you run on your own server via Docker. Open-source, privacy-first, with a clean dashboard and allocation charts. There is also a low-cost hosted "Premium" option run by the maintainer.
Portfolio Performance
A free, open-source desktop application (Windows, macOS, Linux). Famous for extremely detailed TWR/MWR performance analytics and a strong German investor community.
AllInvestView
ManagedA hosted, cloud-based tracker covering stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, crypto, and real estate. Automatic broker sync, tax reports for 14+ countries, QuantLib bond math, options Greeks, an AI assistant, and human support—with nothing to install or maintain.
Where Open Source Genuinely Wins
Let us start with the honest part: there are real reasons to choose an open-source tracker, and no subscription product can match them on their own terms.
- Cost. Ghostfolio self-hosted and Portfolio Performance are free. If your holdings are simple and your time is cheap, that is unbeatable. AllInvestView is a paid service—we are not going to claim otherwise.
- Privacy and data control. Self-hosted Ghostfolio keeps your financial data entirely on hardware you own. Portfolio Performance stores everything in a local file on your machine. Nothing leaves your control. That is the strongest privacy posture there is.
- No vendor lock-in. The code is open and the data lives in a database or file you own. A company changing its pricing, getting acquired, or shutting down cannot strand your data.
- Auditability. The source is public. If you want to read exactly how a return figure is calculated—or fix it—you can.
- Longevity. An actively maintained open-source project cannot be "sunset" out from under you the way a commercial product can.
Straight answer: If self-hosting or a zero running cost is a hard requirement for you, stop reading and go install Ghostfolio or Portfolio Performance. They are good software and they are free. The rest of this page is for people weighing that against the time and breadth a managed platform buys back.
A Closer Look at Ghostfolio
Strengths
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- Your data stays on your own server
- Clean, modern dashboard and allocation views
- Active developer community and regular releases
- Free forever when self-hosted
Trade-offs
- You run the server: Docker, a database, and updates are on you
- No automatic broker sync—holdings are entered or imported manually
- No multi-country tax reports
- No options analytics; limited fixed-income support
- Community support only—no support desk to email
A Closer Look at Portfolio Performance
Strengths
- Free and open-source, no feature gates
- Exceptionally deep TWR/MWR performance analytics
- Highly customizable dashboards and data providers
- Strong German community and Vorabpauschale support
- Data stored locally in a file you own
Trade-offs
- Desktop-only—no phone or tablet access, no sync across machines
- Manual data entry and CSV imports; no live broker connections
- Steep learning curve for newcomers
- No options analytics; bonds treated as generic holdings
- Tax coverage centred on Germany rather than many jurisdictions
Where a Managed Platform Wins
AllInvestView's job is to remove the operational work and widen the coverage. None of this beats "free," but for a lot of investors the time saved is worth more than the subscription.
- Zero setup and maintenance. No Docker, no server, no database backups, no version upgrades. You sign in and it works—on desktop, tablet, or phone.
- Automatic broker sync. Connect 30+ brokers through SnapTrade—Interactive Brokers, Schwab, Fidelity, Questrade, Wealthsimple, and more—and positions refresh overnight. Both open-source tools rely on manual entry or CSV imports.
- Multi-country tax reports. Capital-gains and dividend reports for 14+ jurisdictions, with FIFO, LIFO, average-cost, and specific-identification basis methods. Ghostfolio has none; Portfolio Performance is centred on German rules.
- Fixed income done properly. QuantLib-powered yield-to-maturity, duration, and coupon schedules—not bonds shoehorned in as generic holdings.
- Options with Greeks. Track calls, puts, and multi-leg strategies with Delta, Gamma, Theta, and Vega. Neither open-source tool covers options.
- AI assistant and support. Ask natural-language questions about your holdings, and reach a real person when something breaks.
The honest framing: This is a convenience-and-breadth purchase, not a price win. You are paying to skip server administration and manual data entry, and to get bonds, options, and cross-border tax reports in one place.
Asset Class Depth
Stocks and ETFs
All three handle equities and funds well. The difference is how the data arrives: Ghostfolio and Portfolio Performance expect manual entry or CSV; AllInvestView adds automatic broker sync and AI-assisted CSV import that maps columns for you.
Bonds
Open source: Portfolio Performance treats bonds as generic holdings; Ghostfolio's fixed-income support is limited. AllInvestView: a dedicated bond module with yield-to-maturity, duration, and coupon tracking via QuantLib.
Options
Open source: not supported by either. AllInvestView: full options tracking with Greeks and strategy recognition.
Crypto
Open source: Ghostfolio tracks crypto; Portfolio Performance can with manual setup. AllInvestView: crypto tracked alongside every other asset in one unified portfolio.
Tax Reporting
This is the clearest divide. If you invest across borders, or simply want a report you can hand to an accountant, open source will make you do the work yourself—except in Germany, where Portfolio Performance is excellent.
- Ghostfolio: no built-in tax reports.
- Portfolio Performance: strong for German investors (including Vorabpauschale), less so elsewhere.
- AllInvestView: capital-gains and dividend reports for the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and more, with configurable cost-basis methods and PDF/Excel/CSV output.
Feature Grid
| Capability | Ghostfolio | Portfolio Performance | AllInvestView |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free / self-hosted | |||
| No setup or maintenance | |||
| Access from any device | |||
| Automatic broker sync | |||
| Bond yield analytics | |||
| Options with Greeks | |||
| Crypto tracking | |||
| Multi-country tax reports | |||
| German Vorabpauschale | |||
| Deep TWR/MWR analytics | |||
| AI assistant | |||
| Full privacy / self-hosting | |||
| Human support desk |
The Real Cost Comparison
Sticker price is easy: Ghostfolio self-hosted and Portfolio Performance are free; AllInvestView starts at $6.99/month, with the Advanced tier at $11.99/month billed annually and a one-time Lifetime Deal at $497 for permanent Advanced access. Every paid plan includes a 14-day free trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
The honest comparison is total cost of ownership, and it depends entirely on how you value your time:
- Ghostfolio (self-hosted): $0 in software, plus a small monthly server bill and the hours you spend on setup, updates, and the occasional broken deployment.
- Portfolio Performance: $0, plus the time spent entering and reconciling transactions by hand, and the limitation of desktop-only access.
- AllInvestView: a subscription (or one-time Lifetime), in exchange for zero maintenance, automatic broker sync, and reports you would otherwise build yourself.
No spin: If your portfolio is a handful of stocks and you enjoy self-hosting, open source will cost you less overall. AllInvestView pays off when your time is scarce, your holdings span bonds, options, or multiple countries, or you simply do not want to run a server.
Try the Managed Route Risk-Free
Import your holdings, connect a broker, and see whether skipping the server admin is worth it—with a 14-day free trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee, even after the trial ends.
Which Should You Pick?
Choose an open-source tracker when:
- Self-hosting or a zero running cost is a firm requirement
- Privacy and full data ownership outrank convenience
- You are comfortable with Docker, a database, or manual data entry
- Your holdings are mostly stocks, ETFs, and crypto
- (Portfolio Performance) you invest from Germany and want Vorabpauschale support and deep return analytics
Choose AllInvestView when:
- You would rather not run or maintain any software
- You want automatic broker sync instead of manual imports
- You hold bonds or options and need real analytics for them
- Your portfolio spans multiple countries and you need tax reports for each
- You value phone and tablet access, an AI assistant, and human support
Questions Answered
Is an open-source portfolio tracker really free?
Yes. Ghostfolio is free when self-hosted and Portfolio Performance is a free desktop app. The cost is your time—server maintenance for Ghostfolio, or manual entry and desktop-only access for Portfolio Performance. AllInvestView is a paid managed service that removes that work.
Why pay for AllInvestView over a free open-source tool?
Not because it is cheaper—it is not. You are paying for zero setup and maintenance, automatic broker sync, tax reports for 14+ countries, bond and options analytics, cloud access from any device, an AI assistant, and human support.
Which is best for privacy?
Self-hosted Ghostfolio, without question—your data never leaves your server. AllInvestView encrypts data and never sells it, but it is a hosted service. If self-hosting is a hard requirement, choose open source.
Can I get my data out of AllInvestView later?
Yes. You can export holdings and transactions to CSV and Excel at any time. Open-source tools give you direct database or file access instead, which is stronger control but needs technical skill.
Do any of these handle options and bonds?
Neither open-source tool offers options analytics. Portfolio Performance treats bonds as generic holdings and Ghostfolio's fixed-income support is limited. AllInvestView includes QuantLib bond math and full options tracking with Greeks.
I invest from Germany—which is best?
Portfolio Performance is excellent for German investors, with Vorabpauschale support and deep return analytics, and it is free. Consider AllInvestView if you also want broker sync, options, bonds, or tax reports beyond Germany.
Read the Individual Comparisons
Prefer a one-on-one breakdown? Each of these goes deeper on a single tracker:
