Show HN: Wealthfolio: Private, open-source investment tracker

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

An open‑source desktop app called Wealthfolio, designed for private, local‑only investment tracking, is drawing interest from users who are wary of cloud‑hosted finance tools and data‑harvesting business models. Commenters praise its polished UI, offline storage, and support for stocks and crypto, but many see manual CSV imports as a major barrier compared to services that integrate directly with banks and brokers via aggregators like Plaid. The exchange highlights a broader split between those satisfied with flexible spreadsheets and those seeking richer analytics and automation, alongside recurring concerns about security, regulation, and the long‑term viability of niche financial software.

Data import and account integration

  • App currently imports a single generic CSV format: Date, Symbol, Quantity, Activity Type, Unit Price, Currency, Fee; supports a fixed set of activity types (BUY, SELL, DIVIDEND, etc.).
  • Many users find manual CSV exports from multiple banks/brokers painful and a blocker to adoption; they want:
    • Broker-specific parsers (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc.).
    • PDF/OCR or screenshot-based statement import.
    • A plugin/transform layer so the community can add institution-specific converters.
  • No Plaid/Open Banking-style live connections; this is praised by privacy-focused users but a dealbreaker for others who rely on automatic aggregation.

Local storage, privacy, and sync

  • Strong appreciation for “local data, no cloud” for sensitive financial info; SQLite file on disk is seen as a plus.
  • Some want sync via user-controlled tools (Syncthing, Dropbox, iCloud) rather than a vendor service.
  • Clarification that this uses a desktop app, not browser localStorage; some debate over how much encryption and key management is appropriate for “local-first.”

Use cases vs spreadsheets and existing tools

  • Many commenters still favor spreadsheets (Excel/Google Sheets) for:
    • Flexibility, sharing with partners, and easy backups.
    • Ability to wrap scripts or Apps Script around them.
  • Others compare to existing OSS tools (Portfolio Performance, GnuCash, Beancount/Paisa) and commercial products (Mint replacement apps, Monarch, Empower, ProjectionLab, Rocket Money, etc.), often noting that those offer better automation or deeper accounting features.

Functionality, asset coverage, and UX

  • Uses Yahoo Finance APIs for quotes; in theory supports anything Yahoo lists, including some crypto and Canadian tickers.
  • Some users report unsupported symbols, CSV parsing issues (e.g., Schwab/Fidelity quirks), unclear dividend handling, lack of stock split support, and errors on simple BUY entries; several call it an MVP/buggy for serious tracking.
  • Others praise the polished UI, multi-currency handling (including CAD/RRSP), crypto support, and income dashboards.

Security, aggregators, and monetization

  • Long discussion on Plaid/Yodlee-style aggregators:
    • Pros: instant verification, automated imports, historical data.
    • Cons: credential sharing (when no OAuth), ToS issues, eventual breach risk, user-training against phishing.
  • Debate over whether open source is more or less vulnerable to supply-chain attacks; no consensus.
  • Monetization ideas raised (subscriptions, selling aggregated data, white-label to banks, one-time licenses); many argue that ads/data-selling would contradict the privacy/local-first ethos, and that a fair paid model is preferable if sustainability is needed.