Ticker is a free, open-source terminal application that shows live stock and cryptocurrency prices and calculates the current value of your positions. It is built for developers, traders and tinkerers who prefer working in a console window over a browser or a heavy desktop app.
Because it runs in the terminal, Ticker stays light on system resources and can sit in a corner of your screen while you work. You list the symbols you care about, and the program refreshes quotes and totals in one compact view. The project is distributed under the GPL-3.0 license, so the source code is open for inspection and modification.
What Is a Terminal Portfolio Tracker?
A terminal portfolio tracker is a program that runs inside a command-line window and displays market data as text. Instead of graphical charts and menus, you get compact tables that refresh automatically. Many developers and power users prefer this format because it fits into their existing workflow and can be left running in the background.
Ticker belongs to this category. It focuses on the essentials: current prices, the value of what you hold, and how that value changes. Because there is no browser involved, it avoids the clutter of advertising and tracking widgets that many finance websites display.
Who Ticker Is For
Ticker suits people who already spend much of their day in a terminal. Software engineers who like to keep market data visible while they code, system administrators who manage servers and want a quick view without opening a browser, and hobby investors who prefer simple, focused tools are the most natural audience.
It is less suited to users who want advanced charting, technical indicators or built-in trading. The program is a tracker, not a brokerage client, and it does not place orders. If you want deep chart analysis, a dedicated charting platform will serve you better.
Practical Use Cases
One common scenario is a small personal portfolio of a few stocks and a couple of cryptocurrencies. You enter your holdings once, leave the program open in a corner window, and check the total value whenever you like. Because you can record several purchase lots, you can also see whether a particular buy has gained or lost value since you made it.
Another scenario is following after-hours news. When a company reports earnings in the evening, the pre and post market quotes let you see how the price reacts before the next trading session opens. For someone tracking both stocks and crypto around the clock, having everything in one terminal screen saves time.
How Terminal Trackers Calculate Portfolio Value
The basic calculation is simple: the number of units you hold multiplied by the latest price gives the current market value. Cost basis is the price you paid, including the purchase amount for each lot. The difference between the two shows your unrealized gain or loss.
When you hold several lots of the same asset bought at different times, the average cost can differ noticeably from any single purchase price. Tracking lots separately gives a clearer picture of which purchases are performing well. Keep in mind that these figures are estimates based on the prices the program receives, not an official statement from a broker or exchange.
Is Ticker Reliable for Everyday Monitoring?
For everyday monitoring, reliability depends on the quality of the market data feed and your own setup. Quotes shown in a terminal are informational. Prices can lag slightly behind the exchange, and a temporary network problem can delay updates. Treat the figures as a convenient overview and check official sources before making important financial decisions.
Because the project is open source, anyone can review how the program fetches and processes data. That transparency is one of the reasons many technically minded users choose tools like this over closed applications.
Key features
Live stock and crypto quotes
Position value tracking
Multiple cost basis lots
Pre and post market prices
Supported coins
Ticker covers traditional stocks and cryptocurrencies. The project documentation mentions Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana (SOL) as examples of supported crypto assets, and the program is designed to handle equity symbols alongside them in the same view.
How to install Ticker on Windows
PS> winget install achannarasappa.ticker- 1
Open a terminal
Open Windows Terminal, PowerShell or Command Prompt. Winget is included in current versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, so no extra package manager is needed.
- 2
Install with winget
Run the command winget install achannarasappa.ticker. Winget downloads the package from its repository and installs it. Accept any prompts that appear during installation.
- 3
Verify the installation
After the installation finishes, open a new terminal window so the updated system path is loaded, then run ticker to confirm that the program starts correctly.
-
Download from the official source if needed
If you prefer a manual install, download the release files only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page linked on the project page. Check the file before running it, as described in the safety section.
System requirements
- Windows with winget available (Windows 10 or Windows 11)
- A terminal that displays Unicode characters correctly
- A font with support for the HORIZONTAL LINE SEPARATOR Unicode character, needed if you use the --show-separator option
How to use Ticker
Ticker is controlled from the command line, so the first session is mostly about entering your symbols and holdings. Once you have set up a watchlist, the program keeps refreshing the view on its own.
A typical first session looks like this:
- Open a terminal and launch the program by typing ticker.
- Add the stock and crypto symbols you want to follow. Use the symbol format the data source expects for each asset.
- Enter the number of units you hold for each position, along with the purchase price if you want to see gains or losses.
- If you bought the same asset in several rounds, record each purchase as a separate lot so the cost basis stays accurate.
- Turn on the separator option if your terminal font supports it, which makes the layout easier to read.
- Leave the window open in a corner of the screen and check the totals when you need them.
- Review the configuration options in the documentation to adjust the refresh behavior and display details to your taste.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license
- Covers both stocks and cryptocurrencies in one view
- Lightweight and runs comfortably in a terminal window
- Supports multiple cost basis lots for the same asset
- Shows pre and post market prices for stocks
- Simple installation through winget
- Requires comfort with the command line
- No built-in charting or technical analysis tools
- Does not place trades or connect to brokerage accounts
- Display quality depends on the terminal font and Unicode support
- Interface is minimal, which some users may find limiting
Is Ticker safe?
Ticker does not handle private keys or wallet funds, but it is still software you run on your computer, so basic precautions apply. Download the program only from the official GitHub repository or through winget, which installs from its trusted package repository. If you download a release file manually, compare its SHA-256 checksum with the value published on the release page before running it. If a checksum or signature is not published, be cautious about the file.
Never enter exchange passwords, API keys with trading permissions, or seed phrases into any tracker. A portfolio viewer needs only the symbols and quantities you choose to enter. Keep your antivirus software enabled and treat any unofficial mirror or modified build with suspicion.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/achannarasappa. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Ticker sits in the same family as other terminal and personal finance tools, but its focus is narrow: live quotes and the value of your positions. Cointop is another terminal tracker for crypto prices and portfolio, so the two overlap most for cryptocurrency users. If you need double-entry bookkeeping or tax reporting rather than quick price checks, tools such as Hledger or Raccoin are built for that purpose. Rotki is a local portfolio and tax tracker with a broader feature set. Ticker's strength is its simplicity and its handling of stocks alongside crypto in a lightweight terminal view, which many users find more practical for everyday monitoring.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Latest version
- 5.3.0
- Last update
- 28 Jun 2026
- Windows support
- Yes (available via winget)
- Official site
- github.com/achannarasappa
- Source code
- github.com/achannarasappa/ticker
- Install command
- winget install achannarasappa.ticker
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Ticker is free and distributed under the GPL-3.0 open source license. You can install it, use it and inspect its source code without paying for a license.
Open a terminal and run winget install achannarasappa.ticker. Winget downloads and installs the program automatically. Afterward, open a new terminal window and type ticker to start it.
Yes. Ticker shows live quotes for stocks and cryptocurrencies in the same view. The documentation mentions Bitcoin and Solana among the supported crypto assets, alongside traditional equities.
Yes. The program supports multiple cost basis lots, so you can record each purchase separately. This lets you see how each lot performs and gives a more accurate average cost.
Yes. For stocks, Ticker can display pre market and post market quotes, which helps you follow price moves before the market opens and after it closes.
No. Ticker is a viewer, not a trading platform. It displays prices and calculates the value of positions you enter, but it does not execute orders or access brokerage accounts.
Some separator characters need a font that includes the HORIZONTAL LINE SEPARATOR Unicode character. If lines look broken, switch to a font with broader Unicode support or avoid the separator option.
Ticker works with symbols and quantities you enter, and it does not require exchange passwords or seed phrases. Install it from the official source, verify downloads, and avoid entering any sensitive account credentials.
Verdict
Ticker is a practical choice for people who want a fast, free view of their stock and crypto positions from the Windows command line. It is open source, easy to install with winget, and does not ask for access to your accounts. It is not a charting platform or a trading tool, so traders who need analysis features should look elsewhere. For developers and terminal users who want a clean, always-visible portfolio summary, it is a strong option. Check the official repository for the latest release before you install.