Practical overview
When it fits
Use Ticker when a terminal-based view of market quotes or configured portfolio positions fits your workflow, especially when you want watchlists and position lots together.
Who it is for
- People who want stock or cryptocurrency quotes in a terminal watchlist.
- Investors tracking position quantities, values and cost basis across one or more lots.
- Users who want to monitor derivatives prices alongside other market symbols.
Documented uses
- Watch selected stock and cryptocurrency quotes with a configurable refresh interval.
- Track stock positions and view quantity, average cost, weight and value changes.
- Record multiple cost-basis lots for the same symbol.
- Compare quotes using sorting, display options and grouped watchlists.
Requirements & limits
- Ticker is a CLI application rather than a browser-based portfolio interface.
- A watchlist can be provided on the command line; YAML configuration adds recurring watchlists, display settings, groups and position lots.
- The README documents installation options for Homebrew, Linux, Windows, Docker and Snap, plus precompiled binaries.
- Market symbols and sources vary: the README gives examples using Yahoo for Bitcoin and Coinbase for Solana and a Bitcoin futures contract.
- The default refresh interval is five seconds, and quote tags can show quote delay.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Start a terminal watchlist
Install Ticker and open a quote view for selected symbols.
Before you start
- A supported installation route, such as Homebrew or a precompiled release binary.
- Symbols to include in the watchlist.
Steps
Install Ticker using the documented Homebrew command or obtain a precompiled binary from the releases page and place it in PATH.
Run
ticker -w NET,AAPL,TSLA, replacing the example symbols with the symbols to watch.
Expected outcome
Ticker displays the requested symbols in a terminal watchlist; the documented refresh interval defaults to five seconds.
Guide limitations
- The example symbols are illustrative; quote coverage depends on supported market symbols and data sources.
- The README notes that quote tags can display quote delay.
Configure portfolio lots for position tracking
Add position quantities and cost basis to a Ticker configuration file.
Before you start
- Ticker installed.
- A YAML configuration file at a documented configuration location, such as
~/.ticker.yaml. - Each position's symbol, quantity and unit cost.
Steps
Create a YAML configuration with a
lotslist containing each position'ssymbol,quantityandunit_cost.Add multiple entries for the same symbol to represent multiple cost-basis lots; include
fixed_costwhere relevant.Enable position display with
show-positions: trueor the--show-positionsoption.
Expected outcome
Ticker can show positions with quantity, average cost and weight, and use configured lots to calculate total gain or loss.
Guide limitations
- Configuration is optional for watching quotes but needed to supply the documented cost-basis lots.
- The README describes negative quantities as usable for netting, short positions, borrowed assets and other concepts; interpretation depends on the user's position records.
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 14 October 2026
- Original website title
- achannarasappa/ticker · Official homepage title · retained in its source language