Show HN: Wealthfolio 2.0- Open source investment tracker. Now Mobile and Docker

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

The three most prevalent themes in the Hacker News discussion about Wealthfolio are:

1. The Necessity and Obstacles of Automated Data Synchronization

A major point of discussion revolves around the reliance on manual CSV imports versus the desire for seamless, automated bank and broker synchronization, which many users see as a requirement for adoption.

Supporting Quote: Regarding manual import being a deal-breaker: "This is unfortunately going to be the deal breaker for wide adoption. Self hosting is great, but manually importing data from dozens of accounts every day and entering every single transaction as you make it is simply too much of a burden" ("paxys").
Supporting Quote: A user wanting automation, even if it means trusting an intermediary: "Automated transaction download is the killer feature. Unfortunately it depends on banks providing a way to do it." ("BrenBarn").

2. Strong Preference for Privacy and Local/Self-Hosted Solutions

Users expressed significant interest in the open-source, non-SaaS nature of the application, valuing the ability to keep sensitive financial data off third-party servers, even if it introduces friction like manual imports.

Supporting Quote: Explaining the core value proposition of local software: "Having options to: – Install a piece of software and run it locally, no subscription, no cloud – Have to right to use a nicer app instead of a spreadsheet – not hand over your banking creds." ("a-fadil").
Supporting Quote: Expressing the general sentiment regarding data exposure: "I love the idea of keeping my finances private while still having a useful tracker/planner." ("GoatOfAplomb").

3. Comparison with Established Alternatives (Especially YNAB/Actual Budget)

The discussion frequently benchmarked Wealthfolio against existing open-source or popular historical tools, indicating a strong existing user base knowledgeable about double-entry accounting and subscription fatigue.

Supporting Quote: A direct comparison expressing a preference for the open-source, local option: "I happily paid for v4 (one-time purchase), but was/am not willing to pay for v5 because (a) I don't like renting software, and (b) I have no need for syncing (which a subscription could justify to pay for ongoing server costs)." ("throw0101c"). (Referring to YNAB's transition from v4 to v5).
Supporting Quote: A user suggesting a direct open-source alternative: "ActualBudget is a pretty great YNAB alternative that is free and locally hosted." ("DarmokJalad1701").

🚀 Project Ideas

CSV Reconciliation and Correction Tool

Summary

A desktop utility designed to automatically detect discrepancies, flag potential errors (like duplicate entries, incorrect splits, or missing reference data), and suggest/apply corrections when importing financial data via CSV/manual entry.
Core value proposition: Reduces the manual validation and cleansing burden associated with CSV imports for self-hosted finance tools, addressing the complexity users face with manual reconciliation and data quality (e.g., stock splits, preliminary transactions).

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Users of self-hosted/manual-entry trackers (like Wealthfolio, Beancount, Actual Budget) who import bank/brokerage CSVs.
Core Feature	Automated parsing and intelligent rule-based correction/flagging of transactions against historical records or known financial events (like stock splits).
Tech Stack	Python (highly suitable for data processing, libraries like pandas) or TypeScript/Node.js (if integrating closely with existing web apps).
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: Directly addresses the pain point raised by mNovak ("Having trouble with stock splits -- Schwab simply reports the added shares, not the split ratio... I suspect this is also related to splits; possibly Yahoo finance retroactively applies the future split quantity on historic quotes.") and my (handling preliminary transactions that change upon final import).
Potential for discussion or practical utility: High, as reliable CSV import is often cited as the main barrier to adoption for manual systems. Could integrate community-built "parsing profiles" like those mentioned for Wealthfolio.

Customizable Brokerage Aggregation Plugin Framework

Project Title

Customizable Brokerage Aggregation Plugin Framework

Summary

A standardized open-source framework that allows developers (or advanced users) to easily write, share, and install non-SaaS, local-execution plugins specifically for brokerage/exchange data providers that lack broad API support (e.g., ETRADE, specialized retirement accounts).
Core value proposition: Democratizes automatic data syncing beyond mainstream aggregators (like Plaid), by focusing on the "harder" asset integrations often ignored by generalized services, while maintaining data custody.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Users with varied or complex holdings across numerous brokerages, crypto exchanges, or international banks that don't support standard APIs or provide messy CSVs.
Core Feature	A secure plugin architecture (sandboxed execution preferred) that provides helpers for common tasks like session management (even for complex auth flows like ETRADE's HTTP flow) and data normalization into a common schema.
Tech Stack	Rust or Go (for secure, fast plugin execution) with a clear, well-documented external API/protocol for the host application (e.g., WebAssembly or JSON-RPC).
Difficulty	High
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: Addresses the need for broker/exchange integration mentioned by many, especially concerning authentication complexity (nodesocket mentioned ETRADE's complex auth flow) and the desire for integration beyond standard banks (blackhaj7 asking if a Plaid plugin is possible).
Potential for discussion or practical utility: Excellent. This shifts the burden of writing complex integration logic from the main project developer to community contributors targeting specific institutions, solving the "Holy Grail" requirement of direct download without relying on centralized aggregators.

Inflation-Adjusted Historical Reporting Module

Project Title

Inflation-Adjusted Historical Reporting Module

Core Value Proposition

A specialized reporting engine capable of adjusting historical nominal figures (holdings value, purchase prices, spending) into current (or user-selected period's) real dollars, addressing purchasing power longevity of data.
Core value proposition: Provides sophisticated economic context for long-term review, turning static historical numbers into meaningful insights about real wealth growth.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Long-term investors, users tracking multi-decade portfolios, and those focused on retirement planning or historical spending analysis.
Core Feature	Integration with or ability to ingest local CPI/inflation data series and apply necessary multipliers during report generation or portfolio valuation queries (e.g., calculating the "real" return on a 2019 investment).
Tech Stack	JavaScript/TypeScript for UI integration; relies on established time-series data sources (e.g., FRED API for US data, or local static tables).
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: It tackles the philosophical question raised by jewel: "Does anyone account for inflation when looking at their long term history?" This adds a layer of maturity and economic rigor often missing in purely nominal trackers.
Potential for discussion or practical utility: Strong potential for discussion on financial philosophy and long-term decision-making. It provides a tangible feature that differentiates it from simpler tracking apps.