VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing Firefly III and QuantConnect will find that Both Firefly III and QuantConnect concentrate on APIs & SDKs workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Firefly III leans into Portfolio, Webhooks, and Other, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. QuantConnect stands out with Quant, Backtesting, and Paper Trading that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
Firefly III vs QuantConnect
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- Firefly III adds Portfolio, Webhooks, and Other coverage that QuantConnect skips.
- QuantConnect includes Quant, Backtesting, Paper Trading, Auto-Trading & Bots, and Options & Derivatives categories that Firefly III omits.
- Firefly III highlights: Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license)., Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting., and Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification..
- QuantConnect is known for: Seamless environment that connects research, backtests, and live trading on institutional-grade co-located servers., Powered by the open-source LEAN engine (Python 3.11 and C#), with the flexibility to run locally or in the cloud., and Multi-asset coverage across equities, ETFs, options, futures, FX, and crypto, with a long list of broker and data integrations including Interactive Brokers, Schwab, TradeStation, Tastytrade, Alpaca, OANDA, Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, and Bloomberg EMSX..
Firefly III
firefly-iii.org
An open-source, self-hosted personal finance manager licensed under AGPLv3. Offers full double-entry bookkeeping, REST APIs, and optional event webhooks. Exchange-rate conversion is available from v6.2 onward as an opt-in feature. Bank connections are handled separately through the Firefly Data Importer app.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license).
- Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting.
- Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification.
- Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration.
- Separate Data Importer tool supports CSV and CAMT.053, with optional bank integrations via Salt Edge, GoCardless, and SimpleFIN.
QuantConnect
quantconnect.com
QuantConnect runs on the open-source LEAN engine, giving quants and systematic traders a unified workflow from research to backtesting to live deployment. You can run everything locally or in the cloud. Historical data down to tick and second resolution is available on paid tiers, and live-trading notifications scale by plan (from a handful per hour to thousands). Some broker and data feeds—like Trading Technologies futures or premium vendors—are only unlocked at higher tiers.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Seamless environment that connects research, backtests, and live trading on institutional-grade co-located servers.
- Powered by the open-source LEAN engine (Python 3.11 and C#), with the flexibility to run locally or in the cloud.
- Multi-asset coverage across equities, ETFs, options, futures, FX, and crypto, with a long list of broker and data integrations including Interactive Brokers, Schwab, TradeStation, Tastytrade, Alpaca, OANDA, Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, and Bloomberg EMSX.
- Robust options support with Greeks, implied volatility, and helpers for building multi-leg strategies such as iron condors.
- Generates detailed backtest reports you can download as PDFs and raw results exportable as CSV or JSON.
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
Firefly III
Distinct strengths include:
- Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license).
- Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting.
- Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification.
- Event webhooks for transaction create/update/delete, enabled through environment configuration.
QuantConnect
Distinct strengths include:
- Seamless environment that connects research, backtests, and live trading on institutional-grade co-located servers.
- Powered by the open-source LEAN engine (Python 3.11 and C#), with the flexibility to run locally or in the cloud.
- Multi-asset coverage across equities, ETFs, options, futures, FX, and crypto, with a long list of broker and data integrations including Interactive Brokers, Schwab, TradeStation, Tastytrade, Alpaca, OANDA, Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, and Bloomberg EMSX.
- Robust options support with Greeks, implied volatility, and helpers for building multi-leg strategies such as iron condors.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Firefly III | QuantConnect |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: Portfolio, Webhooks, Other | Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: Quant, Backtesting, Paper Trading, Auto-Trading & Bots, Options & Derivatives |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Other | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Currencies, Cryptos |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, API | Web, Desktop, API |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free, Subscription |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Firefly III and QuantConnect both support?
Both platforms cover APIs & SDKs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Firefly III and QuantConnect require subscriptions?
Both Firefly III and QuantConnect keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access Firefly III and QuantConnect?
Both Firefly III and QuantConnect prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
Firefly III differentiates itself with Self-hosted open-source personal finance manager (AGPLv3 license)., Supports double-entry bookkeeping with budgets, categories, tags, and detailed reporting., and Comprehensive REST API (JSON) with OAuth2 and Personal Access Tokens, plus a full OpenAPI specification., whereas QuantConnect stands out for Seamless environment that connects research, backtests, and live trading on institutional-grade co-located servers., Powered by the open-source LEAN engine (Python 3.11 and C#), with the flexibility to run locally or in the cloud., and Multi-asset coverage across equities, ETFs, options, futures, FX, and crypto, with a long list of broker and data integrations including Interactive Brokers, Schwab, TradeStation, Tastytrade, Alpaca, OANDA, Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, and Bloomberg EMSX..
Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.