★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Tool Comparison · Saturday, June 13, 2026
IBorrowDesk vs Portfolio Performance
Trying to decide between IBorrowDesk and Portfolio Performance? Here's how they compare on pricing, features, and platforms — and which one fits the way you invest.
IBorrowDesk
Best for short interest and alerts
Tracks stock-loan availability and borrow fee data as reported by Interactive Brokers (IBKR). Updates roughly every 15 minutes during North American trading hours and hourly elsewhere on weekdays. The data reflects IBKR only and not the wider market. The site is unaffiliated with IBKR; displayed quotes are provided by IEX. A paid Patron tier adds longer history, CSV exports, and more tracking capacity.
Portfolio Performance
Best for portfolio and data visualizations
Open-source desktop portfolio tracking + performance analytics tool (TTWROR/IRR), storing data locally (XML; optional binary or AES-256 encrypted .portfolio). Optional mobile companion app is currently read-only; Premium subscription unlocks dashboards. Optional historical market-data service requires login/account.
Outbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
The verdict
The bottom line: The real difference is focus: only IBorrowDesk gives you short interest and alerts, and only Portfolio Performance gives you portfolio and data visualizations. On paper they're closely matched, so let pricing, platform fit, and the details below break the tie.
Key differences at a glance
Free plan
Both
Both have one
Broader coverage
Portfolio Performance
5 vs 3 categories
Mobile app
Portfolio Performance
Portfolio Performance only
Desktop app
Portfolio Performance
Portfolio Performance only
Beginner friendly
IBorrowDesk
IBorrowDesk only
Choose
IBorrowDesk if…
- You care about short interest and alerts — things Portfolio Performance doesn't offer
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Choose
Portfolio Performance if…
- You care about portfolio, data visualizations, and performance attribution — things IBorrowDesk doesn't offer
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
Consider alternatives if…
- You'd rather have one tool that does it all.
- Neither price feels right for what you'd get.
Comparison snapshot
Standout features
What IBorrowDesk does best
- Borrow fee percentages and shortable share availability, sourced directly from Interactive Brokers public datasets.
- Intraday refresh cadence: ~15 minutes during North American trading hours; hourly outside of them on weekdays.
- Per-ticker pages show recent borrow snapshots with timestamps, plus options to add tickers to a watchlist or set alerts.
- Patron plan ($10/month) unlocks 5+ years of history versus 1 year on free, enables CSV historical export, and expands watchlist capacity to ~50 securities.
- Scope limited to Interactive Brokers-availability and fees may differ across other brokers.
What Portfolio Performance does best
- Calculates overall portfolio performance using True-Time Weighted Rate of Return (TTWROR) or Internal Rate of Return (IRR).
- Records full transaction history (purchases, sales, taxes, fees) across accounts and securities accounts.
- Dashboards and reports with performance + risk indicators (e.g., max drawdown, volatility, semivariance) and charts/heat maps.
- Taxonomies for custom classification (allocation charts) and a rebalancing view that computes target vs. actual allocations and deltas.
- Downloads/updates historical prices from multiple quote sources (e.g., Portfolio Performance built-in provider, Yahoo Finance, JSON/CSV, etc.) and supports ECB FX rates for foreign-currency accounts.
Data & access details
| Attribute | IBorrowDesk | Portfolio Performance |
|---|---|---|
Asset types | StocksETFs | StocksETFsMutual FundsBondsCryptosCommoditiesOther |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAm | Not specified |
Data freshness | 15-min DelayedEnd of Day | End of Day |
API access | Not specified | Not specified |
Export formats | CSV | CSVJSONXML |
Seen enough? The fastest way to decide is to open both and poke around for five minutes.
Pricing breakdown
Tool
IBorrowDesk
$10/mo
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Tool
Portfolio Performance
—
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Coverage overlap
What you only get with Portfolio Performance.
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
Loading sentiment chart...
Still deciding? Get hands-on with both — most plans offer a free tier or trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between IBorrowDesk and Portfolio Performance?
IBorrowDesk leans toward short interest, watchlist, and alerts, while Portfolio Performance puts more weight on portfolio, watchlist, and data visualizations. They overlap in 1 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do IBorrowDesk and Portfolio Performance cost?
Good news — both IBorrowDesk and Portfolio Performance have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners—IBorrowDesk or Portfolio Performance?
IBorrowDesk is the friendlier place to start — its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Can I use IBorrowDesk or Portfolio Performance on my phone?
Portfolio Performance has a proper mobile app, so it travels better. IBorrowDesk is web-only — it'll load in a phone browser, but it's not the same experience.
Should I choose IBorrowDesk or Portfolio Performance?
It depends on what you're after. Pick IBorrowDesk if short interest and alerts matter to you; go with Portfolio Performance if you'd rather have portfolio and data visualizations. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do IBorrowDesk and Portfolio Performance cover?
Both cover stocks and ETFs. Portfolio Performance adds mutual funds, bonds, and cryptos on top.
Can I export data from IBorrowDesk and Portfolio Performance?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV) — handy if you like running your own numbers.
Can IBorrowDesk or Portfolio Performance connect to my broker?
Portfolio Performance syncs with brokers automatically. With IBorrowDesk, you're entering holdings by hand or importing files.
Can I track my portfolio with IBorrowDesk or Portfolio Performance?
Portfolio Performance handles portfolio tracking. IBorrowDesk is really a research tool — you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
Other tools you might like
These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.
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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.