Free stock apps for Mac

Many “free” stock apps for macOS are free to download and then ask for a subscription. These are the ones that are free for real, plus one whose free tier is usable, with exactly what you get without paying.

Facts checked on from each app's US Mac App Store listing.

1. StockDock

Simone Ruggiero (open source, MIT) · Free on GitHub and Homebrew

Free with every feature: ticker, portfolios, alerts

No paid tier at all: live prices, extended hours, multiple portfolios with P&L, price alerts, Discord and Slack webhooks, a desktop window with charts and news. Open source under MIT, so you can read the code.

Price
Free, open source (MIT). No paid tier, no subscription.
Download StockDock More about StockDock

2. Stocks (Apple)

Apple · Built into macOS

Already on your Mac, if a window is enough

Apple's built-in app: watchlists in the sidebar, interactive charts with historical data, and business news.

Price
Free, included with macOS.
Good to know
It opens as a regular app window: there is no ticker in the menu bar.
Apple's user guide →

3. Stox – Menu Bar Stocks

昊 吴 (open source, GPL-3.0) · Not enough ratings on the US Mac App Store to show an average

Free and open source, built around Chinese and Hong Kong markets

Quotes in the menu bar for China A-shares, Hong Kong and US stocks, indices, ETFs, funds, futures, metals and FX, with charts, holdings, dividends, alerts and iCloud sync across your Macs.

Price
Free, no in-app purchases listed. Open source under GPL-3.0.
Good to know
Per the listing, quotes come from Tencent Finance and Sina Finance; Hong Kong quotes are delayed by about 15 minutes and others may be delayed too.
Mac App Store listing →

4. Stock Ticker

Almost Good Enough ApS · Not enough ratings on the US Mac App Store to show an average

Free and simple, several tickers at once

Tickers from NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX, Euronext, TSX, indexes and forex in the menu bar, with 8 ways of presenting them. All the stocks you pick are shown at the same time.

Price
Free, no in-app purchases listed.
Good to know
The listing says it is not a real-time ticker (quotes update every 60 seconds) and not a portfolio manager.
Mac App Store listing →

5. Uptick - Stock Ticker

Gloop Labs, LLC · Not enough ratings on the US Mac App Store to show an average

Free for up to 3 symbols

Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and market indices in the menu bar, rotating through your watchlist. Free tracks up to 3 symbols; Pro adds up to 100 symbols, minute-by-minute updates, alerts and positions.

Price
Free download; Uptick Pro in-app purchases listed as Monthly Access $2.99 and Yearly Access $19.99, with a 7-day free trial.
Good to know
Per the listing, real-time and intraday prices are for U.S. stocks only; international symbols show end-of-day prices.
Mac App Store listing →

How to choose

If you only check prices now and then, Apple's Stocks app is already installed. If you want them always visible, you need a menu bar app: StockDock, Stox and Stock Ticker cost nothing and have no paid tier listed. Uptick's free version is a good fit only for 3 symbols or fewer; positions and alerts are Pro.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free stock ticker for the Mac menu bar?

Yes. StockDock, Stox and Stock Ticker are free with no paid tier listed. Uptick is free for up to 3 symbols.

Is StockDock really free?

Yes. It's open source under the MIT license, with no paid tier, no subscription, no account and no ads.

Does Apple's Stocks app work on the Mac?

Yes, it's built into macOS, with watchlists, charts and business news. It runs in a window, not in the menu bar.

Which free Mac stock app tracks a portfolio?

StockDock (multiple portfolios with average cost, P&L, short positions and multi-currency totals) and Stox (holdings, buys, sells and dividends).

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