rotki vs CoinTracking: open-source accounting without the cloud
CoinTracking is a long-running hosted crypto tax and reporting service with an extensive set of reports. rotki is the open-source, local-first alternative: comparable portfolio tracking, accounting, and tax reporting, but running on your own machine with your data kept local.
Updated June 2026Key takeaways
- CoinTracking is a mature, report-heavy hosted service; rotki is the local-first, open-source alternative.
- rotki keeps your data on your own machine; CoinTracking stores it in its cloud.
- CoinTracking offers a very wide range of pre-built reports; rotki does the core accounting locally and transparently.
- rotki has a free local tier and integrates with 180+ exchanges, blockchains, and DeFi protocols.
The verdict
CoinTracking has a deep, mature reporting set, but it runs as a hosted account that holds your full history on its servers. rotki keeps your data on your own computer, is fully open source, and still covers portfolio tracking, accounting, and tax reporting. If privacy and self-custody matter to you, rotki is the one to choose.
rotki vs CoinTracking: side by side
| rotki | CoinTracking | |
|---|---|---|
| Data storage | Local and encrypted on your own machine | Uploaded to and stored on the vendor cloud |
| Open source | Yes, fully auditable on GitHub | Closed-source |
| Data custody | Self-custodied; you keep your data | You hand your full history to the vendor |
| Breach blast radius | Your device only | Centralized; one vendor breach can affect many users |
| API keys and RPC | Your own read-only keys and endpoints, used locally | Keys and data processed on the vendor servers |
| Deployment | Desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, or self-hosted via Docker | Hosted web app, with a mobile app where offered |
| Free tier | Free local tier covers core tracking, accounting, and reporting (with limits) | Free tier is transaction-capped and largely view-only after a short trial; paid plans to import and report |
| Pricing model | Free, plus an optional subscription (Basic, Advanced, Custom) | Tiered plans, including longer-term and lifetime options |
| Reporting breadth | Core accounting and tax reports generated locally | Very wide range of pre-built reports and charts |
| On-chain decoding | Decodes on-chain activity into readable events with full PnL accounting | Cloud import and categorization; coverage varies |
What sets rotki apart
- Your transaction history never leaves your computer; rotki reads exchanges and chains directly with your own keys and endpoints.
- The entire application is open source and auditable, so you can verify exactly how your data is handled.
- Self-custodied data: there is no vendor account holding your full financial history.
- A free local tier covers core portfolio tracking, accounting, and tax reporting.
- On-chain activity is decoded into readable events, so your DeFi and wallet history is accounted for transparently.
Trade-offs
Running locally comes with real trade-offs. Here is what to know, and why we think it is worth it.
- rotki is a desktop app you run yourself rather than a hosted account in a browser. That is what keeps your data on your own machine instead of in a vendor's cloud, and it is worth running an app for.
- Your data lives on the device where you run rotki, so you handle your own backups. Premium adds optional zero-knowledge sync, and either way your history stays encrypted and under your control.
- rotki focuses on accurate core accounting and transparent on-chain decoding rather than the widest possible catalog of reports. Keeping that work local and auditable is the point, and the reason to choose it.
Who rotki is for
Choose rotki if
- You want your transaction history to stay on your own computer.
- You value open-source software you can audit and self-host.
- You prefer transparent on-chain decoding over a closed cloud pipeline.
- You would rather own your data than trade it for cloud convenience.
rotki vs CoinTracking in depth
CoinTracking is one of the oldest names in crypto tax software, known for a deep and report-heavy hosted platform. rotki approaches the same job as a local-first, open-source desktop application. Both will track your portfolio and produce tax reports; the question is whether you want that work done in the cloud or on your own machine.
How CoinTracking works
CoinTracking is a hosted account. You import your trades and transfers through API connections or files, and CoinTracking stores that history on its servers and turns it into a large range of reports, charts, and tax outputs. Breadth of reporting is its reputation. As with any hosted tool, the cost is that your full history is held by the vendor.
How rotki works
rotki runs on your computer and stores everything in an encrypted local database. It pulls exchange data with read-only API keys and on-chain activity through RPC endpoints you control, and it is open source so you can verify how it works. It is built to give you accurate accounting and tax reports without your data leaving your machine.
Privacy and ownership
This is the heart of the comparison. A long-lived hosted account accumulates years of your financial history in one place. rotki keeps that history local and self-custodied, so there is no vendor-side store to breach and no dependence on someone else's security or retention practices.
The trade-off
rotki does not aim to match every report in a hosted catalog. It focuses on accurate core accounting, transparent on-chain decoding, and keeping your data local. That focus is deliberate: the work happens on your machine, in software you can audit, with your history never handed to a vendor. For privacy, open source, and self-custody, that is the trade worth making, and the reason to choose rotki.
Related rotki integrations
rotki integrates with 180+ exchanges, blockchains, and DeFi protocols. A few that are relevant here:
Frequently asked questions
Is CoinTracking open source?
No. CoinTracking is a closed-source, hosted service. rotki is open source and its code can be audited on GitHub.
Does CoinTracking store my data in the cloud?
Yes. CoinTracking imports and stores your transaction data on its servers. rotki keeps your data encrypted on your own machine.
Is rotki a good alternative to CoinTracking?
If privacy, self-custody, and open source matter to you, yes. rotki covers portfolio tracking, accounting, and tax reporting locally, with a free tier and an optional subscription for more.
Does rotki have as many reports as CoinTracking?
CoinTracking is known for a very broad catalog of reports and charts. rotki focuses on accurate core accounting and tax reports generated locally, with transparent on-chain decoding, rather than matching that breadth.
Is rotki free?
rotki has a free local tier that covers core functionality with some limits. A premium subscription unlocks higher limits and additional features.
Try the private, open-source alternative
Download rotki for free. Your keys and data never leave your machine.