OpenBB Review (2026)
OpenBB is a free, open-source Python toolkit for pulling market and economic data from many providers into your own code, notebooks or a desktop app. It fits programmers and quants, not investors who want a ready-made website. The one thing to know: OpenBB the company wound down in 2026, and a non-profit, OpenBQ, now looks after the open-source project under the Apache 2.0 license.
By Wealthy Pot Editorial · Facts checked October 19, 2026
Facts checked October 19, 2026 against OpenBB's own pricing, help and policy pages (11 sources, listed below). We re-check prices about once a month. We do not earn a commission from OpenBB or OpenBQ.
OpenBB at a glance
| Price | Free and open source [1] |
|---|---|
| License | Apache 2.0 since version 5 (September 29, 2026); AGPL-3.0 before that [2] |
| Install | pip install openbb (version 5.0.0, September 29, 2026); needs Python 3.10 or newer [5] |
| Desktop app | ODP Desktop for Windows and macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon); version 2.0.0 on September 30, 2026 [4] |
| Ways to use it | Python library, REST API and an MCP server for AI agents [1] |
| Data | Comes from the providers you connect; many need your own API key [1] |
| GitHub | github.com/openbq-org/OpenBB, 74,432 stars on October 19, 2026 [3] |
| Steward | OpenBQ, a non-profit funded by BrightQuery [8] |
| Company status | OpenBB's founder announced on August 25, 2026 that it could not find product-market fit [7] |
| Paid Workspace plans | Still listed on openbb.co (Lite $2,400 a year per team, Pro custom); we could not confirm they can still be bought [9] |
What OpenBB costs
| Plan | Paying monthly, 1 year | Annual plan, 1 year | 3 years (cheapest way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Data Platformopen source; pip install openbb or ODP Desktop | $0 | - | $0 |
Our arithmetic from the listed prices, before sales tax, assuming today's prices hold; subscriptions can renew at a different rate. The software is free. Some data providers it connects to need your own API key from that provider. OpenBB's pricing page still lists paid Workspace team licenses, but the company has wound down and its hosted Workspace now redirects to a BrightQuery waitlist, so we do not list them as plans you can buy.
How OpenBB works
You install OpenBB with pip, connect the data providers you want, and request data from Python; results come back as tables you can analyze or chart yourself. The same integrations are available through a REST API and an MCP server for AI agents, and ODP Desktop wraps them in an app for Windows and macOS. OpenBB does not include data of its own, so what you can see, and how current it is, depends on the providers and keys you add.
The project began on December 20, 2020 as Gamestonk Terminal. On August 25, 2026 its founder wrote that OpenBB could not build a sustainable business and committed to releasing the whole product suite under a permissive license. An October 1 edit named OpenBQ, a non-profit funded by BrightQuery, as the new steward; the GitHub repository moved to openbq-org, and version 5 switched the license to Apache 2.0. The browser-based Workspace is being handed to FINOS, a Linux Foundation project, as "Open Workspace".
Pros
- Free under Apache 2.0, a permissive license
- Python, REST and MCP access to the same data integrations
- Active repository with 74,432 GitHub stars
Cons
- Needs Python skills and your own data provider keys
- The company behind it wound down in 2026; its future depends on OpenBQ
- The hosted Workspace is not available today
Who OpenBB fits, and who should skip it
A good fit if
- You write Python and want one interface to many financial data providers.
- You want code you can read, change and use commercially under Apache 2.0.
- You are building AI-agent tools and want an MCP server for market data.
Look elsewhere if
- You do not write code: Stock Analysis gives you financial statements in a browser.
- You want a ready-made research terminal with data included: Koyfin.
- You want charts and alerts without setup: TradingView.
Limitations to know
- OpenBB ships no data of its own; quality and coverage depend on the providers you connect. [1]
- The hosted Workspace (pro.openbb.co) redirects to a "Coming Soon" waitlist for BrightQuery's BQ Workspace, which BrightQuery says replaces OpenBB Workspace. [10]
- The Workspace source release is still in progress, according to OpenBQ. [8]
OpenBB compared with alternatives
| Tool | Price | Free tier | Type | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenBB | Free, open-source (Python, Apache 2.0); OpenBB the company wound down in 2026 | Free, open source (Python) | Data terminal | Desktop, Web, Self-host |
| Koyfin | Free; billed yearly: Plus $39/mo ($468/yr), Premium $79/mo ($948/yr); billed monthly: $49 and $110 | Free: 2 years of financials, 2 screens | Data terminal | Web, iOS, Android |
| Stock Analysis | Free tier; Pro $9.99/mo or $79/yr; Unlimited $29/mo or $16.58/mo billed yearly | Free account; 60-day refund on Pro | Research | Web, iOS, Android |
| TradingView | Free (ads); billed yearly: Essential $12.95/mo, Plus $29.95/mo, Premium $59.95/mo, Ultimate $199.95/mo; billed monthly: $14.95, $34.95, $69.95, $239.95 | Free: ads, 1 chart, 2 indicators | Charting | Web, iOS, Android, Desktop |
- Pick Koyfin if you want fundamentals and macro data in a browser with no code.
- Pick Stock Analysis if you want financial statements and a screener for free or $79 a year.
- Pick TradingView if you want charts and your own scripted indicators without managing data providers.
Security and privacy
- The code is public under Apache 2.0, so you or anyone else can read what it does with your data and keys. [2]
- The Python library runs on your own computer, so using it does not depend on a hosted OpenBB service. [1]
- Your API keys come from the data providers you sign up with, so read each provider's terms and privacy policy too. [1]
Recent changes
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | The wind-down post was edited to name OpenBQ, a non-profit funded by BrightQuery, as the steward of OpenBB technology. [7] |
| Sep 29, 2026 | Version 5 (openbb 5.0.0 on PyPI); license changed from AGPL-3.0 to Apache 2.0. [6] |
| Sep 14, 2026 | BrightQuery proposed the OpenBB Workspace code to FINOS Labs as "Open Workspace"; the proposal is marked approved. [11] |
| Aug 25, 2026 | The founder announced that OpenBB could not find product-market fit and committed to open-sourcing the whole product suite. [7] |
OpenBB FAQ
Is OpenBB free?
Yes. The software is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Some of the data providers it connects to need your own API key from that provider.
Is OpenBB shutting down?
The company is. On August 25, 2026 its founder said OpenBB could not find product-market fit. The open-source project continues under OpenBQ, a non-profit funded by BrightQuery, at github.com/openbq-org/OpenBB.
Can I still buy OpenBB Workspace?
We could not confirm it. The pricing page still lists Lite at $2,400 a year per team and a custom-priced Pro plan, but the hosted Workspace redirects to a BrightQuery waitlist and the Workspace code is being open-sourced. Ask OpenBQ before paying for anything.
Does OpenBB have real-time data?
Only if a provider you connect supplies it. OpenBB itself does not include market data.
OpenBB vs Koyfin?
OpenBB is a free Python toolkit: you bring the data providers and write the analysis. <a href="/stock-analysis-tools/koyfin/">Koyfin</a> is a ready-made web terminal with data from S&P Capital IQ, a free plan and paid plans from $39 a month billed yearly.
How we researched this review
We did not get paid or receive a free account for this page. We read OpenBB's own pricing page, help center, security and privacy pages and app-store listing on October 19, 2026, quoted each fact from those pages, and link every one below. We did not run a long-term hands-on test, so we do not score the app; where a point rests on what the company says rather than something we can check, we attribute it to OpenBB. Cost figures are our own arithmetic. We re-check prices and plans about once a month and log changes in the table above.
Sources
- OpenBB on GitHub, openbq-org/OpenBB repository, checked October 19, 2026.
- OpenBB on GitHub, LICENSE (Apache 2.0), checked October 19, 2026.
- GitHub API, openbq-org/OpenBB repository data (stars on October 19, 2026), checked October 19, 2026.
- OpenBB on GitHub, Releases, checked October 19, 2026.
- PyPI, openbb, checked October 19, 2026.
- PyPI, openbb 5.0.0, checked October 19, 2026.
- OpenBB, Homepage with the founder's wind-down post (August 25, 2026, edited October 1, 2026), checked October 19, 2026.
- OpenBQ, Homepage, checked October 19, 2026.
- OpenBB, Pricing (as still published), checked October 19, 2026.
- BrightQuery, BQ Workspace, checked October 19, 2026.
- FINOS Community on GitHub, Issue 445: Open Workspace, checked October 19, 2026.
This review is for general information, not investment advice. Ratings, scores and screens from any tool are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security. Prices change; check the vendor's site before you subscribe.