Building OrderCraft: A Local-First Financial Charting Terminal in a Single ~14MB Go Binary

Description and use

OrderCraft is a fully local financial charting terminal built with Go and React that removes cloud SaaS limitations and licensing issues, offering fast data streams and local storage.

Problem

Cloud SaaS financial charting platforms lock technical analysis behind subscriptions, restrict free users, and force data into the cloud, while hosted open‑source alternatives face IP rate limits and redistribution licensing fees.

Outcome

OrderCraft provides a fully local, open‑source financial charting terminal that eliminates cloud dependencies, avoids IP rate limits and redistribution fees, and offers high‑performance WebSocket streams, multi‑chart workspaces, and local persistence.

Workflow

• Compile Go backend with embedded React SPA using //go:embed
• Cross‑compile binary for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Run ./ordercraft --app-mode to launch a frameless desktop window
• Connect to public WebSocket feeds (Binance, Bybit, Coinbase) or BYOK broker APIs (Alpaca, OANDA)
• Normalize ticks, aggregate into OHLCV bars, fan out via local WebSocket hub
• Persist historical bars, layouts, drawings, and API keys in local SQLite with 0600 permissions
• Use custom Canvas 2D drawing primitives for trendlines, Fibonacci, channels, risk‑reward calculators, and multi‑pane workspaces

Evidence

Modern financial charting platforms have converged on the same frustrating cloud SaaS model: lock basic technical analysis behind $15 to $60/month subscriptions, restrict free users to 2 indicators per chart, paywall multi-chart split-screen layouts, and force all your watchlists and layouts into their cloud.

Source

On the flip side, developers who try to build hosted open-source alternatives hit two massive walls almost immediately: IP Rate Limits and Market Data Redistribution Licensing.

Source

OrderCraft (v0.1.0, MIT License) — a high-performance, 100% local-first financial charting and technical analysis terminal built with Go, React 19, TypeScript, and Lightweight Charts (Apache-2.0).

Source

The entire frontend (React 19, TypeScript, Vite) compiles down into static assets and is embedded directly into the Go binary using //go:embed.

Source

All historical OHLCV candle caches, multi-pane workspace layouts, custom chart drawings, indicator templates, and BYOK brokerage credentials are stored in a local SQLite database.

Source