Live stock quotes in a spreadsheet — in real time
GOOGLEFINANCE is delayed 15–20 minutes and freezes when you close the tab. Stealth Quotes shows real-time stock and crypto prices in a spreadsheet-style grid — live, with no formulas and no add-ons.
Free to start · no sign-up needed · real-time on every plan.
Can you get real-time (not delayed) stock prices in a spreadsheet?
Not with GOOGLEFINANCE.Its prices are exchange-delayed by about 15–20 minutes for US stocks, and they only refresh while the sheet is open. If you want the actual current price, that's a real problem.
Stealth Quotes solves it a different way: instead of formulas pulling delayed data into cells, it's a spreadsheet-style grid where the server streams live prices straight into column A — updating within a second or two, stocks and crypto together, nothing to set up.
Why is GOOGLEFINANCE delayed 20 minutes?
Because it uses free, exchange-delayed data — the standard ~15–20 minute lag that comes with not paying for a real-time feed. It also recalculates only while the sheet is open and actively refreshing, so the numbers freeze the instant you close the tab or step away.
How to get live stock prices without GOOGLEFINANCE
Two realistic paths:
- A paid Sheets add-on(MarketXLS, Finsheet, and the like) — real-time, but you're still building formulas inside a real spreadsheet, and most handle crypto poorly.
- Stealth Quotes — real-time stock and crypto prices in a spreadsheet-style grid, with no formulas, no add-ons, and crypto built in. Type a ticker, get a live price.
| GOOGLEFINANCE | Sheets add-ons | Stealth Quotes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time (not delayed) | 15–20 min | ||
| No formulas to build | |||
| Live crypto included | |||
| Updates when the tab is closed | |||
| Built-in portfolio + dividends | |||
| Free to start |
Does it also track my portfolio?
Yes. Add your shares and average cost — or log your buys and sells — and the same sheet computes market value, weight, gains, your money-weighted return (XIRR), how you're doing versus the S&P 500, and the dividends you've actually received. No formulas, and the whole portfolio suite is free on every plan.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you get real-time (not delayed) stock prices in a spreadsheet?
Not with GOOGLEFINANCE — it serves exchange data delayed by about 15–20 minutes and stops updating when the sheet is closed. Stealth Quotes is a spreadsheet-style grid that shows real-time stock and crypto prices, updating live within a couple of seconds, with no formulas to set up.
Why is GOOGLEFINANCE delayed 20 minutes?
GOOGLEFINANCE uses free, exchange-delayed market data, which is typically 15–20 minutes behind for US stocks. It also only recalculates while the sheet is open and refreshing, so prices freeze the moment you close the tab.
How do I get live stock prices without GOOGLEFINANCE?
You have two options: pay for a Google Sheets add-on (MarketXLS, Finsheet, and similar) and still build formulas inside a real spreadsheet, or use Stealth Quotes, which shows real-time prices in a spreadsheet-style grid with no formulas, no add-ons, and crypto included.
Do the prices update while I'm not looking?
Yes. The server streams prices, and an optional Live auto-refresh updates a cell only when its price actually changes — so the sheet stays calm when the market is quiet and moves when it moves. You can also leave it on manual and refresh with a keypress.
Can I get live crypto prices too?
Yes — crypto trades 24/7 and is always current, on every plan including Free. GOOGLEFINANCE only covers a handful of top coins and often returns errors beyond them; Stealth Quotes handles crypto natively (use a .X suffix, e.g. BTC.X).
Is it really free?
Real-time quotes are free on every plan, including Free, with no sign-up needed to try it. Paid plans only add extended-hours prices, room for more symbols and sheets, and CSV import.
See a live price in five seconds.
Open the sheet, type a ticker, watch it update — free, no sign-up needed.