January 2026
When I started Optioneer, I had one goal: build the options tracker I couldn't find anywhere else. Not another bloated platform with features I'd never use. Not another Excel template that breaks after three trades. Just a clean, accurate tool that shows me what I need to see.
If you actively trade options — not just buy calls occasionally — this post is for you.
This post is a transparent look at what we've shipped recently, the decisions behind each feature, and where we're headed next.
The Problem We're Solving
If you've traded options for any length of time, you've probably experienced the frustration:
Spreadsheet chaos — You start with a simple tracking sheet. Then you add formulas for P&L. Then Greeks. Then multi-leg support. Before long, you have a fragile monster that breaks whenever you look at it wrong.
Shallow trackers — Most free tools show you the basics — maybe your positions and some rough P&L. But when you need to understand your actual exposure, your realized vs. unrealized gains, or how your Iron Condor is really performing? You're on your own.
Expensive alternatives — Professional platforms exist, but they're designed for institutional traders with institutional budgets. $50-100/month for features you don't need, wrapped in interfaces that take weeks to learn.
Optioneer exists because retail traders deserve better. We deserve tools that respect our intelligence without demanding our entire paycheck.
What We've Shipped Recently
Let me walk you through the improvements we've made and why each one matters.
Multi-Leg Strategy Support (19 Strategies)
Real traders don't just buy calls — they trade Iron Condors, Butterflies, Calendar Spreads, and complex multi-leg positions.
- We now support 19 predefined strategies out of the box:
- Beginner: Long Call, Long Put, Covered Call, Protective Put, Cash Secured Put
- Intermediate: Bull Call Spread, Bear Put Spread, Iron Condor, Iron Butterfly, Long Straddle, Long Strangle
- Advanced: Calendar Spread, Diagonal Spread, Ratio Spread, Butterfly Spread, Collar, Short Straddle, Short Strangle
Each strategy tracks legs correctly, aggregates Greeks at the strategy level, and calculates P&L the way it should be calculated.
Why this matters: When you enter an Iron Condor, you want to see how the entire position is performing — not four disconnected legs that you have to mentally combine.
Accurate Realized vs. Unrealized P&L
This sounds basic, but most trackers get it wrong.
Your P&L has two components: 1. Realized P&L: Premium you've actually collected or paid when closing positions 2. Unrealized P&L: Paper gains or losses on open positions
Mixing these up leads to bad decisions. You might think you're profitable when you're actually sitting on unrealized losses. Or you might panic-close a position without understanding your true cost basis.
Optioneer now clearly separates these. You see both numbers, and you understand your actual trading performance.
Why this matters: Accurate P&L tracking is the foundation of good trading. You can't improve what you can't measure correctly.
Better Free-User Experience (With Intentional Limits)
We believe core tracking should be free. Period.
But we also learned that unlimited everything doesn't serve users well. Without some structure, it's easy to never commit to learning the tool properly.
- Here's our approach:
- Free core plan: Unlimited manual trade entry, portfolio dashboard, P&L tracking, basic Greeks, CSV export
- Premium ($19/mo or $150/year): Enhanced market data tools, smart alerts, CSV import from brokers, multiple portfolios, advanced analytics
The free tier is genuinely useful. You can track your entire portfolio indefinitely without paying a cent. Premium adds convenience and depth for traders who want it.
Why this matters: We're building a sustainable business, not a growth-at-all-costs startup. Intentional limits mean we can keep the product improving for years to come.
You can try all of this for free — no credit card required. Get started here.
New Indicators: POP, EV, Risk, Liquidity, Score
Making good options trades requires more than just looking at premiums. We've added new indicators to help you evaluate opportunities:
- - POP (Probability of Profit): Statistical estimate of your trade finishing profitable
- EV (Expected Value): Average expected outcome based on probabilities and potential gains/losses
- Risk metrics: Quick assessment of position risk level
- Liquidity indicators: Bid-ask spread and volume signals
- Optioneer Score: Our composite metric that weighs multiple factors
These show up in our Screener and Discovery pages, helping you filter thousands of contracts down to the ones worth your attention.
Why this matters: Retail traders often pick options based on feel or limited data. These indicators level the playing field with professional-grade analysis tools.
Screener & Discovery Improvements
- The Options Finder got a major upgrade. You can now:
- Search any US stock or ETF
- Filter by expiration, DTE, delta, strike range
- See contract details instantly
- Add trades directly to your portfolio
- For Premium users, Discovery Scans offer prebuilt multi-symbol searches:
- Wheel Candidates
- High Theta Income
- Conservative Covered Calls
- Trending Momentum
- High IV Puts
- LEAPS Long Term
Why this matters: Finding good trades shouldn't require a Bloomberg terminal. Optioneer makes discovery accessible.
Our Philosophy: Depth Over Breadth
You might notice we don't have every feature under the sun. No social trading. No crypto options. No AI chatbot giving you hot tips.
That's intentional.
We believe in depth over breadth. Instead of building 50 mediocre features, we're building 10 excellent ones. Every feature we ship should:
- Solve a real problem traders face today
- Work correctly the first time (or get fixed fast)
- Integrate seamlessly with the rest of the platform
This philosophy means we ship slower than some competitors. But it also means you can trust the numbers Optioneer shows you.
What's Coming Next
We're not done. Here's what we're working on:
- - More strategy templates: Adding popular patterns based on user requests
- Enhanced portfolio analytics: Deeper insights into your trading patterns
- Mobile experience improvements: Better responsiveness for trading on the go
- Community-requested features: We read every piece of feedback
We Want Your Feedback
Optioneer exists because of traders like you. Every feature started as feedback from someone who said "I wish I could..."
If there's something we're missing, something that's not working right, or an idea that would make your trading life easier — we want to hear it.
Email us at support@optioneer.io or find me on Twitter @InvestJourneyX.
Let's build this together.
— Johnny Founder, Optioneer