An open-source Kite Desktop Application

Hello community,

I hope you are well, staying safe and healthy. Wishing everyone, handsome profits ahead.

I’m Asharam Seervi, a full-stack developer and, keen for trading. Being a developer, Kite browser tab often gets lost among other ~30-50 tabs, and between incognito modes & other browsers. To just overcome this, I’ve developed a Kite Desktop Application, which was no different than Kite Web. This small desktop app becomes so handy to me.

And that how, I thought to make this an Open-source app so Zerodha Community can also leverage this app. And hence, I’ve hosted source code on Github & produced an executable file (.exe) to get up and running in no-time. Yesterday, someone found this app useful & starred that repository. I felt appreciated with just a single star, and that made me write here, how this app may be useful to you.

What the purpose this application solves: Adding another layer of Security & Privacy to your trading account!

What? Wait for a second, this means Zerodha’s Kite Web Application isn’t secured by default? Nah, Zerodha Kite Web should be secured by-default!! What I did, I made the same Zerodha WebApp into Desktop App, nothing fancy, but maybe useful with various use-cases!!

In today’s world, almost all the websites we browse track our activities & leave some code (cookies) behind in your browser. They track your activities across the web, even after you’ve left their website.

Browser fingerprinting is just one of many other tracking techniques used by companies known as “data brokers.” These third-party companies use your digital fingerprint to discreetly track your activity across the web, collecting your browser data. And, later on, your data is sold to advertisers and marketers who use it for several purposes and serve you personalized ads and content recommendations across the web.

So, this Open-sourced application is privacy focused? Yes, 99.9%!

How?

As said, this app is no different than Kite Web Application, I just used some open-source tool like ElectronJS, which underhood use a browser, but the difference is, without leaving any of your trading account related data in your installed browser!! Hence, no installed plugin or tracker will able to track you that way! It is always recommended by security experts to prefer apps moreover web browsers. I don’t know why the Zerodha team officially didn’t launch a desktop app themselves! Maybe their priorities are different! But yes, you may use this open-sourced application!

Experts across community & Zerodha Team are requested to review code & vouch if they feel, this little app may be useful for the community. Also, requesting users If they found incompatibility or any kind of suggestion to improve the app, do raise an issue in the repository, or you may leave a comment here in this thread with your feature request, I’ll try my best to cover you :slight_smile:

Source Code is available: https://github.com/asharamseervi/kite-desktop-app
And, Direct Download Link for Windows: https://github.com/asharamseervi/kite-desktop-app/releases/download/v1.1.0/KiteDesktop-v110.exe

PS: If you’re using a Mac user, you yourself can either create a similar app with the same code. As I’m windows user & don’t own Mac, hence I haven’t made it available yet, if someone is interested, I can make it available!

7 Likes

unable to install…
I use a win 7 32 bit, downloaded the KiteDesktop-v110.exe
Did i miss something @asharamseervi
Really appreciate your thought though.

don’t u require License permission from zerodha ; for this ?

Sorry there, I didn’t tested yet with 32-bit version! I might need to release 32-bit specific version. Thanks for reporting, I’ll try and ping you once done!

Thanks once again! Good day ahead!

In the meantime, appreciate if you could share some screen shots of the program.

1 Like

Wow! This is interesting.

@siva Is this safe to use? He’s shared the source code, am not a techie so asking.

Would be great if Zerodha launches an official version too. @nithin

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Apologies nothing against you @asharamseervi but I thought that self promotion wasn’t allowed and is against the rules of the forum or am I missing something?

Apologies.
But what self promotion?
He is not selling anything, does he?

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If this is self promotion then I’m my opinion this is the best form of self promotion. I won’t be surprised if he is recruited or if his company gets bought/funded by Zerodha.

I have downloaded it. It’s good.

Just waiting for @siva or @nithin to check out the safety aspects of it. Will surely use it.

Cannot request Zerodha to buy it or create something like this, at least I can use it once its checked or moved in-house by them.

2 Likes

We don’t recommend to use it.

@siva
but why ?
i heard that open source apps are more safe then closed ones…

Any product needs exchange approval, it doesn’t have so not allowed to use.
Product needs auditing so again it doesn’t have so not allowed to use.
We haven’t tested it so we don’t recommend to use it.

Thanks @siva

@hiren_parekh it would be impossible for Zerodha to vouch for a software. Just imagine what if the usernames/passwords are harvested in some manner and used to create mayhem

What if @asharamseervi is a plant by a competitor or an enemy country to destroy Zerodhas credibility? @asharamseervi will be laughing to himself reading what I wrote

Only option is for Zerodha to create something like this and put it on the Windows Store for us to download. Will they do it - I don’t think so because they have no competition. Others too are good but they are unable to compete

If that 15% rule is not there, I think Zerodha will surely have 80-90% market share. That SEBI rule is what is currently keeping competitors around.

Only hope is if any competitor is monitoring this, they can do it and put their app on Windows Store

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i 100% agree with you that its high time we need competitor now in market because I feel zerodha is doing noting regarding a technological advance in trading{they will sing kite song which is nothing like original trading view}. the only reason I am with zerodha is for the safety of funds.
when I see broker like fyers offer soo much with just 20k clients I feel its high time someone big broker give tuff punch now.

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Namaskara everyone,

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words. It’s overwhelming for me. Feeling blessed.

@siva I would like to request once again, you forward my request to your technical team behalf of everyone, to audit this piece of code & software.

As far as I remember, K. Nadh (CTO of Zerodha) himself is an open-source enthusiast, and believe in open source. Most of platforms you’re using at Zerodha are open-source! Hence, We’re on same page with same vision!!

And, everyone else! I’m self-motivated developer, and not affiliated with any of competitors (I don’t know, why this has been planted!), and proud customer of Zerodha since 2016. I repeat, I’ve developed this tool for my self, you yourself can create this tool if you liked this. And, that’s the beauty of open-source!!

I’m updating screenshots at repository as well as treasure video! I’ll soon upload a tutorial, how you yourself can develop this tool.

Thanks for having patience.

Hey @asharamseervi thanks for taking the effort to build it. :slight_smile: I hope you understand that we can’t really vouch for this product as it isn’t tested by us and there are also regulatory implications.

@everyone, maybe you all should give a shot at the option chrome (browser) gives to pin it as a desktop app. If you pop out anything, the experience isn’t really like a desktop app though. Let me create another thread on how it works.

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Thanks @nithin for your inputs!

As far as I believe, creating a shortcut will not solve the problem which was focused while building this app!! By creating shortcut, history will be preserved, cookies & fingerprinting still may be tempered.

Better you’ve recommended Private Window of Firefox or Incognito Mode of any other privacy focused browser! Still, I would like personally request you to assign any of your resource for just 1 hour to audit this repository.

If you can’t vouch, no worries, I didn’t made this for business or no other intention in my mind & heart, while supporting an open-source movement will be appreciated!! So, fellow community member can leverage this tool!

Thank you so much in advance.

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I think Zerodha should build Desktop Software for windows.

Personally, I dont like windows store apps. So I think it should be independent software.

@nithin do you have any plans for desktop software ?

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u r putting so much of efforts time energy and money . AND offering the same for FREE ! :roll_eyes:

WHY ?

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Believe me, it was made with zero amount. All it took some efforts to make it open-source & testing the app in all aspects either it is security-wise or stability wise.

I usually develops ElectronJS (Open-source technology adopted by millions time by developers to make Desktop Apps) apps, and some random day, this clicked in mind to make Desktop App for Kite, as this wasn’t on Zerodha’s roadmap.

Did you noticed, I make this open almost a month back, yesterday I thought to post about app here, that also after appreciation of random developer/user. So, to be clear, this app not built for monetization.

As all of you were requesting for screenshots, I did recorded my screen to brief you how this desktop app looks like, and how it works. Here the link of video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hZ3Cwf6LlJY

PS: Now, please do not think once a while, I’m monetizing via youtube video, I’ve posted this on my oldest youtube channel, with 2 subscribers! No intention of gaining views or subs, just shower your blessing on Github Repo! Thanks :heart:

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