VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★

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Friday, January 9, 2026

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Tool Comparison

Alpha Vantage vs Interactive Brokers (IBKR) comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Alpha Vantage

alphavantage.co

PricingFree, Subscription, Other

PlatformsWeb, API

Hands-on review

Visit site View full profile

Interactive Brokers (IBKR)

interactivebrokers.co.uk

PricingOther, Subscription

PlatformsWeb, Mobile, Desktop, API

Editor's pickHands-on review

Visit site View full profile

Comparison highlights

Tool score: the chart below shows community vote sentiment over the last 8 weeks. Use it as a signal, not a verdict.
Overlap: both cover Data APIs, News, and Options & Derivatives and 1 other categories.
Coverage tilt: Alpha Vantage has 22 categories you won't get in Interactive Brokers (IBKR); Interactive Brokers (IBKR) has 10 unique categories.
Pricing: Alpha Vantage is Free, Subscription, Other; Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is Other, Subscription.

Category leaders

Screeners: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is tagged for this workflow; Alpha Vantage has no category votes yet.
Portfolio: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is tagged for this workflow; Alpha Vantage has no category votes yet.
Watchlist: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is tagged for this workflow; Alpha Vantage has no category votes yet.
News: not enough category votes yet to call a leader.

Vote sentiment comparison

Cumulative positive vote share. Loading fresh totals...

Alpha VantageInteractive Brokers (IBKR)

Side-by-side metrics

Attribute	Alpha Vantage	Interactive Brokers (IBKR)
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Options, Currencies, Cryptos, Commodities, Funds	Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Currencies, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Commodities, Other
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, API	Web, Mobile, Desktop, API
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free, Subscription, Other	Other, Subscription
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Yes	Yes
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Highlighted

Coverage overlap

Shared categories

Categories where both tools offer overlapping coverage.

Data APIs News Options & Derivatives APIs & SDKs

Alpha Vantage strengths

Categories covered by Alpha Vantage but not Interactive Brokers (IBKR).

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) strengths

Categories covered by Interactive Brokers (IBKR) but not Alpha Vantage.

Brokerage Advanced Order Types Smart/Direct Routing Paper Trading Portfolio Watchlist Screeners Risk Metrics Performance Attribution Order Book / Level II

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Alpha Vantage and Interactive Brokers (IBKR) both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, News, Options & Derivatives, and APIs & SDKs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

Alpha Vantage offers a free entry point, while Interactive Brokers (IBKR) requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

Which tool has mobile access?

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Alpha Vantage focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Alpha Vantage differentiates itself with Cloud-native REST APIs for realtime and historical financial data across global stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, FX, cryptocurrencies, commodities, technical indicators and macroeconomic indicators in a single unified portfolio of endpoints., Global equity time series APIs (daily, weekly, monthly and intraday 1–60 minute bars) with 20+ years of history, optional split/dividend-adjusted prices, and support for extended trading hours where available., and US options data APIs providing realtime and historical option chains with 15+ years of history, full market/volume coverage, and optional Greeks and implied volatility fields in JSON or CSV., whereas Interactive Brokers (IBKR) stands out for Platforms: Client Portal (web), Trader Workstation (TWS) and IBKR Desktop (desktop), IBKR Mobile / GlobalTrader (mobile), plus IBKR APIs; feature availability differs by platform/product., Supported instruments include stocks/ETFs, options (incl. combos), mutual funds, futures (incl. futures options), spot FX, bonds, physical metals, structured products and CFDs., and Execution features include IB SmartRouting plus a large library of order types/algos and conditional/bracket-style order workflows across platforms..

Other tools you might like

These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.