VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ A CURATED DIRECTORY OF FINANCIAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES ★

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Saturday, December 27, 2025

Tool Comparison

Alpha Vantage vs MarketXLS comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Alpha Vantage adds Data APIs, News, News Sentiment, Market Sentiment, Calendar, IPO, Dividends, Splits, Delisted, Retail Sales, Yield Curves, Insider Data, Transcripts, APIs & SDKs, and Education coverage that MarketXLS skips.

MarketXLS includes Broker Connectors, Screeners, Options P&L, Monte Carlo, Risk Metrics, Portfolio, Watchlist, Correlation, Which ETF includes this Stock?, and Blogs categories that Alpha Vantage omits.

Alpha Vantage has a free tier, while MarketXLS requires a paid plan.

In depth comparison

Alpha Vantage

alphavantage.co

Hands-on review

Exchange-licensed, API-first market data provider for global equities, ETFs, mutual funds, FX, crypto, options, commodities and macro indicators. Free key covers most datasets with 25 API calls/day; premium membership removes daily limits and unlocks premium endpoints such as realtime/15‑minute delayed US data, intraday history, and options, with separate commercial licensing for business use.

Platforms

WebAPI

Pricing

FreeSubscriptionOther

Quick highlights

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.
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.
Fundamental data suite covering company overview, income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, dividends, splits, shares outstanding, ETF profile & holdings, listing/delisting status, earnings history, earnings estimates, and earnings/IPO calendars.
Alpha Intelligence™ endpoints for market news & sentiment, earnings call transcripts, top gainers/losers, insider transactions, and fixed/sliding-window analytics, built with in‑house AI and quantitative expertise.

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MarketXLS

marketxls.com

Excel‑first market data & analytics add‑in with 1,000+ functions. Default data is 15‑min delayed (QuoteMedia); real‑time streams and intraday history available with data add‑ons. Web screener, ETF database/overlap tools, options chains & Greeks, and portfolio templates (incl. Efficient Frontier). Direct order‑ticket functions for Thinkorswim, Tradier, Orion, plus IBKR integration via TWS API. No public data API for redistribution; personal use license.

Platforms

DesktopWeb

Pricing

Subscription

Quick highlights

Excel add‑in works on Windows, Mac, and Excel Online; updates delivered automatically for Mac/Excel Online/Office 365 users.
Built‑in real‑time streaming quotes (with exchange agreements) and default 15‑minute delayed market data; EOD history ~15+ years; intraday historical up to 1‑minute for ~1 year.
Options analytics: live option chains & Greeks, IV tools, order‑flow functions, strategy P&L templates; options symbology converter.
Portfolio & research templates: Efficient Frontier, correlation/volatility/drawdowns, fundamentals and historical statements via hf_* functions.
Web screener with hundreds of metrics; stock ranks (Value/Quality/Technical); spreadsheet builder to generate ready‑made workbooks.

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Where they differ

Alpha Vantage

Distinct strengths include:

Data APIs News News Sentiment Market Sentiment Calendar IPO Dividends Splits

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.
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.
Fundamental data suite covering company overview, income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, dividends, splits, shares outstanding, ETF profile & holdings, listing/delisting status, earnings history, earnings estimates, and earnings/IPO calendars.

MarketXLS

Distinct strengths include:

Broker Connectors Screeners Options P&L Monte Carlo Risk Metrics Portfolio Watchlist Correlation

Excel add‑in works on Windows, Mac, and Excel Online; updates delivered automatically for Mac/Excel Online/Office 365 users.
Built‑in real‑time streaming quotes (with exchange agreements) and default 15‑minute delayed market data; EOD history ~15+ years; intraday historical up to 1‑minute for ~1 year.
Options analytics: live option chains & Greeks, IV tools, order‑flow functions, strategy P&L templates; options symbology converter.
Portfolio & research templates: Efficient Frontier, correlation/volatility/drawdowns, fundamentals and historical statements via hf_* functions.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Alpha Vantage	MarketXLS
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: GDP, Interest Rates, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, Options & Derivatives, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, Financials, Sheets / Excel Add-ins Unique: Data APIs, News, News Sentiment, Market Sentiment, Calendar, IPO, Dividends, Splits, Delisted, Retail Sales, Yield Curves, Insider Data, Transcripts, APIs & SDKs, Education	Shared: GDP, Interest Rates, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, Options & Derivatives, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, Financials, Sheets / Excel Add-ins Unique: Broker Connectors, Screeners, Options P&L, Monte Carlo, Risk Metrics, Portfolio, Watchlist, Correlation, Which ETF includes this Stock?, Blogs
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Options, Currencies, Cryptos, Commodities, Funds	Stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual Funds, Currencies, Futures, Cryptos
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, API	Desktop, Web
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free, Subscription, Other	Subscription
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique 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. 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. Fundamental data suite covering company overview, income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, dividends, splits, shares outstanding, ETF profile & holdings, listing/delisting status, earnings history, earnings estimates, and earnings/IPO calendars. Alpha Intelligence™ endpoints for market news & sentiment, earnings call transcripts, top gainers/losers, insider transactions, and fixed/sliding-window analytics, built with in‑house AI and quantitative expertise. FX and cryptocurrency APIs for exchange rates plus intraday/daily/weekly/monthly time series, alongside commodities (e.g., crude oil, natural gas, metals, agricultural products) and US economic indicators such as GDP, CPI, inflation, unemployment, nonfarm payrolls, retail sales, durable goods orders and Treasury yields.	Unique Excel add‑in works on Windows, Mac, and Excel Online; updates delivered automatically for Mac/Excel Online/Office 365 users. Built‑in real‑time streaming quotes (with exchange agreements) and default 15‑minute delayed market data; EOD history ~15+ years; intraday historical up to 1‑minute for ~1 year. Options analytics: live option chains & Greeks, IV tools, order‑flow functions, strategy P&L templates; options symbology converter. Portfolio & research templates: Efficient Frontier, correlation/volatility/drawdowns, fundamentals and historical statements via hf_* functions. Web screener with hundreds of metrics; stock ranks (Value/Quality/Technical); spreadsheet builder to generate ready‑made workbooks. Broker/trading connections: Thinkorswim, Tradier (single & multi‑leg), Orion (single‑leg), Interactive Brokers (via TWS API).
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Yes	Not yet
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Alpha Vantage and MarketXLS both support?

Both platforms cover GDP, Interest Rates, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, Options & Derivatives, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, Financials, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins 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 MarketXLS requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

How can you access Alpha Vantage and MarketXLS?

Both Alpha Vantage and MarketXLS prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.

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 MarketXLS stands out for Excel add‑in works on Windows, Mac, and Excel Online; updates delivered automatically for Mac/Excel Online/Office 365 users., Built‑in real‑time streaming quotes (with exchange agreements) and default 15‑minute delayed market data; EOD history ~15+ years; intraday historical up to 1‑minute for ~1 year., and Options analytics: live option chains & Greeks, IV tools, order‑flow functions, strategy P&L templates; options symbology converter..

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