Tool Comparison
BamSEC vs ChartMill
- Paid from
- $69/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web
Best if
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want improved filings, diff view, and transcripts.
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web
Best if
- You want stock comparison, data visualizations, and scores.
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
- You trade often and need tooling built for speed
Pick BamSEC if
BamSEC
Free • From $69/mo · Web
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want improved filings, diff view, and transcripts.
Pick ChartMill if
ChartMill
Free • Paid plans available · Web
- You want stock comparison, data visualizations, and scores.
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
- You trade often and need tooling built for speed
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
BamSEC and ChartMill cover a lot of the same ground (7 shared categories, including screeners, stock ideas, and financials), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. ChartMill simply does more: 24 categories to BamSEC's 13, including stock comparison, data visualizations, and scores. BamSEC counters by keeping things simpler.
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Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- BamSEC
- Free trial
- BamSEC7 days
- Broader coverage
- ChartMill24 vs 13 categories
- Global coverage
- ChartMill
- Beginner friendly
- ChartMill
- Free plan
- Both
What BamSEC does best
- Browsing access to SEC filings from EDGAR in their original form, with BamSEC adding faster navigation, better document organization, and premium research workflows on paid plans.
- Search across company filings and transcripts with phrase, boolean, proximity, form-type, industry, market-cap, document-type, and watchlist filters.
- All-company document search and recent-filing screens to surface IPOs, spinoffs, activist filings, proxy fights, late filings, financing documents, and other event-driven research leads.
- Download support for filing tables to clean Excel files, pull similar historical tables, and merge tables across periods for faster model building.
- Comparison tools for filings with browser-based redlines that highlight added and removed text and tables between versions.
What ChartMill does best
- Screening for stocks and ETFs with technical, fundamental, dividend, valuation, growth, profitability, health, and custom-expression filters.
- Start from Trading Ideas templates for breakouts, pullbacks, CANSLIM, Minervini, GARP, dividends, value, and growth.
- ChartMill ratings, technical setup views, analyzer pages, and fundamental reports to compare candidates.
- Build watchlists, save screens, export results, and set alerts for prices, setups, earnings, news, insider activity, fundamentals, analyst changes, and screen results.
- Multi-chart layouts, saved chart configurations, drawings, indicators, event markers, and watchlist-based charting.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $69/mo | Free • Paid plans available |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | — |
Plan limits | Free (Browse Filings): premium features: Document Search, table tools, document comparison, insider and instit... | Free: financials history: 4 years/quarters (free users, example pages). |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | No | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Institutional Investors, Pro Retail +3 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more |
Categories covered | 13 | 24 |
Regions | North America | North America, Europe |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: Real-time and Survivorship-bias-free | 3 signals: Latency: 15-min Delayed and End of Day, Granularity: EOD and Minute +1 more |
Data partners | SEC EDGAR and S&P Global Market Intelligence | — |
Capabilities | Universe builder | Custom formulas and Universe builder |
| Try it | Visit BamSEC | Visit ChartMill |
Standout features
The best features of BamSEC and ChartMill.ShowHide
Standout features
What BamSEC does best
- Browsing access to SEC filings from EDGAR in their original form, with BamSEC adding faster navigation, better document organization, and premium research workflows on paid plans.
- Search across company filings and transcripts with phrase, boolean, proximity, form-type, industry, market-cap, document-type, and watchlist filters.
- All-company document search and recent-filing screens to surface IPOs, spinoffs, activist filings, proxy fights, late filings, financing documents, and other event-driven research leads.
- Download support for filing tables to clean Excel files, pull similar historical tables, and merge tables across periods for faster model building.
- Comparison tools for filings with browser-based redlines that highlight added and removed text and tables between versions.
What ChartMill does best
- Screening for stocks and ETFs with technical, fundamental, dividend, valuation, growth, profitability, health, and custom-expression filters.
- Start from Trading Ideas templates for breakouts, pullbacks, CANSLIM, Minervini, GARP, dividends, value, and growth.
- ChartMill ratings, technical setup views, analyzer pages, and fundamental reports to compare candidates.
- Build watchlists, save screens, export results, and set alerts for prices, setups, earnings, news, insider activity, fundamentals, analyst changes, and screen results.
- Multi-chart layouts, saved chart configurations, drawings, indicators, event markers, and watchlist-based charting.
All details
Every attribute we track for BamSEC and ChartMill.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksFunds | StocksETFs |
Experience | IntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Institutional InvestorsPro RetailAnalystsFinancial AdvisorsStudents/Researchers | Retail TradersPro RetailDay TradersSwing TradersLong-term InvestorsGrowth InvestorsValue InvestorsDividend Investors |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEurope |
Coverage details | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker and CIK | 17 countries9 exchangesIdentifiers: Ticker and ISIN |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-time | 15-min DelayedEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EODMinute |
Data partners | SEC EDGARS&P Global Market Intelligence | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
Export formats | ExcelPDF | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Universe builder | Custom formulasUniverse builder |
Vendor & support | BamSEC, LLCCountry: USSupport: Email | ChartMill |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free“Free (Browse Filings)”premium features: Document Search, table tools, document comparison, insider and instit... | Freefinancials history: 4 years/quarters (free users, example pages). |
| Entry paid plan | $69/mo“Pro” | $34.97/mo“Monthly Subscription” |
| Top plan | — | $299.97/yr“Annual Subscription + Free Course” |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Enterprise” | — |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between BamSEC and ChartMill?
BamSEC leans toward screeners, stock ideas, and improved filings, while ChartMill puts more weight on screeners, stock ideas, and stock comparison. They overlap in 7 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do BamSEC and ChartMill cost?
Good news: both BamSEC and ChartMill have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: BamSEC or ChartMill?
ChartMill is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Should I choose BamSEC or ChartMill?
It depends on what you're after. Pick BamSEC if improved filings and diff view matter to you; go with ChartMill if you'd rather have stock comparison and data visualizations. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do BamSEC and ChartMill cover?
Both cover stocks. BamSEC also handles funds. ChartMill adds ETFs on top.
Does BamSEC or ChartMill have real-time data?
BamSEC offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. ChartMill runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Which covers international markets: BamSEC or ChartMill?
ChartMill has documented international coverage (North America and Europe), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. BamSEC is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from BamSEC and ChartMill?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (BamSEC: Excel; ChartMill: CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Is BamSEC or ChartMill better for day trading?
ChartMill is the one positioned more for active traders. BamSEC is the better fit if you care less about fast trading workflows and more about a calmer research process.
Which has a better stock screener: BamSEC or ChartMill?
Both BamSEC and ChartMill include stock screeners, and they differ more in interface than raw power; try both and see which one clicks for you.
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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.