Calcbench adds Financials, Improved Filings, Management Compensation, Acquisitions, Ticker Changes, Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins, and Blogs coverage that FOIAsearch skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Tool Comparison
Calcbench vs FOIAsearch comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
FOIAsearch includes Alerts, and Watchlist categories that Calcbench omits.
In depth comparison
Calcbench
calcbench.com
SEC-filings and earnings‑release data platform built for analysts. Coverage includes as‑reported financial statements, footnotes/disclosures text, segments & breakouts, earnings press‑release numerics (incl. non‑GAAP and guidance), proxies, 8‑Ks, and SEC comment letters. ‘Trace’ any number back to the source filing. Point‑in‑time fundamentals with publication timestamps are available for backtests. Excel (Windows) add‑in is full‑featured; Office 365 (Mac/Web) and Google Sheets add‑ins are lighter. API access is separate from standard subscriptions.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- As‑reported financials with drill‑through ‘Trace to source’ into the filing; multi‑company time‑series and standardized metrics.
- Interactive disclosures/footnotes search across 10‑K/10‑Q (and other docs); segment & geographic breakouts.
- Earnings press‑release data within minutes of wire: GAAP, non‑GAAP, guidance, KPIs; model‑ready via Excel or API.
- Point‑in‑time fundamentals: standardized metrics stamped with first‑available timestamps to avoid look‑ahead bias.
- Auditor & auditor‑fee dataset with flags; M&A purchase‑price‑allocation dataset.
Community votes (overall)
FOIAsearch
foiasearch.com
Free SEC‑FOIA log search with investor‑oriented alerts. Tracks FOIA requests filed with the SEC (post‑Oct 1, 2019), highlights requests denied under Exemption 7(A) (B7A)—a known signal of ongoing enforcement activity—and offers alerts for portfolio tickers and issuer‑relations (‘IR Watch’) plus monthly Prominent Reporter Alerts. Built by Edwin Dorsey (The Bear Cave).
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Unified search of SEC FOIA Logs with lists for ‘All Requests’ and ‘B7A Exempt Requests’.
- ‘Protect My Portfolio’ email alerts on FOIA activity tied to saved companies/tickers.
- ‘IR Watch’ alerts when hedge funds, research firms, or reporters FOIA your company (IR use‑case).
- Monthly ‘Prominent Reporter Alerts’ to see what journalists are requesting before stories publish.
- B7A (FOIA Exemption 7(A)) call‑outs; academic work shows B7A denials are predictive of ongoing/future SEC investigations.
Community votes (overall)
Where they differ
Calcbench
Distinct strengths include:
- As‑reported financials with drill‑through ‘Trace to source’ into the filing; multi‑company time‑series and standardized metrics.
- Interactive disclosures/footnotes search across 10‑K/10‑Q (and other docs); segment & geographic breakouts.
- Earnings press‑release data within minutes of wire: GAAP, non‑GAAP, guidance, KPIs; model‑ready via Excel or API.
- Point‑in‑time fundamentals: standardized metrics stamped with first‑available timestamps to avoid look‑ahead bias.
FOIAsearch
Distinct strengths include:
- Unified search of SEC FOIA Logs with lists for ‘All Requests’ and ‘B7A Exempt Requests’.
- ‘Protect My Portfolio’ email alerts on FOIA activity tied to saved companies/tickers.
- ‘IR Watch’ alerts when hedge funds, research firms, or reporters FOIA your company (IR use‑case).
- Monthly ‘Prominent Reporter Alerts’ to see what journalists are requesting before stories publish.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Calcbench | FOIAsearch |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Flags, Regulatory Filings Monitoring Unique: Financials, Improved Filings, Management Compensation, Acquisitions, Ticker Changes, Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins, Blogs | Shared: Flags, Regulatory Filings Monitoring Unique: Alerts, Watchlist |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks | Stocks |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, Desktop, API | Web |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free, Subscription | Free, Subscription |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Calcbench and FOIAsearch both support?
Both platforms cover Flags, and Regulatory Filings Monitoring workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Calcbench and FOIAsearch require subscriptions?
Both Calcbench and FOIAsearch keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access Calcbench and FOIAsearch?
Both Calcbench and FOIAsearch 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?
Calcbench differentiates itself with As‑reported financials with drill‑through ‘Trace to source’ into the filing; multi‑company time‑series and standardized metrics., Interactive disclosures/footnotes search across 10‑K/10‑Q (and other docs); segment & geographic breakouts., and Earnings press‑release data within minutes of wire: GAAP, non‑GAAP, guidance, KPIs; model‑ready via Excel or API., whereas FOIAsearch stands out for Unified search of SEC FOIA Logs with lists for ‘All Requests’ and ‘B7A Exempt Requests’., ‘Protect My Portfolio’ email alerts on FOIA activity tied to saved companies/tickers., and ‘IR Watch’ alerts when hedge funds, research firms, or reporters FOIA your company (IR use‑case)..
Keep exploring
Keep exploring
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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.