★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Source check: CB Insights checked August 4, 2026
Tool Comparison
CB Insights vs OpenBB
Pick CB Insights instead if
CB Insights
Contact for pricing · Web · Mobile · API
- You care about corporate actions & special situations and newsletters, things OpenBB doesn't offer
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Start here
OpenBB
Free • From $500/yr · Web · Desktop · Mobile
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You care about custom dashboards, AI chat, and financials, things CB Insights doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
CB Insights and OpenBB cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including APIs & data feeds, sheets / excel add-ins, and screeners), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. OpenBB simply does more: 12 categories to CB Insights's 7, including custom dashboards, AI chat, and financials. CB Insights counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
CB Insights
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
OpenBB
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Free plan
- OpenBB
- Broader coverage
- OpenBB12 vs 7 categories
- Desktop app
- OpenBB
- Beginner friendly
- CB Insights
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Contact for pricing | Free • From $500/yr |
Free tier | No | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 3 limits: Browser Analyst: pricing: Request pricing, Enterprise Platform: pricing: Request pricing +1 more | 11 limits: Workspace Community: copilot queries per day: 20, Workspace Community: excel add in: No (per plan comparison) +9 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | No | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Integrations | Salesforce, Microsoft Excel +6 more | OpenBB Skills, Workspace MCP server +2 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Institutional Investors, Analysts +2 more |
Categories covered | 7 | 12 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | — |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Capabilities | — | IV surface and Yield curves |
Security | — | 6 signals: SOC2, SSO: SAML and OIDC +4 more |
| Try it | Visit CB Insights | Visit OpenBB |
Where each one shines
What CB Insights and OpenBB each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What CB Insights and OpenBB each do best.What CB Insights does best
- Research coverage for private and public companies, investors, funding rounds, M&A, business relationships, earnings, markets, and competitive landscapes.
- Company profiles, market analytics, visual dashboards, deal insights, and sector tracking to map markets and competitors.
- Mosaic Score and other proprietary measures to evaluate private-company health and growth signals.
- Strategy Terminal, Browser Analyst, ChatCBI, and team-of-agents workflows for AI-assisted scouting, briefs, trend discovery, and market analysis.
- Access to CB Insights data into workflows through Excel, Salesforce, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Snowflake, Zapier, Affinity, A2A, MCP-style, and data-solution integrations where licensed.
What OpenBB does best
- The open-source Open Data Platform locally under AGPL for unified financial and economic data access through provider connectors.
- Work across Python, REST API, notebooks, Workspace, and Excel-oriented workflows depending on whether you are coding, analyzing, or building dashboards.
- Connections for third-party data providers and your own API keys; OpenBB does not host or redistribute production market data for you.
- Tools for building Workspace dashboards with customizable UI components, apps, widgets, and firm-specific data integrations.
- Support for adding proprietary or internal data by exposing an API plus a widgets.json definition for custom Workspace widgets.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for CB Insights and OpenBB, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for CB Insights and OpenBB, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksOther | StocksETFsCryptosCurrenciesCommoditiesBondsOptionsFutures |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Institutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | Not specified |
Coverage details | Not specified | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: NoneSDKs: PythonDocs |
Integrations | SalesforceMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft 365 CopilotSnowflakeAffinityZapierA2AMCP | OpenBB SkillsWorkspace MCP serverMCP serversExcel Add-in |
Export formats | Not specified | CSVExcel |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | SOC2SSO: SAML and OIDCStatus pageEncryption at restEncryption in transitRole-based access |
Capability signals | Not specified | IV surfaceYield curves |
Vendor & support | CB Information Services, Inc.Country: United StatesSupport: Email and Phone | OpenBB Inc.Founded 2021Support: Email and Forum |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | Free“Workspace Community”copilot queries per day: 20 · excel add in: No (per plan comparison) · +1 more |
| Entry paid plan | — | $500/yr≈ $41.67/mo“Snowflake Native App” |
| Top plan | — | $2400/yr≈ $200/mo“Workspace Lite”team size: Designed for teams under 10 · promotional price: $1,200/year through August 31, 2026 (time-limited offer observed on v... · +2 more |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Browser Analyst”pricing: Request pricing | Contact sales“Workspace Pro”pricing model: Custom team license (contact sales) · support: 8 hours/day, 5 days/week (EST) |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between CB Insights and OpenBB?
CB Insights leans toward APIs & data feeds, sheets / excel add-ins, and screeners, while OpenBB puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, sheets / excel add-ins, and data visualizations. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is CB Insights or OpenBB free to use?
OpenBB has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. CB Insights is paid-only. If budget matters, start with OpenBB and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Which is better for beginners: CB Insights or OpenBB?
CB Insights is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Do CB Insights and OpenBB have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose CB Insights or OpenBB?
It depends on what you're after. Pick CB Insights if corporate actions & special situations and newsletters matter to you; go with OpenBB if you'd rather have custom dashboards and AI chat. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do CB Insights and OpenBB cover?
Both cover stocks. CB Insights also handles other. OpenBB adds ETFs, cryptos, and currencies on top.
Can I export data from CB Insights and OpenBB?
OpenBB exports to CSV and Excel. CB Insights is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: CB Insights or OpenBB?
Both CB Insights and OpenBB include stock screeners, and they differ more in interface than raw power; try both and see which one clicks for you.
Keep researching
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Feedback
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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.