Tool Comparison
CB Insights vs ORTEX
- Paid from
- On request
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, API
Best if
- You want sheets / excel add-ins, corporate actions & special situations, and newsletters.
- Paid from
- $39/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, API
Best if
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want short interest, insider data, and quant.
Pick CB Insights if
CB Insights
Contact for pricing · Web · Mobile · API
- You want sheets / excel add-ins, corporate actions & special situations, and newsletters.
Pick ORTEX if
ORTEX
Free • From $39/mo · Web · Mobile · API
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want short interest, insider data, and quant.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
CB Insights and ORTEX cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including APIs & data feeds, screeners, and data visualizations), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. ORTEX simply does more: 16 categories to CB Insights's 7, including short interest, insider data, and quant. CB Insights counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
CB Insights
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ORTEX
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Key differences at a glance
- Free plan
- ORTEX
- Broader coverage
- ORTEX16 vs 7 categories
- Real-time data
- ORTEX
What CB Insights does best
- Research coverage for private and public companies, investors, funding rounds, M&A, business relationships, earnings, markets, and competitive markets.
- Company profiles, market analytics, visual dashboards, deal analysis, 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 ORTEX does best
- Monitor short interest and securities-lending conditions with utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan.
- Comparison tools for lending-based short-interest estimates with official U.S. exchange-reported short interest and European flagged-short disclosures.
- Tracking intraday and real-time estimates from ORTEX lender and broker data pools where plan access supports those views.
- Research coverage for options activity and flow signals using OPRA-sourced options data, with OPRA terms required before access.
- Rule-based Short Squeeze, EPS, RSI, MACD, and Company Events signals with historical performance shown beside each trigger.
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 | Contact for pricing | Free • From $39/mo |
Free tier | No | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 3 limits: Browser Analyst: pricing: Request pricing, Strategy Terminal: pricing: Request pricing +1 more | 6 limits: API Trader: rate limit: 1 req/s, API Trader: scope: Single-stock APIs +4 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | — | No |
Integrations | Salesforce, Microsoft Excel +6 more | Microsoft Excel (Add-in), Python SDK +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 7 | 16 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe, APAC |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more |
Capabilities | — | 4 signals: Universe builder, Multi-leg options +2 more |
| Try it | Visit CB Insights | Visit ORTEX |
Standout features
The best features of CB Insights and ORTEX.ShowHide
Standout features
What CB Insights does best
- Research coverage for private and public companies, investors, funding rounds, M&A, business relationships, earnings, markets, and competitive markets.
- Company profiles, market analytics, visual dashboards, deal analysis, 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 ORTEX does best
- Monitor short interest and securities-lending conditions with utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan.
- Comparison tools for lending-based short-interest estimates with official U.S. exchange-reported short interest and European flagged-short disclosures.
- Tracking intraday and real-time estimates from ORTEX lender and broker data pools where plan access supports those views.
- Research coverage for options activity and flow signals using OPRA-sourced options data, with OPRA terms required before access.
- Rule-based Short Squeeze, EPS, RSI, MACD, and Company Events signals with historical performance shown beside each trigger.
All details
Every attribute we track for CB Insights and ORTEX.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksOther | StocksETFsOptionsCurrencies |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North AmericaEuropeAPAC |
Coverage details | Not specified | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python |
Integrations | SalesforceMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft 365 CopilotSnowflakeAffinityZapierA2AMCP | Microsoft Excel (Add-in)Python SDKMCP |
Export formats | Not specified | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builderMulti-leg optionsGreeksEarnings vol edge |
Vendor & support | CB Information Services, Inc.Country: United StatesSupport: Email and Phone | Ortex Technologies LimitedCountry: United KingdomSupport: Email and Phone |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | Free |
| Entry paid plan | — | $39/mo“Basic Annual” |
| Tier 2 | — | $49/mo“Basic Monthly” |
| Tier 3 | — | $99/mo“Advanced Annual” |
| Tier 4 | — | $149/mo“Advanced Monthly” |
| Tier 5 | — | $49/mo“API Trader”rate limit: 1 req/s · scope: Single-stock APIs |
| Tier 6 | — | $149/mo“API Quant”rate limit: 5 req/s · scope: All APIs including bulk endpoints |
| Top plan | — | $499/mo“API Developer”rate limit: 50 req/s · scope: All APIs including bulk endpoints |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Browser Analyst”pricing: Request pricing | Contact sales“API Enterprise” |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between CB Insights and ORTEX?
CB Insights leans toward APIs & data feeds, sheets / excel add-ins, and screeners, while ORTEX puts more weight on short interest, insider data, and quant. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is CB Insights or ORTEX free to use?
ORTEX has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. CB Insights is paid-only. If budget matters, start with ORTEX and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Do CB Insights and ORTEX 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 ORTEX?
It depends on what you're after. Pick CB Insights if sheets / excel add-ins and corporate actions & special situations matter to you; go with ORTEX if you'd rather have short interest and insider data. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do CB Insights and ORTEX cover?
Both cover stocks. CB Insights also handles other. ORTEX adds ETFs, options, and currencies on top.
Does CB Insights or ORTEX have real-time data?
ORTEX offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. CB Insights 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.
Can I export data from CB Insights and ORTEX?
ORTEX exports to CSV. CB Insights is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: CB Insights or ORTEX?
Both CB Insights and ORTEX 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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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.