★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Source check: The Ledger Terminal checked June 19, 2026
Tool Comparison
Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) vs The Ledger Terminal
Pick Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) instead if
Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US)
Best for macro data
Free · Web · 100% positive (1 vote)
- You care about macro data, something The Ledger Terminal doesn't offer
Start here
The Ledger Terminal
Best for stock ideas and screeners
Free • From $12/mo · Web
- You care about stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison, things Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
The verdict
The bottom line
Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) and The Ledger Terminal cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, valuation models, financials, and education), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. The Ledger Terminal simply does more: 16 categories to Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US)'s 4, including stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison. Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) counters by being completely free.
Key differences at a glance
- Asset coverage
- Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US)Adds real estate
- Free trial
- The Ledger Terminal7 days
- Broader coverage
- The Ledger Terminal16 vs 4 categories
- Free plan
- Both
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free • From $12/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | — | 7 limits: Free: anonymous daily stock views: 5, Free: authenticated daily stock views: 10 +5 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | No | No |
Integrations | — | SEC EDGAR source links and Third-party financial data |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +7 more |
Categories covered | 4 | 16 |
Regions | North America | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: End of Day and Timezone: America/New_York | 3 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +1 more |
Data partners | — | 3 partners: SEC EDGAR, Third-party financial data +1 more |
Capabilities | — | Universe builder and Factors: Value, Quality, Growth, and Size |
Security | — | Data residency: EU and Other and Encryption in transit |
| Try it | Visit Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) | Visit The Ledger Terminal |
Standout features
What Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) does best
- Review U.S. industry-level cost-of-capital assumptions in one table, including industry name, number of firms, beta, cost of equity, cost of debt, tax rate, leverage weights, and WACC.
- Download the direct Excel file for offline valuation models, investment memos, and spreadsheet workflows.
- Use the dataset as a starting sector baseline when estimating discount rates for DCF or corporate-finance analysis.
- Reference the January data snapshot when documenting the vintage of WACC, beta, debt-cost, tax-rate, and capital-structure assumptions.
- Use the linked methodology resources to understand bottom-up beta estimation, unlevering and relevering, equity risk premiums, debt costs, and WACC construction.
What The Ledger Terminal does best
- Open one-page stock tearsheets that combine business description, historical financials, valuation visuals, quality checks, SEC filing links, and relevant news.
- Research 10,000+ quality-filtered U.S.-listed stocks while noting that OTC stocks, shell companies, penny stocks, and SPACs are excluded in the pricing FAQ.
- Review SEC EDGAR-derived financial-statement history with source filing links, automated QA checks, annual and quarterly data, and trailing twelve months where available.
- Use log-scale valuation charts to compare price against fair value views such as P/E, P/FCF, P/CF, and P/OE owner earnings.
- Apply a 9-point quality checklist covering profitability, growth, capital efficiency, shareholder returns, fair value, and balance-sheet health.
Data & access details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksReal Estate | Stocks |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsQuality InvestorsGrowth InvestorsDividend InvestorsAnalysts+1 more |
Regions | North America | North America |
Coverage details | Countries: US | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | End of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
Pricing sources | Not specified | VendorModel |
Data partners | Not specified | SEC EDGARThird-party financial dataFinancial outlets and wire services |
| Access & integrations | ||
Import methods | Not specified | Manual |
Integrations | Not specified | SEC EDGAR source linksThird-party financial data |
Export formats | Excel | Excel |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Data residency: EU and OtherEncryption in transit |
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builderFactors: Value, Quality, Growth, and Size |
Vendor & support | Aswath Damodaran (NYU Stern School of Business)Country: US | The Ledger TerminalCountry: PortugalSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 5/5Reliability 4/5UX 3/5 | Not specified |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
Free
Lower starting price
Plans & pricing
$12/mo
Starting price
Plans & pricing
- anonymous daily stock views: 5
- authenticated daily stock views: 10
- public starting price monthly usd: 12
- financial history years: 15
- +1 more
- discount percent: 30
- slots: 100
Coverage overlap
Shared categories
3Where the two tools cover the same ground.
Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) strengths
1What you only get with Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US).
The Ledger Terminal strengths
13What you only get with The Ledger Terminal.
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) and The Ledger Terminal?
Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) leans toward valuation models, financials, and macro data, while The Ledger Terminal puts more weight on stock ideas, screeners, and stock comparison. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) and The Ledger Terminal cost?
Good news: both Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) and The Ledger Terminal have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Should I choose Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) or The Ledger Terminal?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) if macro data matter to you; go with The Ledger Terminal if you'd rather have stock ideas and screeners. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) and The Ledger Terminal cover?
Both cover stocks. Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) also handles real estate.
Can I export data from Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) and The Ledger Terminal?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (Excel), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) or The Ledger Terminal?
The Ledger Terminal has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Damodaran - Cost of Capital by Sector (US) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
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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.