VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Head-to-head

ETF Action vs Open Payments (CMS) comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

ETF Action adds ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Valuation, ETF Factors, ETF Overlap, Screeners, Portfolio, Watchlist, Backtesting, 13F, Alerts, Blogs, and Videos coverage that Open Payments (CMS) skips.

Open Payments (CMS) includes APIs & SDKs, and Regulatory Filings Monitoring categories that ETF Action omits.

ETF Action highlights: Global ETF ‘Channels’ taxonomy with category reports and dashboards (Size & Style US/Global, Region & Country, Sector & Industry, Thematic, Fixed Income, Non‑Traditional, Commodities, Crypto)., Look‑through analytics on fund holdings for factor/style, sector/industry, country, concentration; portfolio overlap analysis across funds or entire models., and Flows & trading dashboards (volumes/ADV); flows noted as T+1 timing in daily updates..

Open Payments (CMS) is known for: Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests., Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal., and Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style)..

ETF Action logo

ETF Action

etfaction.com

Independent ETF analytics platform for advisors and asset managers. Offers global ETF classification, look‑through holdings analytics, overlap analysis, flows/volumes with T+1 flow timing, live quotes (FMV) via Polygon.io, model portfolio tools, 13F screening (Advisor Pro), and enterprise options including API access. DIY/Advisor Pro plans emphasize self‑service research and Excel/CSV downloads; Enterprise adds collaboration, custom dashboards, and API. A separate Model Builder plan enables model uploads and ‘Bridge’ trading integration. API details are not publicly documented—confirm endpoints and auth with vendor.

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Global ETF ‘Channels’ taxonomy with category reports and dashboards (Size & Style US/Global, Region & Country, Sector & Industry, Thematic, Fixed Income, Non‑Traditional, Commodities, Crypto).
  • Look‑through analytics on fund holdings for factor/style, sector/industry, country, concentration; portfolio overlap analysis across funds or entire models.
  • Flows & trading dashboards (volumes/ADV); flows noted as T+1 timing in daily updates.
  • Live pricing on platform pages via Polygon.io FMV quotes (real‑time-ish indicative).
  • Screeners for ETFs; watchlists; data exports to Excel/CSV (DIY 50 rows, Advisor Pro 500 rows).

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Open Payments (CMS) logo

Open Payments (CMS)

openpaymentsdata.cms.gov

U.S. federal open‑data program (Affordable Care Act ‘Sunshine Act’) that publishes financial relationships between drug/device manufacturers (and GPOs) and healthcare providers (physicians, NPPs since PY2021, and teaching hospitals). CMS publishes the prior program year’s full datasets on or before June 30 each year and issues a January refresh. Data are accessible via the web search tool, bulk downloads, and a REST Open Data API (filter, query, aggregate).

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
  • Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
  • Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
  • Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.
  • Pre‑publication workflow: 45‑day recipient review & dispute (Apr 1–May 15) + 15‑day correction window (May 16–May 30).

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

2 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data Visualizations, and Data APIs.

Where they differ

ETF Action

Distinct strengths include:

  • Global ETF ‘Channels’ taxonomy with category reports and dashboards (Size & Style US/Global, Region & Country, Sector & Industry, Thematic, Fixed Income, Non‑Traditional, Commodities, Crypto).
  • Look‑through analytics on fund holdings for factor/style, sector/industry, country, concentration; portfolio overlap analysis across funds or entire models.
  • Flows & trading dashboards (volumes/ADV); flows noted as T+1 timing in daily updates.
  • Live pricing on platform pages via Polygon.io FMV quotes (real‑time-ish indicative).

Open Payments (CMS)

Distinct strengths include:

  • Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
  • Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
  • Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
  • Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeETF ActionOpen Payments (CMS)
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data Visualizations, Data APIs

Unique: ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Valuation, ETF Factors, ETF Overlap, Screeners, Portfolio, Watchlist, Backtesting, 13F, Alerts, Blogs, Videos

Shared: Data Visualizations, Data APIs

Unique: APIs & SDKs, Regulatory Filings Monitoring

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

ETFs, Stocks

Other

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, API

Web, API

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Global ETF ‘Channels’ taxonomy with category reports and dashboards (Size & Style US/Global, Region & Country, Sector & Industry, Thematic, Fixed Income, Non‑Traditional, Commodities, Crypto).
  • Look‑through analytics on fund holdings for factor/style, sector/industry, country, concentration; portfolio overlap analysis across funds or entire models.
  • Flows & trading dashboards (volumes/ADV); flows noted as T+1 timing in daily updates.
  • Live pricing on platform pages via Polygon.io FMV quotes (real‑time-ish indicative).
  • Screeners for ETFs; watchlists; data exports to Excel/CSV (DIY 50 rows, Advisor Pro 500 rows).
  • Model portfolio creation & back‑testing; private model marketplaces for advisors/strategists.

Unique

  • Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests.
  • Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
  • Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style).
  • Publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around June 30 for the prior year, plus a January data refresh.
  • Pre‑publication workflow: 45‑day recipient review & dispute (Apr 1–May 15) + 15‑day correction window (May 16–May 30).
  • Supplemental/lookup tables (e.g., Covered Recipient Profile Supplement; distinct physician profile) to aid joins.
Tested

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Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do ETF Action and Open Payments (CMS) both support?

Both platforms cover Data Visualizations, and Data APIs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do ETF Action and Open Payments (CMS) require subscriptions?

Both ETF Action and Open Payments (CMS) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access ETF Action and Open Payments (CMS)?

Both ETF Action and Open Payments (CMS) 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?

ETF Action differentiates itself with Global ETF ‘Channels’ taxonomy with category reports and dashboards (Size & Style US/Global, Region & Country, Sector & Industry, Thematic, Fixed Income, Non‑Traditional, Commodities, Crypto)., Look‑through analytics on fund holdings for factor/style, sector/industry, country, concentration; portfolio overlap analysis across funds or entire models., and Flows & trading dashboards (volumes/ADV); flows noted as T+1 timing in daily updates., whereas Open Payments (CMS) stands out for Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests., Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal., and Open Data API (ODA) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (SoQL‑style)..

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.