VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

ETF Action vs The Motley Fool 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, Data Visualizations, Backtesting, 13F, Data APIs, and Alerts coverage that The Motley Fool skips.

The Motley Fool includes Stock Ideas, News, Education, and Newsletters 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..

The Motley Fool is known for: Stock Advisor membership includes two new stock recommendations per month, currently priced at $199/year, with a 30-day refund policy., Tiered memberships expand access: Epic ($499/year) adds research and scorecards; Epic Plus ($1,999/year) includes the real-money Moneyball Portfolio with daily guidance; Fool Portfolios ($3,999/year) provides access to Tom Gardner’s live portfolios; Fool One is an all-access bundle., and Mobile apps (iOS and Android) send instant notifications for new recommendations and service updates, plus tools to track “My Portfolios” and watchlists..

The Motley Fool offers mobile access, which ETF Action skips.

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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The Motley Fool logo

The Motley Fool

fool.com

A long-standing publisher and stock-picking service with both free content and premium memberships. The flagship Stock Advisor offers two new recommendations each month, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Higher tiers add more scorecards, tools, live model portfolios, and exclusive research. Mobile apps deliver real-time alerts for new picks and portfolio updates.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Stock Advisor membership includes two new stock recommendations per month, currently priced at $199/year, with a 30-day refund policy.
  • Tiered memberships expand access: Epic ($499/year) adds research and scorecards; Epic Plus ($1,999/year) includes the real-money Moneyball Portfolio with daily guidance; Fool Portfolios ($3,999/year) provides access to Tom Gardner’s live portfolios; Fool One is an all-access bundle.
  • Mobile apps (iOS and Android) send instant notifications for new recommendations and service updates, plus tools to track “My Portfolios” and watchlists.
  • Personal portfolio and watchlist features let you add tickers and monitor performance inside the platform.
  • Free market news, analysis articles, and daily podcasts such as Motley Fool Money.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Portfolio, Watchlist, and Blogs plus 1 more area.

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).

The Motley Fool

Distinct strengths include:

  • Stock Advisor membership includes two new stock recommendations per month, currently priced at $199/year, with a 30-day refund policy.
  • Tiered memberships expand access: Epic ($499/year) adds research and scorecards; Epic Plus ($1,999/year) includes the real-money Moneyball Portfolio with daily guidance; Fool Portfolios ($3,999/year) provides access to Tom Gardner’s live portfolios; Fool One is an all-access bundle.
  • Mobile apps (iOS and Android) send instant notifications for new recommendations and service updates, plus tools to track “My Portfolios” and watchlists.
  • Personal portfolio and watchlist features let you add tickers and monitor performance inside the platform.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeETF ActionThe Motley Fool
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Portfolio, Watchlist, Blogs, Videos

Unique: ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Valuation, ETF Factors, ETF Overlap, Screeners, Data Visualizations, Backtesting, 13F, Data APIs, Alerts

Shared: Portfolio, Watchlist, Blogs, Videos

Unique: Stock Ideas, News, Education, Newsletters

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

ETFs, Stocks

Stocks, ETFs

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, API

Web, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free, Subscription

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

  • Stock Advisor membership includes two new stock recommendations per month, currently priced at $199/year, with a 30-day refund policy.
  • Tiered memberships expand access: Epic ($499/year) adds research and scorecards; Epic Plus ($1,999/year) includes the real-money Moneyball Portfolio with daily guidance; Fool Portfolios ($3,999/year) provides access to Tom Gardner’s live portfolios; Fool One is an all-access bundle.
  • Mobile apps (iOS and Android) send instant notifications for new recommendations and service updates, plus tools to track “My Portfolios” and watchlists.
  • Personal portfolio and watchlist features let you add tickers and monitor performance inside the platform.
  • Free market news, analysis articles, and daily podcasts such as Motley Fool Money.
  • Market pages give quick snapshots of indices and top stock movers.
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 ETF Action and The Motley Fool both support?

Both platforms cover Portfolio, Watchlist, Blogs, and Videos workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do ETF Action and The Motley Fool require subscriptions?

Both ETF Action and The Motley Fool keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

The Motley Fool ships a dedicated mobile experience, while ETF Action focuses on web or desktop access.

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 The Motley Fool stands out for Stock Advisor membership includes two new stock recommendations per month, currently priced at $199/year, with a 30-day refund policy., Tiered memberships expand access: Epic ($499/year) adds research and scorecards; Epic Plus ($1,999/year) includes the real-money Moneyball Portfolio with daily guidance; Fool Portfolios ($3,999/year) provides access to Tom Gardner’s live portfolios; Fool One is an all-access bundle., and Mobile apps (iOS and Android) send instant notifications for new recommendations and service updates, plus tools to track “My Portfolios” and watchlists..

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.