VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing ETF Central and Google Finance will find that Both ETF Central and Google Finance concentrate on Data Visualizations, ETF Overview, and ETF Holdings workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. ETF Central leans into ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, and Money Flow, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. Google Finance stands out with Portfolio, Stock Comparison, and Financials that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
ETF Central vs Google Finance
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- ETF Central adds ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, Money Flow, ETF Performance, ETF Fundamentals, Education, Videos, and Courses & Certs coverage that Google Finance skips.
- Google Finance includes Portfolio, Stock Comparison, and Financials categories that ETF Central omits.
- ETF Central highlights: ETF Screener with Trackinsight’s Thematic Taxonomy presets and filters., Compare ETFs side‑by‑side across performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings., and Segments dashboard showing movers by performance and fund flows with time toggles..
- Google Finance is known for: Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols., Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency., and Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR)..
ETF Central
etfcentral.com
Free, NYSE‑partnered portal by Trackinsight for U.S. ETFs (~3,000). Features include a taxonomy‑driven ETF screener, side‑by‑side comparison (performance/liquidity/risk/exposure/holdings), ‘Segments on the move’ (flows & performance), a personal Watchlist with one‑click Excel export, timely news (incl. VettaFi bylines), the ETF U education library, podcasts, and a path to the ETF Institute (CETF). No public API or trading/execution.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- ETF Screener with Trackinsight’s Thematic Taxonomy presets and filters.
- Compare ETFs side‑by‑side across performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings.
- Segments dashboard showing movers by performance and fund flows with time toggles.
- Watchlist: track up to 100 ETFs, customize 27 columns, and export to Excel.
- Latest ETF news stream (includes VettaFi authors), plus a dedicated Podcasts page.
Google Finance
google.com
Free web portal for quotes, charts, news, watchlists, and simple portfolio tracking. Portfolios can include stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, and crypto, with returns shown using time-weighted calculations. Data freshness varies by source: some exchanges stream in real time, while others are delayed (e.g., 15 minutes for many equities, 10 minutes for CME futures, end-of-day for mutual funds). Currency and crypto quotes update every few minutes. Google Sheets supports the GOOGLEFINANCE() function for live data pulls, though no public REST API is offered.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols.
- Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency.
- Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR).
- Interactive charts, quotes, and aggregated financial news across global markets.
- Coverage across multiple asset classes with varied latency: U.S. equities often real-time, international equities typically 15-minute delay, futures about 10 minutes, crypto and currencies ~3 minutes, and mutual funds end-of-day.
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
ETF Central
Distinct strengths include:
- ETF Screener with Trackinsight’s Thematic Taxonomy presets and filters.
- Compare ETFs side‑by‑side across performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings.
- Segments dashboard showing movers by performance and fund flows with time toggles.
- Watchlist: track up to 100 ETFs, customize 27 columns, and export to Excel.
Google Finance
Distinct strengths include:
- Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols.
- Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency.
- Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR).
- Interactive charts, quotes, and aggregated financial news across global markets.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | ETF Central | Google Finance |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Data Visualizations, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Watchlist, News Unique: ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, Money Flow, ETF Performance, ETF Fundamentals, Education, Videos, Courses & Certs | Shared: Data Visualizations, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Watchlist, News Unique: Portfolio, Stock Comparison, Financials |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | ETFs | Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Currencies, Cryptos, Futures, Bonds |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web | Web |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Yes |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Highlighted |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do ETF Central and Google Finance both support?
Both platforms cover Data Visualizations, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Watchlist, and News workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do ETF Central and Google Finance require subscriptions?
Both ETF Central and Google Finance keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access ETF Central and Google Finance?
Both ETF Central and Google Finance 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 Central differentiates itself with ETF Screener with Trackinsight’s Thematic Taxonomy presets and filters., Compare ETFs side‑by‑side across performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings., and Segments dashboard showing movers by performance and fund flows with time toggles., whereas Google Finance stands out for Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols., Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency., and Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR)..
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.