VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

ETF Central vs Investopedia comparison

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

Quick takeaways

ETF Central adds ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, Data Visualizations, Money Flow, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, Watchlist, and Courses & Certs coverage that Investopedia skips.

Investopedia includes Paper Trading, Newsletters, and Stock Handbook 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..

Investopedia is known for: Extensive financial dictionary (14,000+ definitions) and more than 36,000 articles, attracting over 40 million monthly readers., Free paper-trading Simulator with $100k in virtual cash, supporting market, limit, and stop orders on delayed data (~20 minutes)., and Assets supported in the Simulator include stocks, options, ETFs, and select cryptocurrencies, limited to NYSE and Nasdaq listings..

ETF Central logo

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.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

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.

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Investopedia logo

Investopedia

investopedia.com

Hands-on review

Free financial education site best known for its dictionary, guides, and market explainers. Includes a paper-trading Simulator with $100k virtual cash that supports stocks, ETFs, options, and select crypto on NYSE/Nasdaq (quotes delayed ~20–30 minutes). Investopedia Academy courses were discontinued in June 2024, with past purchasers given access instructions via email.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Extensive financial dictionary (14,000+ definitions) and more than 36,000 articles, attracting over 40 million monthly readers.
  • Free paper-trading Simulator with $100k in virtual cash, supporting market, limit, and stop orders on delayed data (~20 minutes).
  • Assets supported in the Simulator include stocks, options, ETFs, and select cryptocurrencies, limited to NYSE and Nasdaq listings.
  • Option to create public or private games with configurable rules such as margin use, short selling, or options trading, plus leaderboards.
  • Built-in research tools, price charts, company information, and a stock screener integrated with the Simulator.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

3 overlaps

Mutual strengths include News, Education, and Videos.

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.

Investopedia

Distinct strengths include:

  • Extensive financial dictionary (14,000+ definitions) and more than 36,000 articles, attracting over 40 million monthly readers.
  • Free paper-trading Simulator with $100k in virtual cash, supporting market, limit, and stop orders on delayed data (~20 minutes).
  • Assets supported in the Simulator include stocks, options, ETFs, and select cryptocurrencies, limited to NYSE and Nasdaq listings.
  • Option to create public or private games with configurable rules such as margin use, short selling, or options trading, plus leaderboards.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeETF CentralInvestopedia
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: News, Education, Videos

Unique: ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, Data Visualizations, Money Flow, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, Watchlist, Courses & Certs

Shared: News, Education, Videos

Unique: Paper Trading, Newsletters, Stock Handbook

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

ETFs

Stocks, ETFs, Options, Cryptos

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

  • 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.
  • ETF U education hub and linkout to The ETF Institute (CETF certification).

Unique

  • Extensive financial dictionary (14,000+ definitions) and more than 36,000 articles, attracting over 40 million monthly readers.
  • Free paper-trading Simulator with $100k in virtual cash, supporting market, limit, and stop orders on delayed data (~20 minutes).
  • Assets supported in the Simulator include stocks, options, ETFs, and select cryptocurrencies, limited to NYSE and Nasdaq listings.
  • Option to create public or private games with configurable rules such as margin use, short selling, or options trading, plus leaderboards.
  • Built-in research tools, price charts, company information, and a stock screener integrated with the Simulator.
  • Regularly updated financial news coverage and opt-in newsletters, including Investopedia Daily.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

Yes

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Standard listing

Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do ETF Central and Investopedia both support?

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

Do ETF Central and Investopedia require subscriptions?

Both ETF Central and Investopedia keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access ETF Central and Investopedia?

Both ETF Central and Investopedia 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 Investopedia stands out for Extensive financial dictionary (14,000+ definitions) and more than 36,000 articles, attracting over 40 million monthly readers., Free paper-trading Simulator with $100k in virtual cash, supporting market, limit, and stop orders on delayed data (~20 minutes)., and Assets supported in the Simulator include stocks, options, ETFs, and select cryptocurrencies, limited to NYSE and Nasdaq listings..

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.