VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing ETF Central and The Motley Fool will find that Both ETF Central and The Motley Fool concentrate on Watchlist, News, and Education workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. ETF Central leans into ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, and Data Visualizations, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. The Motley Fool stands out with Stock Ideas, Portfolio, and Newsletters 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 The Motley Fool
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, and Courses & Certs coverage that The Motley Fool skips.
- The Motley Fool includes Stock Ideas, Portfolio, Newsletters, and Blogs 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..
- 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 Central skips.
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.
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
Pricing
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.
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.
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
| Attribute | ETF Central | The Motley Fool |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Watchlist, News, Education, Videos Unique: ETF Screeners, ETF Comparison, Data Visualizations, Money Flow, ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, Courses & Certs | Shared: Watchlist, News, Education, Videos Unique: Stock Ideas, Portfolio, Newsletters, Blogs |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | ETFs | Stocks, ETFs |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web | Web, Mobile |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free, Subscription |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
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 Central and The Motley Fool both support?
Both platforms cover Watchlist, 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 The Motley Fool require subscriptions?
Both ETF Central 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 Central focuses on web or desktop access.
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 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.