★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
ETF Insider vs Firefly III
Start here
ETF Insider
Free • From $14/mo · Web · API
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You care about ETF screeners, screeners, and data visualizations, things Firefly III doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick Firefly III instead if
Firefly III
Free · Web · API
- You care about webhooks and other, things ETF Insider doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
ETF Insider and Firefly III cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, portfolio and APIs & data feeds), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. ETF Insider simply does more: 11 categories to Firefly III's 4, including ETF screeners, screeners, and data visualizations. Firefly III counters by being completely free.
What readers say
ETF Insider
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Firefly III
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- ETF Insider
- Broader coverage
- ETF Insider11 vs 4 categories
- Free plan
- Both
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $14/mo | Free |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 5 limits: Free: saved portfolios: 4, Free: holdings depth: Limited full holdings data +3 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | No |
Integrations | — | Salt Edge, GoCardless +2 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +3 more | — |
Categories covered | 11 | 4 |
Regions | North America | — |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: Real-time | — |
Data partners | SEC EDGAR and Issuer Websites | — |
Capabilities | 3 signals: Factor exposure, Portfolio factor exposure +1 more | — |
| Try it | Visit ETF Insider | Visit Firefly III |
Where each one shines
What ETF Insider and Firefly III each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What ETF Insider and Firefly III each do best.What ETF Insider does best
- Visualizations for ETF, mutual fund, and stock portfolios through a network-style look-through view of underlying holdings.
- Analysis of ETF overlap, fund overlap, sector concentration, geography exposure, market-cap exposure, and single-name concentration risk.
- Portfolio tabs for performance, diversification, asset correlations, beta, fund overlap, and holdings breakdown.
- Screening for ETFs and mutual funds by asset class, geography, theme, provider, sector, performance, and related fund information.
- Comparison tools for portfolio risk and efficiency with standard deviation, beta, diversification labels, Sharpe-ratio views, and efficient-frontier style charts.
What Firefly III does best
- Self-host a personal finance ledger under the AGPLv3 open-source license rather than using a hosted budgeting app.
- Tracking accounts and transactions with double-entry bookkeeping, budgets, categories, tags, recurring transactions, subscriptions, piggy banks, rules, and reporting.
- The JSON REST API with OAuth2, personal access tokens, and a full OpenAPI specification for dashboards, automations, and personal analytics.
- Optional event webhooks for transaction create, update, and delete events when enabled through environment configuration.
- Import support for transaction data through the separate Firefly III Data Importer, CSV and CAMT.053 files, and optional providers such as Salt Edge, GoCardless, and SimpleFIN.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for ETF Insider and Firefly III, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for ETF Insider and Firefly III, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | ETFsMutual FundsStocks | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsLong-term InvestorsIndex/Passive Investors | Not specified |
Regions | North America | Not specified |
Coverage details | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker | Not specified |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-time | Not specified |
Data partners | SEC EDGARIssuer Websites | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: OAuth2 and APIKeyWebhooks |
Import methods | CSVManual | CSVManual |
Integrations | Not specified | Salt EdgeGoCardlessSimpleFINSlack |
Export formats | ImagePDFExcel | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Factor exposurePortfolio factor exposureCorrelation | Not specified |
Vendor & support | ETF InsiderCountry: IsraelFounded 2022Support: Email | Firefly III (open-source project)Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freesaved portfolios: 4 · holdings depth: Limited full holdings data | Free |
| Entry paid plan | $14/mo“Pro”saved portfolios: Unlimited · holdings depth: Unlimited full holdings data · +1 more | — |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Enterprise” | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between ETF Insider and Firefly III?
ETF Insider leans toward ETF screeners, screeners, and data visualizations, while Firefly III puts more weight on portfolio, APIs & data feeds, and webhooks. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do ETF Insider and Firefly III cost?
Good news: both ETF Insider and Firefly III have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Do ETF Insider and Firefly III have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose ETF Insider or Firefly III?
It depends on what you're after. Pick ETF Insider if ETF screeners and screeners matter to you; go with Firefly III if you'd rather have webhooks and other. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do ETF Insider and Firefly III cover?
ETF Insider covers ETFs, mutual funds, and stocks. Firefly III covers other.
Does ETF Insider or Firefly III have real-time data?
ETF Insider offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. Firefly III runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Can I export data from ETF Insider and Firefly III?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (ETF Insider: Excel; Firefly III: CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: ETF Insider or Firefly III?
ETF Insider has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Firefly III doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with ETF Insider or Firefly III?
Yes, both do portfolio tracking: holdings, performance, and allocation in one place.
Keep researching
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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.