VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

ETF Insider vs The Zen of Investing comparison

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

Quick takeaways

ETF Insider adds ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Factors, ETF Overlap, ETF Screeners, Data Visualizations, Portfolio, Correlation, and APIs & SDKs coverage that The Zen of Investing skips.

The Zen of Investing includes Spin-offs, and Calendar categories that ETF Insider omits.

ETF Insider highlights: Holdings look‑through & overlap: visualize shared constituents across funds to surface concentration risk and duplication., Correlation matrix across portfolio assets; efficient‑frontier visualization with Sharpe‑ratio context., and Sankey diagrams, drill‑downs by asset class, sector, geography and exchange; customizable visualizations..

The Zen of Investing is known for: Covers U.S. spinoffs and select international cases, with a clear focus on special situations., “Upcoming Spinoffs” list tracks definitively announced events, often with links to presentations and filings., and “Recent Spinoffs” page compiles completed transactions, including prospectuses and investor decks..

ETF Insider logo

ETF Insider

etfinsider.co

Editor’s pick Hands-on review

ETF & mutual fund overlap/correlation and portfolio visualization tool featuring Sankey look‑through, correlation matrices, and efficient‑frontier (Sharpe) views. Free tier allows up to 4 saved portfolios and limited full‑holdings visibility; Pro ($14/mo) unlocks unlimited portfolios, full holdings depth, and Excel export. Enterprise adds a financial data API, custom reports/visualizations, and white‑label options. Coverage explicitly includes **US‑listed ETFs & mutual funds**; equities coverage is described as **international** on pricing, but the FAQ states non‑US assets not listed in the US are not supported (current constraint). Holdings are sourced primarily from SEC EDGAR and refreshed on a quarterly cadence based on filings; data may be delayed per exchanges/providers.

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Holdings look‑through & overlap: visualize shared constituents across funds to surface concentration risk and duplication.
  • Correlation matrix across portfolio assets; efficient‑frontier visualization with Sharpe‑ratio context.
  • Sankey diagrams, drill‑downs by asset class, sector, geography and exchange; customizable visualizations.
  • ETF screener (filters by asset class, geography, theme, provider, sector) and performance & info panels.
  • Portfolio tooling: save portfolios (4 on Free; unlimited on Pro), CSV upload (Symbol, Quantity).

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The Zen of Investing logo

The Zen of Investing

thezenofinvesting.com

A free, niche site dedicated to spinoffs and special situations. It maintains curated lists of upcoming and recent spinoffs, often linking directly to investor decks, prospectuses, and filings. The site also offers RSS feeds for SEC prospectus and tender-offer filings, making it a useful resource for event-driven investors. No subscriptions, paywalls, or API access are offered.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Covers U.S. spinoffs and select international cases, with a clear focus on special situations.
  • “Upcoming Spinoffs” list tracks definitively announced events, often with links to presentations and filings.
  • “Recent Spinoffs” page compiles completed transactions, including prospectuses and investor decks.
  • Archives investor-relations PDFs from major spinoff companies, such as DuPont or GE Vernova.
  • Publishes RSS feeds that surface SEC prospectus and tender-offer filings for easy monitoring.

Community votes (overall)

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

1 overlap

Both tools cover this research theme.

Where they differ

ETF Insider

Distinct strengths include:

  • Holdings look‑through & overlap: visualize shared constituents across funds to surface concentration risk and duplication.
  • Correlation matrix across portfolio assets; efficient‑frontier visualization with Sharpe‑ratio context.
  • Sankey diagrams, drill‑downs by asset class, sector, geography and exchange; customizable visualizations.
  • ETF screener (filters by asset class, geography, theme, provider, sector) and performance & info panels.

The Zen of Investing

Distinct strengths include:

  • Covers U.S. spinoffs and select international cases, with a clear focus on special situations.
  • “Upcoming Spinoffs” list tracks definitively announced events, often with links to presentations and filings.
  • “Recent Spinoffs” page compiles completed transactions, including prospectuses and investor decks.
  • Archives investor-relations PDFs from major spinoff companies, such as DuPont or GE Vernova.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeETF InsiderThe Zen of Investing
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Blogs

Unique: ETF Overview, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Factors, ETF Overlap, ETF Screeners, Data Visualizations, Portfolio, Correlation, APIs & SDKs

Shared: Blogs

Unique: Spin-offs, Calendar

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

ETFs, Mutual Funds, Stocks

Stocks

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, API

Web

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Holdings look‑through & overlap: visualize shared constituents across funds to surface concentration risk and duplication.
  • Correlation matrix across portfolio assets; efficient‑frontier visualization with Sharpe‑ratio context.
  • Sankey diagrams, drill‑downs by asset class, sector, geography and exchange; customizable visualizations.
  • ETF screener (filters by asset class, geography, theme, provider, sector) and performance & info panels.
  • Portfolio tooling: save portfolios (4 on Free; unlimited on Pro), CSV upload (Symbol, Quantity).
  • Exports (Pro): Export to Excel; save charts as PDF or image; shareable portfolio links.

Unique

  • Covers U.S. spinoffs and select international cases, with a clear focus on special situations.
  • “Upcoming Spinoffs” list tracks definitively announced events, often with links to presentations and filings.
  • “Recent Spinoffs” page compiles completed transactions, including prospectuses and investor decks.
  • Archives investor-relations PDFs from major spinoff companies, such as DuPont or GE Vernova.
  • Publishes RSS feeds that surface SEC prospectus and tender-offer filings for easy monitoring.
  • Simple, free access with a contact form for inquiries; no paid plans or gated features.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Yes

Not yet

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Highlighted

Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do ETF Insider and The Zen of Investing both support?

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

Do ETF Insider and The Zen of Investing require subscriptions?

Both ETF Insider and The Zen of Investing keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access ETF Insider and The Zen of Investing?

Both ETF Insider and The Zen of Investing 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 Insider differentiates itself with Holdings look‑through & overlap: visualize shared constituents across funds to surface concentration risk and duplication., Correlation matrix across portfolio assets; efficient‑frontier visualization with Sharpe‑ratio context., and Sankey diagrams, drill‑downs by asset class, sector, geography and exchange; customizable visualizations., whereas The Zen of Investing stands out for Covers U.S. spinoffs and select international cases, with a clear focus on special situations., “Upcoming Spinoffs” list tracks definitively announced events, often with links to presentations and filings., and “Recent Spinoffs” page compiles completed transactions, including prospectuses and investor decks..

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.