BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON

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Checked September 24, 2026

Tool Comparison

ETF Research Center vs HedgeFollow

Paid from
$29/mo
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web

Best if

  • You want ETF screeners, ETF comparison, and ETF factors.
Paid from
—
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web

Best if

  • Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
  • You want institutional ownership, insider data, and screeners.

Pick ETF Research Center if

ETF Research Center logo

ETF Research Center

etfrc.comTested

Free • From $29/mo · Web

  • You want ETF screeners, ETF comparison, and ETF factors.

Pick HedgeFollow if

HedgeFollow logo

HedgeFollow

hedgefollow.com

Free • Paid plans available · Web

  • Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
  • You want institutional ownership, insider data, and screeners.

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 Research Center and HedgeFollow cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including ETF analysis, money flow, and portfolio), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. ETF Research Center includes ETF screeners and ETF comparison, and HedgeFollow includes institutional ownership and insider data.

What readers say

ETF Research Center

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HedgeFollow

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Key differences at a glance

Real-time data
HedgeFollow
Free trial
ETF Research Center30 days
Asset coverage
HedgeFollowAdds stocks and options
Free plan
Both
See the full side-by-side table
ETF Research Center logo

What ETF Research Center does best

  1. Screening for ETFs with the Equity Power Screener using performance, technical indicators, fundamentals, valuations, ratings, and premium-gated criteria.
  2. Fund Finder views across general, equity, and fixed-income metrics to narrow ETF candidates.
  3. Comparison tools for fund overlap to see shared holdings, top differences, and overlap matrices against benchmarks or portfolios.
  4. Stock Locator to find ETFs holding a specific stock, including weights and shares, with full lists available through a free account.
  5. Comparison tools for total cost of ownership using expense ratios, spreads, commissions, holding period, and custom assumptions.
HedgeFollow logo

What HedgeFollow does best

  1. Fund pages show estimated assets under management, holdings, trades, concentration, turnover, performance estimates, and HedgeFollow ratings.
  2. The insider tracker refreshes every five minutes and filters Form 4 transactions by role, value, date, and transaction type.
  3. The filing feed covers Forms 13F, 13D, 13G, and Form 4.
  4. Stock pages show institutional holders, reported calls and puts, ownership trends, average buy prices, and money-flow estimates.
  5. ETF dashboards aggregate institutional activity for Bitcoin, gold, silver, and oil funds.

Side by side

Pricing & plans
Starting price
Free • From $29/mo
Free • Paid plans available
Free tier
Yes
Yes
Free trial
30 days
—
Platforms & access
Web app
Yes
Yes
Mobile app
No
No
API access
No
No
Broker sync
No
No
Coverage & data
Asset types
ETFs
StocksETFsOptions
Data freshness
End of Day
Real-timeEnd of Day
Data granularity
EOD
EOD
Export formats
CSVPDF
Not specified

Pricing comparison

Free plan
Free“Basic”
Free
Entry paid plan
$29/mo“Individual”
Subscription“Paid subscription”
Top plan
$99/mo“Professional”
—
Free trial
30 days
—

See for yourself

Side by side

Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.
Show
Side-by-side comparison of ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow
Attribute
ETF Research Center logo
ETF Research Center
HedgeFollow logo
HedgeFollow
Pricing & plans
Starting price
Free • From $29/moFree • Paid plans available
Free tier
YesYes
Free trial
30 days—
Platforms & access
Web app
YesYes
Mobile app
NoNo
API access
NoNo
Broker sync
NoNo
Audience & fit
Experience level
Beginner, Intermediate, AdvancedBeginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Best for
——
Categories covered
1111
Regions
North AmericaNorth America
Data & capabilities
Data quality
4 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +2 moreLatency: Real-time and End of Day and Granularity: EOD
Capabilities
Universe builder and Factor exposure—
Try itVisit ETF Research CenterVisit HedgeFollow

Standout features

The best features of ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow.
Show
ETF Research Center logo

What ETF Research Center does best

  1. Screening for ETFs with the Equity Power Screener using performance, technical indicators, fundamentals, valuations, ratings, and premium-gated criteria.
  2. Fund Finder views across general, equity, and fixed-income metrics to narrow ETF candidates.
  3. Comparison tools for fund overlap to see shared holdings, top differences, and overlap matrices against benchmarks or portfolios.
  4. Stock Locator to find ETFs holding a specific stock, including weights and shares, with full lists available through a free account.
  5. Comparison tools for total cost of ownership using expense ratios, spreads, commissions, holding period, and custom assumptions.
HedgeFollow logo

What HedgeFollow does best

  1. Fund pages show estimated assets under management, holdings, trades, concentration, turnover, performance estimates, and HedgeFollow ratings.
  2. The insider tracker refreshes every five minutes and filters Form 4 transactions by role, value, date, and transaction type.
  3. The filing feed covers Forms 13F, 13D, 13G, and Form 4.
  4. Stock pages show institutional holders, reported calls and puts, ownership trends, average buy prices, and money-flow estimates.
  5. ETF dashboards aggregate institutional activity for Bitcoin, gold, silver, and oil funds.

All details

Every attribute we track for ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow.
Show
Attribute
ETF Research Center logo
ETF Research Center
HedgeFollow logo
HedgeFollow
Coverage & fit
Asset types
ETFs
StocksETFsOptions
Experience
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Regions
North America
North America
Coverage details
Countries: US and CAIdentifiers: Ticker
Countries: US4 exchangesIdentifiers: Ticker
Data
Data freshness
End of Day
Real-timeEnd of Day
Data granularity
EOD
EOD
Access & integrations
Import methods
Not specified
CSVManual
Export formats
CSVPDF
Not specified
Plans & trust
Capability signals
Universe builderFactor exposure
Not specified
Vendor & support
AltaVista ResearchCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email and Phone
HedgeFollowSupport: Chat
Curation ratings
Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5
Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 4/5

Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.

Pricing

Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.
Show
Plan-by-plan pricing comparison of ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow
Tier
ETF Research Center logo
ETF Research Center
HedgeFollow logo
HedgeFollowCheaper start
Free plan
Free“Basic”
Free
Entry paid plan
$29/mo“Individual”
Subscription“Paid subscription”
Top plan
$99/mo“Professional”
—
Free trial30 days—

Questions we keep getting

What's the difference between ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow?

ETF Research Center leans toward ETF screeners, ETF comparison, and ETF analysis, while HedgeFollow puts more weight on institutional ownership, insider data, and screeners. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.

How much do ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow cost?

Good news: both ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.

Should I choose ETF Research Center or HedgeFollow?

It depends on what you're after. Pick ETF Research Center if ETF screeners and ETF comparison matter to you; go with HedgeFollow if you'd rather have institutional ownership and insider data. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.

What asset classes do ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow cover?

Both cover ETFs. HedgeFollow adds stocks and options on top.

Does ETF Research Center or HedgeFollow have real-time data?

HedgeFollow offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. ETF Research Center 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 Research Center and HedgeFollow?

ETF Research Center exports to CSV. HedgeFollow is stingier about getting data out.

Which has a better stock screener: ETF Research Center or HedgeFollow?

Both ETF Research Center and HedgeFollow include stock screeners, and they differ more in interface than raw power; try both and see which one clicks for you.

Can I track my portfolio with ETF Research Center or HedgeFollow?

Yes, both do portfolio tracking: holdings, performance, and allocation in one place.

Feedback

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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.