VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ A CURATED DIRECTORY OF FINANCIAL TOOLS ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Friday, December 12, 2025

Tool Comparison

eToro vs ORTEX comparison

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

Quick takeaways

eToro adds Brokerage, Copy/Social Trading, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Portfolio, Watchlist, Alerts, Dividends, IPO, Analyst Forecasts, and Education coverage that ORTEX skips.

ORTEX includes Short Interest, Insider Data, Quant, Index Rebalancing, Money Flow, Options & Derivatives, Options, Data APIs, US Government Trades, Screeners, and Blogs categories that eToro omits.

In depth comparison

eToro logo

eToro

etoro.com

A multi-asset broker combining traditional investing with social trading. Known for CopyTrader™, Smart Portfolios, and a $100K demo account. In the U.S., stock and ETF trading is commission-free, options trade at zero commission or contract fees, and crypto carries a 1% fee with state restrictions. CopyTrader is limited to crypto in the U.S., while Smart Portfolios require a $500 minimum investment. Copying other traders starts from $200.

Platforms

WebMobile

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Commission-free trading on U.S. stocks and ETFs; crypto trades incur a 1% fee; $0 withdrawal fee (minimum withdrawal $30).
  • Options trading in the U.S. with no commissions and no contract fees, offered via the eToro Options app.
  • CopyTrader™ allows users to mirror the trades of other investors in real time; copying is free, with a $200 minimum.
  • Smart Portfolios group assets thematically and are managed by eToro’s Investment Team; they rebalance regularly, require a $500 minimum, and carry no management fees.
  • Practice trading with a $100,000 virtual portfolio.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes
You haven't voted yet
ORTEX logo

ORTEX

public.ortex.com

Hands-on review

Analytics platform focused on short interest and securities lending, with additional coverage of options flow, insider trades, analyst views, and index rebalances. Offers a free tier with limited features, plus paid plans (Basic $39/mo, Advanced $129/mo). Options data is sourced from OPRA and requires agreeing to OPRA terms. API access is available with key-based authentication, and an Excel Add-in (beta) supports short interest data.

Platforms

WebMobileAPI

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

  • Short interest and lending analytics including utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan, with intraday and real-time estimates from a large pool of lenders and brokers.
  • Official U.S. exchange-reported short interest (bi-monthly) and European flagged shorts, alongside lending-based estimates.
  • Options coverage with unusual activity and flow detection; OPRA-sourced data gated by user agreement to OPRA terms.
  • Alpha trading signals across themes like Short Squeeze, EPS, RSI, MACD, and Company Events, each with back-tested stats and intraday updates.
  • Configurable stock screener including short-interest columns; results can be exported.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes
You haven't voted yet

Where they differ

eToro

Distinct strengths include:

  • Commission-free trading on U.S. stocks and ETFs; crypto trades incur a 1% fee; $0 withdrawal fee (minimum withdrawal $30).
  • Options trading in the U.S. with no commissions and no contract fees, offered via the eToro Options app.
  • CopyTrader™ allows users to mirror the trades of other investors in real time; copying is free, with a $200 minimum.
  • Smart Portfolios group assets thematically and are managed by eToro’s Investment Team; they rebalance regularly, require a $500 minimum, and carry no management fees.

ORTEX

Distinct strengths include:

  • Short interest and lending analytics including utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan, with intraday and real-time estimates from a large pool of lenders and brokers.
  • Official U.S. exchange-reported short interest (bi-monthly) and European flagged shorts, alongside lending-based estimates.
  • Options coverage with unusual activity and flow detection; OPRA-sourced data gated by user agreement to OPRA terms.
  • Alpha trading signals across themes like Short Squeeze, EPS, RSI, MACD, and Company Events, each with back-tested stats and intraday updates.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeeToroORTEX
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: News, Calendar, Data Visualizations, Analyst Recommendations, Analyst Price Targets

Unique: Brokerage, Copy/Social Trading, Paper Trading, Advanced Order Types, Portfolio, Watchlist, Alerts, Dividends, IPO, Analyst Forecasts, Education

Shared: News, Calendar, Data Visualizations, Analyst Recommendations, Analyst Price Targets

Unique: Short Interest, Insider Data, Quant, Index Rebalancing, Money Flow, Options & Derivatives, Options, Data APIs, US Government Trades, Screeners, Blogs

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Options, Cryptos, Commodities, Currencies

Stocks, ETFs, Options

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, Mobile

Web, Mobile, API

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Commission-free trading on U.S. stocks and ETFs; crypto trades incur a 1% fee; $0 withdrawal fee (minimum withdrawal $30).
  • Options trading in the U.S. with no commissions and no contract fees, offered via the eToro Options app.
  • CopyTrader™ allows users to mirror the trades of other investors in real time; copying is free, with a $200 minimum.
  • Smart Portfolios group assets thematically and are managed by eToro’s Investment Team; they rebalance regularly, require a $500 minimum, and carry no management fees.
  • Practice trading with a $100,000 virtual portfolio.
  • Fractional shares available - invest from as little as $10 in stocks or ETFs.

Unique

  • Short interest and lending analytics including utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan, with intraday and real-time estimates from a large pool of lenders and brokers.
  • Official U.S. exchange-reported short interest (bi-monthly) and European flagged shorts, alongside lending-based estimates.
  • Options coverage with unusual activity and flow detection; OPRA-sourced data gated by user agreement to OPRA terms.
  • Alpha trading signals across themes like Short Squeeze, EPS, RSI, MACD, and Company Events, each with back-tested stats and intraday updates.
  • Configurable stock screener including short-interest columns; results can be exported.
  • Live intraday charts with last price and bid/ask displayed.
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 eToro and ORTEX both support?

Both platforms cover News, Calendar, Data Visualizations, Analyst Recommendations, and Analyst Price Targets workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do eToro and ORTEX require subscriptions?

Both eToro and ORTEX keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access eToro and ORTEX?

Both eToro and ORTEX support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

eToro differentiates itself with Commission-free trading on U.S. stocks and ETFs; crypto trades incur a 1% fee; $0 withdrawal fee (minimum withdrawal $30)., Options trading in the U.S. with no commissions and no contract fees, offered via the eToro Options app., and CopyTrader™ allows users to mirror the trades of other investors in real time; copying is free, with a $200 minimum., whereas ORTEX stands out for Short interest and lending analytics including utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan, with intraday and real-time estimates from a large pool of lenders and brokers., Official U.S. exchange-reported short interest (bi-monthly) and European flagged shorts, alongside lending-based estimates., and Options coverage with unusual activity and flow detection; OPRA-sourced data gated by user agreement to OPRA terms..

Keep exploring

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.