★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
FINVIZ vs Unusual Whales
Pick FINVIZ if
FINVIZ
Free • From $299.50/yr · Web
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $24.96/mo instead of $42/mo
- You care about ETF screeners, stock comparison, and data visualizations, things Unusual Whales doesn't offer
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Pick Unusual Whales if
Unusual Whales
Free • From $504/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about money flow, options p&l, and dark pool & off-exchange, things FINVIZ doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
FINVIZ and Unusual Whales cover a lot of the same ground (7 shared categories, including screeners, news, and alerts), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. FINVIZ simply does more: 17 categories to Unusual Whales's 12, including ETF screeners, stock comparison, and data visualizations. Unusual Whales counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
FINVIZ
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Unusual Whales
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Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- FINVIZ$24.96/mo vs $42/mo
- Broader coverage
- FINVIZ17 vs 12 categories
- Mobile app
- Unusual Whales
- API access
- Unusual Whales
- Asset coverage
- Unusual WhalesAdds cryptos
- Beginner friendly
- FINVIZ
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 $299.50/yr | Free • From $504/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | 7 days |
Plan limits | 18 limits: Free: screener presets: 50, Free: items per page: 20 (table) / 36 (charts) / 10 (snapshots) +16 more | API Trial - Basic: requests per day: 30,000 and API Trial - Basic: historical lookback days: 90 |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | No | Yes |
Broker sync | No | — |
Integrations | — | Discord, X (Twitter) +3 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +3 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +3 more |
Categories covered | 17 | 12 |
Regions | North America | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: 15-min Delayed and Real-time | 3 signals: Latency: Streaming and Real-time, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more |
Capabilities | Universe builder and Correlation | 3 signals: Universe builder, Multi-leg options +1 more |
| Try it | Visit FINVIZ | Visit Unusual Whales |
Where each one shines
What FINVIZ and Unusual Whales each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What FINVIZ and Unusual Whales each do best.What FINVIZ does best
- Screening for U.S. stocks and ETFs with a mix of valuation, growth, profitability, technical, ownership, dividend, and performance filters.
- Heat maps, sector/group views, and snapshot pages to spot where market strength, weakness, and unusual moves are clustering.
- Support for saving screener setups with presets and switch between table, chart, and snapshot-style result views depending on how you research.
- Move from a screen to ticker-level research with quote pages that link financials, charts, news, insider trades, filings, options, short interest, and peer comparison.
- Views for reviewing fundamental context with financial statements, EPS and sales charts, ownership pages, insider transactions, and 13F manager holdings.
What Unusual Whales does best
- Tracking U.S. options flow with trade details, exchange data, filters, configurable columns, sorting, and saved trades.
- Multi-leg tagging in the flow feed and open trades in an options profit calculator for payoff and P/L context.
- Monitoring dark pool and off-exchange activity, with market-tide, lit/off-lit, and related flow feeds available where the plan supports them.
- Tools for building alerts across the website, mobile apps, and Discord; free alerts are delayed and limited, while premium alerts are faster and broader.
- Stock and options screeners for unusual volume, options activity, premium, volume, open interest, implied volatility, greeks, and related filters.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FINVIZ and Unusual Whales, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FINVIZ and Unusual Whales, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsOptions | OptionsStocksETFsCryptos |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailDay TradersSwing TradersLong-term Investors | Retail TradersPro RetailDay TradersSwing TradersAlgo Traders |
Regions | North America | North America |
Coverage details | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | 15-min DelayedReal-time | StreamingReal-time |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKeyDocs |
Integrations | Not specified | DiscordX (Twitter)MCP ServerOpenAPIAI Skills |
Export formats | Excel | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Universe builderCorrelation | Universe builderMulti-leg optionsGreeks |
Vendor & support | Support: Email | Unusual Whales IncSupport: Email |
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 | Freescreener presets: 50 · items per page: 20 (table) / 36 (charts) / 10 (snapshots) · +5 more | Free“Free (limited)” |
| Entry paid plan | $299.50/yr≈ $24.96/mo“Elite (Annual)”screener presets: 200 · portfolios: 100 · +2 more | $504/yr≈ $42/mo“Retail Basic (Annual)” |
| Tier 2 | $39.50/mo“Elite (Monthly)”screener presets: 200 · items per page: Up to 100 (table) / 120 (charts) / 50 (snapshots) · +5 more | $50/mo“Retail Basic (Monthly)” |
| Tier 3 | — | $150/mo“API Access” |
| Tier 4 | — | $250/mo“Historical Option Trades” |
| Top plan | — | $375/mo“API Advanced (WebSocket streaming)” |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FINVIZ and Unusual Whales?
FINVIZ leans toward screeners, ETF screeners, and stock comparison, while Unusual Whales puts more weight on options, money flow, and screeners. They overlap in 7 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do FINVIZ and Unusual Whales cost?
Good news: both FINVIZ and Unusual Whales have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: FINVIZ or Unusual Whales?
FINVIZ is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Can I use FINVIZ or Unusual Whales on my phone?
Unusual Whales lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. FINVIZ doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Does FINVIZ or Unusual Whales have an API?
Unusual Whales has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. FINVIZ doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose FINVIZ or Unusual Whales?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FINVIZ if ETF screeners and stock comparison matter to you; go with Unusual Whales if you'd rather have money flow and options p&l. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do FINVIZ and Unusual Whales cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, and options. Unusual Whales adds cryptos on top.
Do FINVIZ and Unusual Whales offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Can I export data from FINVIZ and Unusual Whales?
FINVIZ exports to Excel. Unusual Whales is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: FINVIZ or Unusual Whales?
Both FINVIZ and Unusual Whales 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 FINVIZ or Unusual Whales?
FINVIZ handles portfolio tracking. Unusual Whales is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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.