★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Firefly III vs GuruFocus
Pick Firefly III instead if
Firefly III
Free · Web · API
- You care about webhooks and other, things GuruFocus doesn't offer
Start here
GuruFocus
Free • From $549/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, things Firefly III doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
Firefly III and GuruFocus 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. GuruFocus simply does more: 49 categories to Firefly III's 4, including stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, plus a mobile app. Firefly III counters by being completely free.
What readers say
Firefly III
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
GuruFocus
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus49 vs 4 categories
- Broker sync
- GuruFocus
- Asset coverage
- GuruFocusAdds stocks and ETFs
- 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 | Free • From $549/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | — | 49 limits: Free: portfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members, Free: data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package +47 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | Yes |
Integrations | Salt Edge, GoCardless +2 more | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus MCP Server +3 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more |
Categories covered | 4 | 49 |
Regions | — | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | 5 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more |
Data partners | — | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more |
Capabilities | — | 9 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +7 more |
Security | — | Status page and Encryption in transit |
| Try it | Visit Firefly III | Visit GuruFocus |
Where each one shines
What Firefly III and GuruFocus each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Firefly III and GuruFocus each do best.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.
What GuruFocus does best
- Research coverage for global stocks with long historical financials, valuation data, charts, comparisons, market valuation indicators, economic indicators, industry data, and company-level fundamentals.
- The All-in-One Screener with hundreds of filters across fundamentals, valuation, profitability, growth, dividends, guru holdings, insider trades, predefined value screens, custom filters, saved screens, and downloads.
- ETF Screener and ETF GF Scores for filtering and comparing more than 5,000 U.S.
- Corporate and government bond screening by yield, maturity, ratings, coupon structure, outstanding amount, issuer, and industry, plus company-level bond tabs.
- Backtest screener strategies across many countries with configurable stock count, ranking metric, sort order, date range, and rebalance frequency; current membership terms give Premium the latest five years and Premium Plus/Professional history back to 2006.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Firefly III and GuruFocus, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Firefly III and GuruFocus, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsQuality InvestorsDividend InvestorsAnalystsQuants/Developers+3 more |
Regions | Not specified | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Not specified | Identifiers: Ticker and CIK |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | End of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
Pricing sources | Not specified | ExchangeVendorModel |
Data partners | Not specified | QuoteMediaMorningstarRefinitivFREDSEC / local regulators |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: OAuth2 and APIKeyWebhooks | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python and GoDocs |
Import methods | CSVManual | CSVBrokerOAuthManual |
Integrations | Salt EdgeGoCardlessSimpleFINSlack | GuruFocus Data APIGuruFocus MCP ServerGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTrade |
Export formats | CSV | CSVExcelJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Status pageEncryption in transit |
Capability signals | Not specified | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthBroker syncMulti-currencyYield curvesCredit ratings+1 more |
Vendor & support | Firefly III (open-source project)Support: Email | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum |
Curation ratings | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 | Not specified |
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 | Free | Freeportfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members · data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package · +1 more |
| Entry paid plan | — | $549/yr≈ $45.75/mo“Premium”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 200/month included with Premium membership · +2 more |
| Tier 2 | — | $1398/yr≈ $116.50/mo“Premium Plus”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 500/month included with Premium Plus membership · +2 more |
| Tier 3 | — | $200/mo“Data API Builder”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +12 more |
| Tier 4 | — | $2448/yr≈ $204/mo“Professional”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 2,000/month included with Professional membership |
| Tier 5 | — | $2000/mo“Data API Commercial”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +1 more |
| Top plan | — | $100 per unit“Data API Pay As You Go”initial top up: $100 credit · stock daily prices: $0.05/request · +16 more |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“Custom API / Enterprise Package” |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Firefly III and GuruFocus?
Firefly III leans toward portfolio, APIs & data feeds, and webhooks, while GuruFocus puts more weight on stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Firefly III and GuruFocus cost?
Good news: both Firefly III and GuruFocus have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use Firefly III or GuruFocus on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Firefly III doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web and API.
Do Firefly III and GuruFocus have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose Firefly III or GuruFocus?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Firefly III if webhooks and other matter to you; go with GuruFocus if you'd rather have stock ideas and screeners. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Firefly III and GuruFocus cover?
Both cover other. GuruFocus adds stocks, ETFs, and bonds on top.
Can I export data from Firefly III and GuruFocus?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Can Firefly III or GuruFocus connect to my broker?
GuruFocus syncs with brokers automatically. With Firefly III, you're entering holdings by hand or importing files.
Which has a better stock screener: Firefly III or GuruFocus?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Firefly III doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with Firefly III or GuruFocus?
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.