Tool Comparison
Firefly III vs Listen Notes
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API
Best if
- You want portfolio and webhooks.
- Paid from
- $200/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API, Mobile
Best if
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want alerts and education.
Pick Firefly III if
Firefly III
Free · Web · API
- You want portfolio and webhooks.
Pick Listen Notes if
Listen Notes
Free • From $200/mo · Web · API · Mobile
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want alerts and education.
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 Listen Notes cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, APIs & data feeds and other), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Firefly III includes portfolio and webhooks, and Listen Notes includes alerts and education.
What readers say
Firefly III
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Listen Notes
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Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- Listen Notes
- Mobile app
- Listen Notes
- Free plan
- Both
What Firefly III does best
- Self-host a personal finance ledger under the AGPLv3 open-source license rather than using a hosted budgeting app.
- Track accounts and transactions with double-entry bookkeeping, budgets, categories, tags, recurring transactions, subscriptions, piggy banks, rules, and reports.
- Use the JSON REST API with OAuth2 or personal access tokens for dashboards, automations, and personal analytics.
- Optional event webhooks for transaction create, update, and delete events when enabled through environment configuration.
- Import transaction data through the separate Data Importer using CSV, CAMT.052, CAMT.053, GoCardless, SimpleFIN, Lunch Flow, or Enable Banking.
What Listen Notes does best
- Search the web product or API catalog, which the vendor reports holds about 3.8 million podcasts and 194 million episodes.
- Listen API v2 has REST endpoints, API-key authentication, OpenAPI files, a Postman workspace, and a mock server that needs no key.
- Podcast search, directory, analysis, batch-fetch, transcript, RSS, image, email, Listen Score, and Global Rank fields according to plan entitlements.
- Listen Alerts monitors keywords and sends a daily email or per-alert RSS feed.
- Purchasable podcast datasets exported by keyword, category, playlist, iTunes IDs, or full-database Enterprise scope, with CSV or SQLite delivery.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free • From $200/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | — | 7 limits: FREE: monthly requests: 150, FREE: search results per query: 30 +5 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | — |
Integrations | GoCardless, SimpleFIN +5 more | Zapier, IFTTT +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 4 | 4 |
Regions | — | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | Latency: Real-time |
Security | — | Status page |
| Try it | Visit Firefly III | Visit Listen Notes |
Standout features
The best features of Firefly III and Listen Notes.ShowHide
Standout features
What Firefly III does best
- Self-host a personal finance ledger under the AGPLv3 open-source license rather than using a hosted budgeting app.
- Track accounts and transactions with double-entry bookkeeping, budgets, categories, tags, recurring transactions, subscriptions, piggy banks, rules, and reports.
- Use the JSON REST API with OAuth2 or personal access tokens for dashboards, automations, and personal analytics.
- Optional event webhooks for transaction create, update, and delete events when enabled through environment configuration.
- Import transaction data through the separate Data Importer using CSV, CAMT.052, CAMT.053, GoCardless, SimpleFIN, Lunch Flow, or Enable Banking.
What Listen Notes does best
- Search the web product or API catalog, which the vendor reports holds about 3.8 million podcasts and 194 million episodes.
- Listen API v2 has REST endpoints, API-key authentication, OpenAPI files, a Postman workspace, and a mock server that needs no key.
- Podcast search, directory, analysis, batch-fetch, transcript, RSS, image, email, Listen Score, and Global Rank fields according to plan entitlements.
- Listen Alerts monitors keywords and sends a daily email or per-alert RSS feed.
- Purchasable podcast datasets exported by keyword, category, playlist, iTunes IDs, or full-database Enterprise scope, with CSV or SQLite delivery.
All details
Every attribute we track for Firefly III and Listen Notes.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | Not specified | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-time |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: OAuth2 and APIKeyWebhooks | Auth: APIKey |
Import methods | CSVManual | Not specified |
Integrations | GoCardlessSimpleFINLunch FlowEnable BankingSlackDiscordMattermost | ZapierIFTTTRSS |
Export formats | CSV | CSVJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Status page |
Vendor & support | Firefly III (open-source project)Support: Email | Listen Notes, Inc.Country: USFounded 2017Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free | Freemonthly requests: 150 · search results per query: 30 · +2 more |
| Entry paid plan | — | $200/mo“PRO”included monthly requests: 5,000 · search results per query: 300 · +1 more |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“ENTERPRISE” |
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Firefly III and Listen Notes?
Firefly III leans toward portfolio, APIs & data feeds, and webhooks, while Listen Notes puts more weight on APIs & data feeds, alerts, and education. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Firefly III and Listen Notes cost?
Good news: both Firefly III and Listen Notes 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 Listen Notes on my phone?
Listen Notes 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 Listen Notes 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 Listen Notes?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Firefly III if portfolio and webhooks matter to you; go with Listen Notes if you'd rather have alerts and education. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
Does Firefly III or Listen Notes have real-time data?
Listen Notes offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. Firefly III 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 Firefly III and Listen Notes?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Can I track my portfolio with Firefly III or Listen Notes?
Firefly III handles portfolio tracking. Listen Notes is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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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.