VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ A CURATED DIRECTORY OF FINANCIAL TOOLS ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

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Tool Comparison

FlightAware vs SEC.gov (EDGAR) comparison

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

Quick takeaways

FlightAware adds Data Visualizations, and Satellite / Geospatial coverage that SEC.gov (EDGAR) skips.

SEC.gov (EDGAR) includes Improved Filings, Insider Data, and 13F categories that FlightAware omits.

FlightAware ships a mobile app. SEC.gov (EDGAR) is web/desktop only.

In depth comparison

FlightAware

flightaware.com

A global flight-tracking platform offering free web and mobile access to live flight data. Premium subscriptions add unlimited alerts and extended historical lookback. Enterprise offerings include AeroAPI (REST), Firehose (streaming), and Rapid Reports (one-off email deliveries).

Platforms

WebMobileAPI

Pricing

FreeSubscriptionOne-time

Quick highlights

Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions.
Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data.
AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication.
FlightAware Firehose delivers a continuous enterprise-grade feed of real-time, historical, and predictive flight data over secure TCP/SSL connections.
Global coverage powered by fused data sources: national air navigation providers, ACARS messages, over 30,000 terrestrial ADS-B receivers, Aireon space-based ADS-B with ~1-minute updates, and FlightAware’s HyperFeed® ML engine processing tens of thousands of position messages per second.

Community votes (overall)

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SEC.gov (EDGAR)

sec.gov

Editor’s pick Hands-on review

Official U.S. SEC portal for free public access to EDGAR filings and related data tools. Public REST APIs on data.sec.gov deliver JSON and require no auth/API keys, but automated access must comply with SEC privacy/security policy, uses a declared User-Agent header, and is rate-limited (SEC states a max of 10 requests/second). data.sec.gov does not support CORS. SEC also links to a separate EDGAR Public Dissemination Service (PDS) subscription feed (managed by a contractor).

Platforms

WebAPI

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Search Filings provides free public access to EDGAR documents and search tools (e.g., Full Text Search, Latest Filings, Mutual Fund Search).
EDGAR Full-Text Search covers electronic filings since 2001 (including exhibits/attachments) and supports queries by keyword, ticker, company name, CIK, and reporter; boolean/wildcards and advanced search are supported (natural-language search is not).
Latest Filings provides a real-time listing of filings as they are submitted; SEC recommends Latest Filings + RSS for near-real-time access and notes EDGAR filing email alerts are not offered (RSS instead).
Mutual Funds Search supports searching funds/ETFs by name, series/class or contract IDs, ticker, or CIK, and links to prospectuses and proxy voting records; users can subscribe via RSS.
Developer access: data.sec.gov hosts RESTful JSON APIs for submissions history by company (submissions JSON includes names, exchanges and ticker symbols) and XBRL-derived data via companyconcept, companyfacts, and frames endpoints.

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Where they differ

FlightAware

Distinct strengths include:

Data Visualizations Satellite / Geospatial

Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions.
Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data.
AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication.
FlightAware Firehose delivers a continuous enterprise-grade feed of real-time, historical, and predictive flight data over secure TCP/SSL connections.

SEC.gov (EDGAR)

Distinct strengths include:

Improved Filings Insider Data 13F

Search Filings provides free public access to EDGAR documents and search tools (e.g., Full Text Search, Latest Filings, Mutual Fund Search).
EDGAR Full-Text Search covers electronic filings since 2001 (including exhibits/attachments) and supports queries by keyword, ticker, company name, CIK, and reporter; boolean/wildcards and advanced search are supported (natural-language search is not).
Latest Filings provides a real-time listing of filings as they are submitted; SEC recommends Latest Filings + RSS for near-real-time access and notes EDGAR filing email alerts are not offered (RSS instead).
Mutual Funds Search supports searching funds/ETFs by name, series/class or contract IDs, ticker, or CIK, and links to prospectuses and proxy voting records; users can subscribe via RSS.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	FlightAware	SEC.gov (EDGAR)
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Alerts Unique: Data Visualizations, Satellite / Geospatial	Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Alerts Unique: Improved Filings, Insider Data, 13F
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Other	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Funds
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, Mobile, API	Web, API
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free, Subscription, One-time	Free
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions. Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data. AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication. FlightAware Firehose delivers a continuous enterprise-grade feed of real-time, historical, and predictive flight data over secure TCP/SSL connections. Global coverage powered by fused data sources: national air navigation providers, ACARS messages, over 30,000 terrestrial ADS-B receivers, Aireon space-based ADS-B with ~1-minute updates, and FlightAware’s HyperFeed® ML engine processing tens of thousands of position messages per second. Rapid Reports offer one-time purchases of airport or aircraft history, delivered via email within about an hour.	Unique Search Filings provides free public access to EDGAR documents and search tools (e.g., Full Text Search, Latest Filings, Mutual Fund Search). EDGAR Full-Text Search covers electronic filings since 2001 (including exhibits/attachments) and supports queries by keyword, ticker, company name, CIK, and reporter; boolean/wildcards and advanced search are supported (natural-language search is not). Latest Filings provides a real-time listing of filings as they are submitted; SEC recommends Latest Filings + RSS for near-real-time access and notes EDGAR filing email alerts are not offered (RSS instead). Mutual Funds Search supports searching funds/ETFs by name, series/class or contract IDs, ticker, or CIK, and links to prospectuses and proxy voting records; users can subscribe via RSS. Developer access: data.sec.gov hosts RESTful JSON APIs for submissions history by company (submissions JSON includes names, exchanges and ticker symbols) and XBRL-derived data via companyconcept, companyfacts, and frames endpoints. API update schedule: data is updated in real time; typical processing delay is <1s for submissions and under 1 minute for XBRL; bulk ZIP archives (submissions.zip, companyfacts.zip) are republished nightly (~3:00 a.m. ET).
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Not yet	Yes
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Highlighted

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do FlightAware and SEC.gov (EDGAR) both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Alerts workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do FlightAware and SEC.gov (EDGAR) require subscriptions?

Both FlightAware and SEC.gov (EDGAR) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

FlightAware ships a dedicated mobile experience, while SEC.gov (EDGAR) focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

FlightAware differentiates itself with Live flight tracking and flight-status pages with dedicated views for cancellations and delays, plus the signature MiseryMap® for U.S. air traffic disruptions., Premium subscriptions unlock unlimited flight alerts and access to three, five, or eight months of historical flight data., and AeroAPI (v4) provides RESTful access to current and historical flight data with JSON responses and API key authentication., whereas SEC.gov (EDGAR) stands out for Search Filings provides free public access to EDGAR documents and search tools (e.g., Full Text Search, Latest Filings, Mutual Fund Search)., EDGAR Full-Text Search covers electronic filings since 2001 (including exhibits/attachments) and supports queries by keyword, ticker, company name, CIK, and reporter; boolean/wildcards and advanced search are supported (natural-language search is not)., and Latest Filings provides a real-time listing of filings as they are submitted; SEC recommends Latest Filings + RSS for near-real-time access and notes EDGAR filing email alerts are not offered (RSS instead)..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

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