★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
FOIAsearch vs FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)
FOIAsearch
Best for regulatory filings monitoring and flags
Free • Paid plans available
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)
Best for portfolio and compounding calculator
Free • Paid plans available
Outbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
The verdict
The bottom line
FOIAsearch and FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, alerts and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) simply does more: 10 categories to FOIAsearch's 4, including portfolio, compounding calculator, and screeners, plus a mobile app. FOIAsearch counters by being completely free.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)
- Broader coverage
- FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)10 vs 4 categories
- Global coverage
- FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)
- Asset coverage
- FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)Adds ETFs and mutual funds
- Free plan
- Both
Choose
FOIAsearch if…
- You care about regulatory filings monitoring and flags, things FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) doesn't offer
Choose
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) if…
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about portfolio, compounding calculator, and screeners, things FOIAsearch doesn't offer
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • Paid plans available | Free • Paid plans available |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | — | No |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 4 | 10 |
Regions | North America | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: End of Day and Granularity: EOD | 4 signals: Latency: 15-min Delayed and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +2 more |
Capabilities | — | Universe builder |
| Try it | Visit FOIAsearch | Visit FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) |
Standout features
What FOIAsearch does best
- Unified search of SEC FOIA Logs with lists for ‘All Requests’ and ‘B7A Exempt Requests’.
- ‘Protect My Portfolio’ email alerts on FOIA activity tied to saved companies/tickers.
- ‘IR Watch’ alerts when hedge funds, research firms, or reporters FOIA your company (IR use‑case).
- Monthly ‘Prominent Reporter Alerts’ to see what journalists are requesting before stories publish.
- B7A (FOIA Exemption 7(A)) call‑outs; academic work shows B7A denials are predictive of ongoing/future SEC investigations.
What FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) does best
- Comprehensive tools hub including watchlists, portfolio tracking, alerts, equities and fund screeners, and a compound growth calculator (beta).
- Free accounts allow users to build watchlists, track portfolios, and set price or news alerts directly from instrument pages.
- Portfolio tool supports manual transaction entry, shows key fundamentals, and integrates related FT news.
- Alerts can be managed on-site or via myFT email preferences.
- World Markets and sector pages offer interactive charts, overlays, and performance comparisons.
Data & access details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Stocks | StocksETFsMutual FundsBondsCommoditiesCurrencies |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Countries: US | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | 15-min DelayedEnd of Day |
Data granularity | EOD | EOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
Import methods | Not specified | Manual |
Export formats | Not specified | PDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builder |
Vendor & support | Dorsey Research LLCSupport: Email | The Financial Times Ltd.Country: United KingdomSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 4/5 | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
Free
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Free
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Coverage overlap
FOIAsearch strengths
2What you only get with FOIAsearch.
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) strengths
8What you only get with FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times).
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between FOIAsearch and FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)?
FOIAsearch leans toward alerts, regulatory filings monitoring, and watchlist, while FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) puts more weight on portfolio, watchlist, and alerts. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do FOIAsearch and FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) cost?
Good news: both FOIAsearch and FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use FOIAsearch or FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) on my phone?
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. FOIAsearch doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Should I choose FOIAsearch or FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FOIAsearch if regulatory filings monitoring and flags matter to you; go with FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) if you'd rather have portfolio and compounding calculator. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do FOIAsearch and FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) cover?
Both cover stocks. FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) adds ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds on top.
Which covers international markets: FOIAsearch or FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)?
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. FOIAsearch is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Which has a better stock screener: FOIAsearch or FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)?
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FOIAsearch doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with FOIAsearch or FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)?
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) handles portfolio tracking. FOIAsearch 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.