★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
FOIAsearch vs InsideArbitrage
FOIAsearch
Best for flags
Free • Paid plans available
InsideArbitrage
Best for news and calendar
From $100/mo
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The verdict
The bottom line
FOIAsearch and InsideArbitrage cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, alerts, regulatory filings monitoring, and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. InsideArbitrage simply does more: 18 categories to FOIAsearch's 4, including news, calendar, and corporate actions & special situations. FOIAsearch counters by being completely free.
Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- InsideArbitrage
- Free plan
- FOIAsearch
- Broader coverage
- InsideArbitrage18 vs 4 categories
- Asset coverage
- InsideArbitrageAdds ETFs
Choose
FOIAsearch if…
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You care about flags, something InsideArbitrage doesn't offer
Choose
InsideArbitrage if…
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You care about news, calendar, and corporate actions & special situations, things FOIAsearch doesn't offer
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • Paid plans available | From $100/mo |
Free tier | Yes | No |
Free trial | — | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | — | No |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 4 | 18 |
Regions | North America | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: End of Day and Granularity: EOD | 4 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +2 more |
Capabilities | — | Universe builder |
| Try it | Visit FOIAsearch | Visit InsideArbitrage |
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 InsideArbitrage does best
- Merger Arbitrage Tool with announced‑deal lists, spread tracking, calendars and deal updates; ‘Deals in the Works’ and deal post‑mortems.
- Insider data hub with ‘Insider Weekends’, cluster buys, buys near highs, flip‑floppers, top‑performing insiders and sector heat‑map.
- Buyback suite: daily buyback announcements, searchable buyback history, ‘Buyback Wednesdays’, and ‘Double Dipper’ (insiders + buybacks).
- Spinoff suite: upcoming/completed spinoffs and ‘Spinsider’ screen; CVR deals database with outcomes.
- Gurus/Institutional holdings pages aggregating 13F/13D/13G and Form 4 into manager dashboards.
Data & access details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Stocks | StocksETFs |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North America | North America |
Coverage details | Countries: US | Countries: USExchanges: XNYS, XNAS, and ARCXIdentifiers: Ticker and CIK |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | EOD | EOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
Import methods | Not specified | Manual |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builder |
Vendor & support | Dorsey Research LLCSupport: Email | InsideArbitrageCountry: USSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 4/5 | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
Free
Lower starting price
Plans & pricing
$100/mo
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Coverage overlap
Shared categories
3Where the two tools cover the same ground.
FOIAsearch strengths
1What you only get with FOIAsearch.
InsideArbitrage strengths
15Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between FOIAsearch and InsideArbitrage?
FOIAsearch leans toward alerts, regulatory filings monitoring, and watchlist, while InsideArbitrage puts more weight on news, alerts, and calendar. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is FOIAsearch or InsideArbitrage free to use?
FOIAsearch has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. InsideArbitrage is paid-only. If budget matters, start with FOIAsearch and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Should I choose FOIAsearch or InsideArbitrage?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FOIAsearch if flags matter to you; go with InsideArbitrage if you'd rather have news and calendar. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do FOIAsearch and InsideArbitrage cover?
Both cover stocks. InsideArbitrage adds ETFs on top.
Does FOIAsearch or InsideArbitrage have real-time data?
InsideArbitrage offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. FOIAsearch 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.
Which has a better stock screener: FOIAsearch or InsideArbitrage?
InsideArbitrage has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FOIAsearch doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with FOIAsearch or InsideArbitrage?
InsideArbitrage 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.