★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
FOIAsearch vs MarketScreener
Pick FOIAsearch instead if
FOIAsearch
Free • Paid plans available · Web
- You care about regulatory filings monitoring and flags, things MarketScreener doesn't offer
Start here
MarketScreener
Free • From $34/mo · Web · Mobile
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about news, calendar, and screeners, things FOIAsearch 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.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
FOIAsearch and MarketScreener 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. MarketScreener simply does more: 16 categories to FOIAsearch's 4, including news, calendar, and screeners, plus a mobile app. FOIAsearch counters by being completely free.
What readers say
FOIAsearch
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
MarketScreener
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- MarketScreener
- Broader coverage
- MarketScreener16 vs 4 categories
- Global coverage
- MarketScreener
- Asset coverage
- MarketScreenerAdds ETFs and commodities
- 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 • Paid plans available | Free • From $34/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | — | 6 limits: Access: annual equivalent monthly usd: 28, Access: annual billing usd: 336 +4 more |
| 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 | — | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +4 more |
Categories covered | 4 | 16 |
Regions | North America | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: End of Day and Granularity: EOD | — |
Data partners | — | 3 partners: FactSet, Morningstar +1 more |
Capabilities | — | Universe builder |
| Try it | Visit FOIAsearch | Visit MarketScreener |
Where each one shines
What FOIAsearch and MarketScreener each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What FOIAsearch and MarketScreener each do best.What FOIAsearch does best
- Search tools across SEC FOIA Logs through a focused interface built around investor and issuer monitoring use cases.
- Views for reviewing All Requests and B7A Exempt Requests to spot FOIA activity that may deserve follow-up research.
- B7A exemption callouts as risk flags because those denials can be associated with ongoing law-enforcement activity, while avoiding overclaiming what they prove.
- Support for setting up Protect My Portfolio alerts for FOIA activity tied to saved companies or tickers.
- IR Watch when issuer-relations teams want to know when hedge funds, research firms, or reporters FOIA their company.
What MarketScreener does best
- Monitoring market news and quotes across equities, ETFs, commodities, currencies, forex, and cryptocurrencies.
- Tools for building custom watchlists with quotes, news, earnings releases, valuation trends, broker recommendations, and smart email alerts.
- Screening for stocks globally with hundreds of fundamental and technical criteria, with higher filter counts reserved for Premium and Expert tiers.
- Dynamic charts with configurable technical indicators and quick switching between individual stocks and personal lists.
- Tools for exploring thematic investment lists for idea discovery and compare themes against index trends and historical performance.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FOIAsearch and MarketScreener, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FOIAsearch and MarketScreener, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Stocks | StocksETFsCommoditiesCurrenciesCryptos |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsGrowth InvestorsDividend Investors |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Countries: US | Identifiers: Ticker and ISIN |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Not specified |
Data granularity | EOD | Not specified |
Data partners | Not specified | FactSetMorningstarS&P Global Market Intelligence |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builder |
Vendor & support | Dorsey Research LLCSupport: Email | Surperformance SASCountry: France |
Curation ratings | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 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“Free (Search)” | Free“Free (Member)” |
| Entry paid plan | Subscription“Portfolio Alerts” | $34/mo“Access”annual equivalent monthly usd: 28 · annual billing usd: 336 |
| Tier 2 | Subscription“IR Watch” | $59/mo“Premium”annual billing usd: 600 · annual equivalent monthly usd: 50 |
| Top plan | Subscription“Prominent Reporter Alerts” | $279/mo“Expert”annual billing usd: 2,628 · annual equivalent monthly usd: 219 |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FOIAsearch and MarketScreener?
FOIAsearch leans toward alerts, regulatory filings monitoring, and watchlist, while MarketScreener puts more weight on news, alerts, and calendar. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do FOIAsearch and MarketScreener cost?
Good news: both FOIAsearch and MarketScreener have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use FOIAsearch or MarketScreener on my phone?
MarketScreener 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 MarketScreener?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FOIAsearch if regulatory filings monitoring and flags matter to you; go with MarketScreener 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 MarketScreener cover?
Both cover stocks. MarketScreener adds ETFs, commodities, and currencies on top.
Which covers international markets: FOIAsearch or MarketScreener?
MarketScreener 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 MarketScreener?
MarketScreener has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FOIAsearch doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with FOIAsearch or MarketScreener?
MarketScreener handles portfolio tracking. FOIAsearch is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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.