VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON
Tool details checked August 23, 2026
Tool Comparison
FOIAsearch vs MarketWatch
Pick FOIAsearch instead if
FOIAsearch
Free • Paid plans available · Web
- You want regulatory filings monitoring and flags.
Start here
MarketWatch
Free • From $4/mo · Web · Mobile
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want news, calendar, and screeners.
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 MarketWatch 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. MarketWatch simply does more: 17 categories to FOIAsearch's 4, including news, calendar, and screeners, plus a mobile app. FOIAsearch counters by being completely free.
What readers say
FOIAsearch
No votes yet. Cast the first one.
MarketWatch
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Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- MarketWatch
- Broader coverage
- MarketWatch17 vs 4 categories
- Mobile app
- MarketWatch
- Global coverage
- MarketWatch
- Asset coverage
- MarketWatchAdds ETFs and mutual funds
- 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 $4/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | — | 3 limits: MarketWatch Digital: intro offer: $1/week for the first year. Billed as $4 every four weeks., MarketWatch Digital: standard rate: $5/week after intro period +1 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 | — | — |
Categories covered | 4 | 17 |
Regions | North America | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | 5 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +3 more |
Capabilities | — | Yield curves |
| Try it | Visit FOIAsearch | Visit MarketWatch |
Where each one shines
What FOIAsearch and MarketWatch each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What FOIAsearch and MarketWatch each do best.What FOIAsearch does best
- Search SEC FOIA request logs by company or organization.
- Review separate lists for all requests and B7A-exempt requests.
- Use Protect My Portfolio for alerts about saved portfolio companies.
- Use IR Watch for alerts when hedge funds, research firms or reporters request information about an issuer.
- Receive a monthly roundup of SEC FOIA requests from selected reporters.
What MarketWatch does best
- Read market news and analysis covering equities, funds, options, futures, commodities, currencies, crypto, and rates.
- Quote pages, multi-quote lookup, stock and market screeners, mutual-fund research, ETF pages, fund comparisons, and basic company financial views.
- Tools for building free account-based watchlists that sync across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
- Tracking events with calendars for U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPOs, and options-expiration dates.
- BigCharts supports multiple timeframes and technical overlays.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FOIAsearch and MarketWatch, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for FOIAsearch and MarketWatch, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Stocks | StocksETFsMutual FundsOptionsFuturesCommoditiesCurrenciesCryptos+1 more |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Countries: US | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
Export formats | Not specified | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Not specified | Yield curves |
Vendor & support | Dorsey Research LLCSupport: Email | MarketWatch, Inc. (Dow Jones)Country: United StatesFounded 1997Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 4/5 | Methodology 3/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
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 |
| Entry paid plan | Subscription“Portfolio Alerts” | $4/mo“Student”eligibility: Student offer page |
| Tier 2 | Subscription“IR Watch” | $4.33/mo“MarketWatch Digital”intro offer: $1/week for the first year. Billed as $4 every four weeks. · standard rate: $5/week after intro period |
| Top plan | Subscription“Prominent Reporter Alerts” | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FOIAsearch and MarketWatch?
FOIAsearch leans toward alerts, regulatory filings monitoring, and watchlist, while MarketWatch 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 MarketWatch cost?
Good news: both FOIAsearch and MarketWatch have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use FOIAsearch or MarketWatch on my phone?
MarketWatch 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 MarketWatch?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FOIAsearch if regulatory filings monitoring and flags matter to you; go with MarketWatch 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 MarketWatch cover?
Both cover stocks. MarketWatch adds ETFs, mutual funds, and options on top.
Does FOIAsearch or MarketWatch have real-time data?
MarketWatch 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 covers international markets: FOIAsearch or MarketWatch?
MarketWatch 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.
Can I export data from FOIAsearch and MarketWatch?
MarketWatch exports to CSV. FOIAsearch is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: FOIAsearch or MarketWatch?
MarketWatch has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; FOIAsearch doesn't, and focuses its energy 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.