VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) vs MarketWatch comparison

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

Quick takeaways

FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) adds Portfolio, Compounding Calculator, ETF Screeners, Fund Overview, Fund Performance, Fund Holdings, and Fund Rating coverage that MarketWatch skips.

MarketWatch includes News, Calendar, Paper Trading, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Short Interest, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, IPO, and Newsletters categories that FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) omits.

FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) highlights: 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., and Portfolio tool supports manual transaction entry, shows key fundamentals, and integrates related FT news..

MarketWatch is known for: Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools., Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts., and Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates..

FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) logo

FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times)

markets.ft.com

Hands-on review

The Financial Times’ markets portal combines global market data with watchlists, portfolios, alerts, and screeners. Free registration unlocks basic tools, while an FT subscription is needed for deeper features like director dealings, detailed company financials and forecasts, and access to the Data Archive PDFs. Market data is delayed at least 15 minutes, with equity prices sourced from LSEG and fund data provided by Morningstar.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • 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.

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MarketWatch logo

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com

Hands-on review

A global financial-news portal from Dow Jones that combines market data, news, analysis, and investor tools. Real-time Nasdaq last-sale quotes are included, while most other intraday prices run on a standard 15-minute delay. Premium newsletters and in-depth articles are gated behind a subscription. Mobile apps extend the experience with push alerts and watchlist syncing.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.
  • Options coverage with full chains per symbol and an expiration calendar.

Community votes (overall)

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

6 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Watchlist, Alerts, and Screeners plus 3 more areas.

Where they differ

FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times)

Distinct strengths include:

  • 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.

MarketWatch

Distinct strengths include:

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeFT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times)MarketWatch
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Watchlist, Alerts, Screeners, Financials, Insider Data, Data Visualizations

Unique: Portfolio, Compounding Calculator, ETF Screeners, Fund Overview, Fund Performance, Fund Holdings, Fund Rating

Shared: Watchlist, Alerts, Screeners, Financials, Insider Data, Data Visualizations

Unique: News, Calendar, Paper Trading, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Short Interest, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, IPO, Newsletters

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Commodities, Currencies

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Options, Futures, Commodities, Currencies, Cryptos, Bonds

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, Mobile

Web, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • 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.
  • Subscriber-only features include insider transaction data (Director Dealings), detailed company financials, and analyst forecasts.

Unique

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.
  • Options coverage with full chains per symbol and an expiration calendar.
  • ETF and mutual fund research, including top holdings for flagship funds like SPY and a comparison tool for side-by-side analysis.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Yes

Yes

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Standard listing

Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) and MarketWatch both support?

Both platforms cover Watchlist, Alerts, Screeners, Financials, Insider Data, and Data Visualizations workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) and MarketWatch require subscriptions?

Both FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) and MarketWatch keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) and MarketWatch?

Both FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) and MarketWatch support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

FT Markets (Markets data — Financial Times) differentiates itself with 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., and Portfolio tool supports manual transaction entry, shows key fundamentals, and integrates related FT news., whereas MarketWatch stands out for Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools., Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts., and Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates..

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.