Tool Comparison
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) vs PortfoliosLab
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want alerts, compounding calculator, and financials.
- Paid from
- $8.33/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API
Best if
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You want backtesting, correlation, and risk metrics.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) if
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)
Free • Paid plans available · Web · Mobile
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want alerts, compounding calculator, and financials.
Pick PortfoliosLab if
PortfoliosLab
Free • From $100/yr · Web · API
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You want backtesting, correlation, and risk metrics.
- 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.
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Our take
The bottom line
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab cover a lot of the same ground (6 shared categories, including portfolio, watchlist, and screeners), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. PortfoliosLab simply does more: 17 categories to FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)'s 10, including backtesting, correlation, and risk metrics. FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) counters by being completely free.
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FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)
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Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times)
- Broader coverage
- PortfoliosLab17 vs 10 categories
- API access
- PortfoliosLab
- Free plan
- Both
What FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) does best
- Tracking global equities, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, commodities, and currencies through FT market pages.
- Watchlists, portfolio tracking, alerts, equity screeners, fund screeners, and a compound growth calculator from the markets tools hub.
- Tools for building watchlists and manual portfolios with a free FT account, then connect instrument pages to related FT news.
- Email alerts for 52-week highs or lows, unusual trading volume, and moves through the 15-day moving average.
- World Markets and sector pages for interactive charts, overlays, and performance comparisons.
What PortfoliosLab does best
- Backtest portfolios and single instruments with configurable rebalancing, benchmark comparisons, and longer historical windows on paid plans.
- Analysis of performance, drawdowns, volatility, VaR, CVaR, Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, Martin, Treynor, and related risk-adjusted ratios.
- Comparison tools for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, funds, crypto, and currency instruments across performance, risk, drawdown, and diversification views.
- Correlation, alpha and beta, factor, diversification, and optimization tools, including mean-variance, risk parity, HRP, and HERC.
- Screening for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds with daily-recalculated filters, then export results where the selected plan allows it.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • Paid plans available | Free • From $100/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | — | 25 limits: Free: watchlists: 1, Free: watchlist symbols: 100 +23 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | No | Yes |
Broker sync | No | No |
Integrations | — | MCP, ChatGPT +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more |
Categories covered | 10 | 17 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 4 signals: Latency: 15-min Delayed and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +2 more | 3 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +1 more |
Capabilities | Universe builder | 6 signals: Factor exposure, VaR/ES +4 more |
| Try it | Visit FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) | Visit PortfoliosLab |
Standout features
The best features of FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab.ShowHide
Standout features
What FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) does best
- Tracking global equities, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, commodities, and currencies through FT market pages.
- Watchlists, portfolio tracking, alerts, equity screeners, fund screeners, and a compound growth calculator from the markets tools hub.
- Tools for building watchlists and manual portfolios with a free FT account, then connect instrument pages to related FT news.
- Email alerts for 52-week highs or lows, unusual trading volume, and moves through the 15-day moving average.
- World Markets and sector pages for interactive charts, overlays, and performance comparisons.
What PortfoliosLab does best
- Backtest portfolios and single instruments with configurable rebalancing, benchmark comparisons, and longer historical windows on paid plans.
- Analysis of performance, drawdowns, volatility, VaR, CVaR, Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, Martin, Treynor, and related risk-adjusted ratios.
- Comparison tools for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, funds, crypto, and currency instruments across performance, risk, drawdown, and diversification views.
- Correlation, alpha and beta, factor, diversification, and optimization tools, including mean-variance, risk parity, HRP, and HERC.
- Screening for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds with daily-recalculated filters, then export results where the selected plan allows it.
All details
Every attribute we track for FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsBondsCommoditiesCurrencies | StocksETFsMutual FundsFundsCryptosCurrencies |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsLong-term InvestorsIndex/Passive InvestorsQuants/DevelopersAnalystsFinancial Advisors |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North AmericaEurope |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Countries: US and GBIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | 15-min DelayedEnd of Day | End of Day |
Data granularity | EOD | EOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: NoneDocs |
Import methods | Manual | ManualCSV |
Integrations | Not specified | MCPChatGPTClaude |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Universe builder | Factor exposureVaR/ESPerformance attributionRebalancingPortfolio factor exposureCorrelation |
Vendor & support | The Financial Times Ltd.Country: United KingdomSupport: Email | PortfoliosLab Analytics FZCOCountry: United Arab EmiratesSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 | Not specified |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free“Free (Registered)” | Freewatchlists: 1 · watchlist symbols: 100 · +4 more |
| Entry paid plan | Subscription“FT Digital (Subscriber)” | $100/yr≈ $8.33/mo“Plus”watchlists: 5 · private portfolios: 5 · +4 more |
| Tier 2 | — | $250/yr≈ $20.83/mo“Pro”watchlists: 10 · private portfolios: Unlimited · +4 more |
| Top plan | — | $900/yr≈ $75/mo“Max”watchlists: 10 · watchlist symbols: 2,000 · +5 more |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab?
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) leans toward portfolio, watchlist, and alerts, while PortfoliosLab puts more weight on portfolio, watchlist, and backtesting. They overlap in 6 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab cost?
Good news: both FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) or PortfoliosLab on my phone?
FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. PortfoliosLab doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web and API.
Does FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) or PortfoliosLab have an API?
PortfoliosLab has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) or PortfoliosLab?
It depends on what you're after. Pick FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) if alerts and compounding calculator matter to you; go with PortfoliosLab if you'd rather have backtesting and correlation. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and currencies. FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) also handles bonds and commodities. PortfoliosLab adds funds and cryptos on top.
Which has a better stock screener: FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) or PortfoliosLab?
Both FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) and PortfoliosLab include stock screeners, and they differ more in interface than raw power; try both and see which one clicks for you.
Can I track my portfolio with FT Markets (Markets data - Financial Times) or PortfoliosLab?
Yes, both do portfolio tracking: holdings, performance, and allocation in one place.
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