VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

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Tool Comparison

Google Finance vs Main Street Data comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Google Finance adds Portfolio, News, ETF Overview, and ETF Holdings coverage that Main Street Data skips.

Main Street Data includes Screeners, Calendar, Transcripts, Analyst Forecasts, and Interest Rates categories that Google Finance omits.

In depth comparison

Google Finance

google.com

Editor’s pick Hands-on review

Free web portal for quotes, charts, news, watchlists, and simple portfolio tracking. Portfolios can include stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, and crypto, with returns shown using time-weighted calculations. Data freshness varies by source: some exchanges stream in real time, while others are delayed (e.g., 15 minutes for many equities, 10 minutes for CME futures, end-of-day for mutual funds). Currency and crypto quotes update every few minutes. Google Sheets supports the GOOGLEFINANCE() function for live data pulls, though no public REST API is offered.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols.
Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency.
Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR).
Interactive charts, quotes, and aggregated financial news across global markets.
Coverage across multiple asset classes with varied latency: U.S. equities often real-time, international equities typically 15-minute delay, futures about 10 minutes, crypto and currencies ~3 minutes, and mutual funds end-of-day.

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Main Street Data

mainstreetdata.com

Hands-on review

Visual-first stock research platform with two tiers: Starter (free) includes curated charts, 10 years of financials, basic charting, and an earnings calendar. The Plus plan ($468/year) adds a KPI library, 30+ years of financial data, advanced charting, company comparisons, call transcripts, analyst estimates, calendar sync, curated groups, and multiple watchlists.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

Visual dashboards and customizable curated charts for listed companies.
Stock screener with simplified charting for fundamentals and performance.
KPI library with 1,100+ company-specific operating metrics, over 10 years of history, and updates within hours of earnings releases (with retroactive adjustments for reporting changes).
Standardized financials sourced from Finnhub (with Financial Modeling Prep referenced in pricing materials). KPI data comes directly from SEC filings and company reports.
Earnings calendar included in the free plan; calendar sync available in Plus.

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Where they differ

Google Finance

Distinct strengths include:

Portfolio News ETF Overview ETF Holdings

Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols.
Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency.
Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR).
Interactive charts, quotes, and aggregated financial news across global markets.

Main Street Data

Distinct strengths include:

Screeners Calendar Transcripts Analyst Forecasts Interest Rates

Visual dashboards and customizable curated charts for listed companies.
Stock screener with simplified charting for fundamentals and performance.
KPI library with 1,100+ company-specific operating metrics, over 10 years of history, and updates within hours of earnings releases (with retroactive adjustments for reporting changes).
Standardized financials sourced from Finnhub (with Financial Modeling Prep referenced in pricing materials). KPI data comes directly from SEC filings and company reports.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Google Finance	Main Street Data
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Watchlist, Stock Comparison, Data Visualizations, Financials Unique: Portfolio, News, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings	Shared: Watchlist, Stock Comparison, Data Visualizations, Financials Unique: Screeners, Calendar, Transcripts, Analyst Forecasts, Interest Rates
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Currencies, Cryptos, Futures, Bonds	Stocks
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web	Web
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free	Free, Subscription
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols. Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency. Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR). Interactive charts, quotes, and aggregated financial news across global markets. Coverage across multiple asset classes with varied latency: U.S. equities often real-time, international equities typically 15-minute delay, futures about 10 minutes, crypto and currencies ~3 minutes, and mutual funds end-of-day. Google Sheets integration via =GOOGLEFINANCE() for fetching current and historical data (with limits on coverage, frequency, and history depth).	Unique Visual dashboards and customizable curated charts for listed companies. Stock screener with simplified charting for fundamentals and performance. KPI library with 1,100+ company-specific operating metrics, over 10 years of history, and updates within hours of earnings releases (with retroactive adjustments for reporting changes). Standardized financials sourced from Finnhub (with Financial Modeling Prep referenced in pricing materials). KPI data comes directly from SEC filings and company reports. Earnings calendar included in the free plan; calendar sync available in Plus. Company comparison tools available in the Plus tier.
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Yes	Yes
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Highlighted	Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Google Finance and Main Street Data both support?

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

Do Google Finance and Main Street Data require subscriptions?

Both Google Finance and Main Street Data keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access Google Finance and Main Street Data?

Both Google Finance and Main Street Data prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Google Finance differentiates itself with Custom watchlists to follow securities and markets, with tailored news feeds for tracked symbols., Simple portfolio tools: add holdings with quantity, cost basis, and date; convert watchlists to portfolios; experiment with simulated “playground” portfolios; switch portfolio currency., and Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR)., whereas Main Street Data stands out for Visual dashboards and customizable curated charts for listed companies., Stock screener with simplified charting for fundamentals and performance., and KPI library with 1,100+ company-specific operating metrics, over 10 years of history, and updates within hours of earnings releases (with retroactive adjustments for reporting changes)..

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