VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing Google Finance and MSN Money will find that Both Google Finance and MSN Money concentrate on Watchlist, News, and Financials workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Google Finance leans into Portfolio, Stock Comparison, and Data Visualizations, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. MSN Money stands out with Calendar, Scores, and Fund Performance that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
Google Finance vs MSN Money
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- Google Finance adds Portfolio, Stock Comparison, Data Visualizations, and ETF Holdings coverage that MSN Money skips.
- MSN Money includes Calendar, Scores, Fund Performance, and Retirement Calculator categories that Google Finance omits.
- Google Finance 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., and Performance tracking with one-day and total returns, plus portfolio value charts. Comparisons are based on time-weighted rate of return (TWR)..
- MSN Money is known for: Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment., Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list., and Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays..
- MSN Money offers mobile access, which Google Finance skips.
Google Finance
google.com
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.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
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.
MSN Money
msn.com
Free, ad-supported financial news and market data portal from Microsoft. Watchlists sync across web and mobile when logged into a Microsoft account. Quotes are delayed on most exchanges (10–20 minutes or end-of-day), with Nasdaq last-sale data in real time. Earnings calendar data is powered by Zacks, while fundamentals and charts come from Refinitiv.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment.
- Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list.
- Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays.
- Fundamentals, charts, and fund data provided by Refinitiv; OTC coverage from OTC Markets; stock “Grades” powered by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
- Earnings calendar and estimates sourced from Zacks Investment Research.
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
Google Finance
Distinct strengths include:
- 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.
MSN Money
Distinct strengths include:
- Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment.
- Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list.
- Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays.
- Fundamentals, charts, and fund data provided by Refinitiv; OTC coverage from OTC Markets; stock “Grades” powered by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Google Finance | MSN Money |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Watchlist, News, Financials, ETF Overview Unique: Portfolio, Stock Comparison, Data Visualizations, ETF Holdings | Shared: Watchlist, News, Financials, ETF Overview Unique: Calendar, Scores, Fund Performance, Retirement Calculator |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Currencies, Cryptos, Futures, Bonds | Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Commodities, Currencies |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web | Web, Mobile, Desktop |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
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 MSN Money both support?
Both platforms cover Watchlist, News, Financials, and ETF Overview workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Google Finance and MSN Money require subscriptions?
Both Google Finance and MSN Money keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
Which tool has mobile access?
MSN Money ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Google Finance focuses on web or desktop access.
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 MSN Money stands out for Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment., Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list., and Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays..
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.