★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs Letters and Reviews
GuruFocus
Best for screeners and ETF screeners
Free • From $549/yr
Letters and Reviews
Best for stock ideas and institutional ownership
Free
Outbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
The verdict
The bottom line
GuruFocus and Letters and Reviews cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, stock ideas, institutional ownership, and blogs), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 48 categories to Letters and Reviews's 3, including screeners, ETF screeners, and top analysts, plus a mobile app. Letters and Reviews counters by being completely free.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus48 vs 3 categories
- API access
- GuruFocus
- Asset coverage
- GuruFocusAdds bonds and mutual funds
- Free plan
- Both
Choose
GuruFocus if…
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about screeners, ETF screeners, and top analysts, things Letters and Reviews doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Choose
Letters and Reviews if…
- Letters and Reviews's overall approach simply feels right to you; they're close on paper
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $549/yr | Free |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | — |
Plan limits | 38 limits: Free: portfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members, Free: data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package +36 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | No |
Broker sync | Yes | — |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus Excel Add-in +6 more | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more | — |
Categories covered | 48 | 3 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe, APAC |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 5 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more | — |
Data partners | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more | — |
Capabilities | 8 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +6 more | — |
Security | Status page and Encryption in transit | — |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit Letters and Reviews |
Standout features
What GuruFocus does best
- Global value-investing research platform with historical financial and valuation data, screeners, charts, comparisons, institutional-investor trading histories, executive trading histories, market valuation data, economic indicators, and industry indicators.
- Large global coverage footprint: GuruFocus says it serves more than 1 million users worldwide, covers 100,000 stocks in 100 markets, tracks 8,000+ institutional investors’ trading histories, and tracks 15,000+ mutual fund holdings; API documentation separately describes 60,000+ companies across 9 regions.
- All-in-One Screener with 500+ filters across fundamentals, valuation, profitability, growth, dividends, guru holdings, insider trades, predefined value screens, custom filters, saved screens, downloadable results, and portfolio workflow integration.
- Screener backtesting for more than 80 countries, with U.S. backtests starting January 1, 2006 and non-U.S. country backtests generally starting January 1, 2016; parameters include stock count, ranking metric, sort order, start/end date, and rebalance frequency.
- GuruFocus states that screener backtests are designed to be free of survivorship bias by considering historical mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, and delistings.
What Letters and Reviews does best
- Quarterly **Fund Manager Letters** pages with the fund name, date, and a "Stocks Mentioned" column (tickers link out for quick lookup); latest public quarter observed is Q4 2025.
- Quarterly **13-F pages** the author reads, with many entries including holdings tables and position-change flags (e.g., NEW / Sold Out / % of portfolio).
- Lightweight **About** page clarifies the goal: stock-idea discovery from letters; author shares links and invites tips via @_iinvested.
- A small **Podcasts** page curating investing/finance episodes the author plans to re-listen to.
Data & access details
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther | StocksETFs |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsQuality InvestorsDividend InvestorsAnalystsQuants/Developers+3 more | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North AmericaEuropeAPAC |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker and CIK | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Not specified |
Data granularity | EOD | Not specified |
Pricing sources | ExchangeVendorModel | Not specified |
Data partners | QuoteMediaMorningstarRefinitivFREDSEC / local regulators | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | Not specified |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python and GoDocs | Not specified |
Import methods | CSVBrokerOAuthManual | Not specified |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data APIGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTradeSchwabFidelityRobinhoodInteractive Brokers | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVExcelJSON | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status pageEncryption in transit | Not specified |
Capability signals | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthBroker syncMulti-currencyYield curvesAI summaries: Transcripts | Not specified |
Vendor & support | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum | Letters and Reviews (Blogger)Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 3/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
$549/yr
Starting price
Plans & pricing
- portfolio limit: Up to 3 portfolios with 25 stocks each for free members
- data api requests: 100/month included in the Free API package
- +1 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 200/month included with Premium membership
- +2 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 500/month included with Premium Plus membership
- +2 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 2,000/month included with Professional membership
- requests: 100/month
- billing: Billed annually
- canada add on: $100/month
- +8 more
- billing: Billed annually
- initial top up: $100 credit
- company profile: $0.10/request
- +11 more
Free
Lower starting price
Plans & pricing
Coverage overlap
Shared categories
3Where the two tools cover the same ground.
GuruFocus strengths
45What you only get with GuruFocus.
Letters and Reviews strengths
0What you only get with Letters and Reviews.
No unique categories.
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
Loading sentiment chart...
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between GuruFocus and Letters and Reviews?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while Letters and Reviews puts more weight on stock ideas, institutional ownership, and blogs. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do GuruFocus and Letters and Reviews cost?
Good news: both GuruFocus and Letters and Reviews have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use GuruFocus or Letters and Reviews on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Letters and Reviews doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Does GuruFocus or Letters and Reviews have an API?
GuruFocus has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Letters and Reviews doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose GuruFocus or Letters and Reviews?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if screeners and ETF screeners matter to you; go with Letters and Reviews if you prefer its overall approach. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and Letters and Reviews cover?
Both cover stocks and ETFs. GuruFocus also handles bonds, mutual funds, and options.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and Letters and Reviews?
GuruFocus exports to CSV and Excel. Letters and Reviews is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or Letters and Reviews?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Letters and Reviews doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with GuruFocus or Letters and Reviews?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. Letters and Reviews is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
Other tools you might like
These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.
Keep Exploring
Global rankings of the highest-rated tools across all categories.
Ranked list of companies with durable competitive advantages.
Proven models entering their growth phase with solid economics.
Track votes, sentiment, and engagement across the community.
Learn moat types, red flags, and real-company examples.
Browse other head-to-head tool comparisons and alternatives.
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.