Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs OptionCharts
- Paid from
- $45.75/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, API
Best if
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You want stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners.
- Paid from
- $20/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web
Best if
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $20/mo instead of $45.75/mo
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want options p&l.
Start here
GuruFocus
Free • From $549/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You want stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners.
Pick OptionCharts instead if
OptionCharts
Free • From $240/yr · Web
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $20/mo instead of $45.75/mo
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
GuruFocus and OptionCharts cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including data visualizations, watchlist, and options), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 49 categories to OptionCharts's 5, including stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, plus a mobile app. OptionCharts counters by starting cheaper at $20/mo.
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GuruFocus
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OptionCharts
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Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- OptionCharts$20/mo vs $45.75/mo
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus49 vs 5 categories
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- API access
- GuruFocus
- Real-time data
- OptionCharts
What GuruFocus does best
- Research coverage for global stocks with long historical financials, valuation data, charts, comparisons, market valuation indicators, economic indicators, industry data, and company-level fundamentals.
- The All-in-One Screener with hundreds of filters across fundamentals, valuation, profitability, growth, dividends, guru holdings, insider trades, predefined value screens, custom filters, saved screens, and downloads.
- ETF Screener and ETF GF Scores for filtering and comparing more than 5,000 U.S.
- Corporate and government bond screening by yield, maturity, ratings, coupon structure, outstanding amount, issuer, and industry, plus company-level bond tabs.
- Backtest screener strategies across many countries with configurable stock count, ranking metric, sort order, date range, and rebalance frequency; current membership terms give Premium the latest five years and Premium Plus/Professional history back to 2006.
What OptionCharts does best
- Build and compare multi-leg options P&L charts with covered call, vertical spread, iron condor, calendar, and other templates.
- Review ticker-level options charts for volume, open interest, Greeks, implied-volatility skew, max pain, expected move, and probability distribution.
- GEX and DEX visualizations to understand where listed option positioning may concentrate gamma and delta exposure around a ticker.
- Inspect option contract history for price, volume, open interest, and Greeks, including intraday history where available by plan and dataset.
- Scan market-wide options trend tables for active tickers, active contracts, high open interest, IV and IV rank, unusual activity, and options flow.
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 • From $549/yr | Free • From $240/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | — |
Plan limits | 57 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 +55 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | No |
Broker sync | Yes | No |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus MCP Server +3 more | — |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more | — |
Categories covered | 49 | 5 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 5 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more |
Data partners | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more | — |
Capabilities | 9 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +7 more | Multi-leg options and Greeks |
Security | Status page and Encryption in transit | — |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit OptionCharts |
Standout features
The best features of GuruFocus and OptionCharts.ShowHide
Standout features
What GuruFocus does best
- Research coverage for global stocks with long historical financials, valuation data, charts, comparisons, market valuation indicators, economic indicators, industry data, and company-level fundamentals.
- The All-in-One Screener with hundreds of filters across fundamentals, valuation, profitability, growth, dividends, guru holdings, insider trades, predefined value screens, custom filters, saved screens, and downloads.
- ETF Screener and ETF GF Scores for filtering and comparing more than 5,000 U.S.
- Corporate and government bond screening by yield, maturity, ratings, coupon structure, outstanding amount, issuer, and industry, plus company-level bond tabs.
- Backtest screener strategies across many countries with configurable stock count, ranking metric, sort order, date range, and rebalance frequency; current membership terms give Premium the latest five years and Premium Plus/Professional history back to 2006.
What OptionCharts does best
- Build and compare multi-leg options P&L charts with covered call, vertical spread, iron condor, calendar, and other templates.
- Review ticker-level options charts for volume, open interest, Greeks, implied-volatility skew, max pain, expected move, and probability distribution.
- GEX and DEX visualizations to understand where listed option positioning may concentrate gamma and delta exposure around a ticker.
- Inspect option contract history for price, volume, open interest, and Greeks, including intraday history where available by plan and dataset.
- Scan market-wide options trend tables for active tickers, active contracts, high open interest, IV and IV rank, unusual activity, and options flow.
All details
Every attribute we track for GuruFocus and OptionCharts.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther | OptionsStocksETFs |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsQuality InvestorsDividend InvestorsAnalystsQuants/Developers+3 more | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North America |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker and CIK | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day |
Data granularity | EOD | MinuteEOD |
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 MCP ServerGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTrade | Not specified |
Export formats | CSVExcelJSON | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status pageEncryption in transit | Not specified |
Capability signals | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthBroker syncMulti-currencyYield curvesCredit ratings+1 more | Multi-leg optionsGreeks |
Vendor & support | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum | OptionCharts, LLCCountry: USSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freeportfolio 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 | Free |
| Entry paid plan | $549/yr≈ $45.75/mo“Premium”billing: Annual only · region price: $549/year for USA, Asia, or Europe; $369/year for several other regions · +7 more | $240/yr≈ $20/mo“Premium Annual” |
| Tier 2 | $200/mo“Data API Builder”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +12 more | $25/mo“Premium Monthly” |
| Tier 3 | $2000/mo“Data API Commercial”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +1 more | $420/yr≈ $35/mo“Ultimate Annual (Non-Professional)” |
| Tier 4 | Subscription“Premium Plus”billing: Annual only · public price: Current rendered pricing could not establish the Premium Plus amount · +4 more | $45/mo“Ultimate Monthly (Non-Professional)” |
| Tier 5 | Subscription“Professional”billing: Annual only · public price: Current rendered pricing could not establish the Professional amount · +1 more | $960/yr≈ $80/mo“Ultimate Professional Annual” |
| Top plan | $100 per unit“Data API Pay As You Go”initial top up: $100 credit · stock daily prices: $0.05/request · +16 more | $90/mo“Ultimate Professional Monthly” |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Custom API / Enterprise Package” | — |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between GuruFocus and OptionCharts?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while OptionCharts puts more weight on data visualizations, options, and watchlist. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do GuruFocus and OptionCharts cost?
Good news: both GuruFocus and OptionCharts have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use GuruFocus or OptionCharts on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. OptionCharts doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Does GuruFocus or OptionCharts have an API?
GuruFocus has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. OptionCharts doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose GuruFocus or OptionCharts?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if stock ideas and screeners matter to you; go with OptionCharts if you'd rather have options p&l. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and OptionCharts cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, and options. GuruFocus also handles bonds, mutual funds, and funds.
Does GuruFocus or OptionCharts have real-time data?
OptionCharts offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. GuruFocus runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Which covers international markets: GuruFocus or OptionCharts?
GuruFocus has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. OptionCharts is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and OptionCharts?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Can GuruFocus or OptionCharts connect to my broker?
GuruFocus syncs with brokers automatically. With OptionCharts, you're entering holdings by hand or importing files.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or OptionCharts?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; OptionCharts doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with GuruFocus or OptionCharts?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. OptionCharts is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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