★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs Sensor Tower
Start here
GuruFocus
Free • From $549/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, things Sensor Tower doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick Sensor Tower instead if
Sensor Tower
Free • Contact for pricing · Web · API
- You care about app & website traffic, something GuruFocus doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
GuruFocus simply does more: 49 categories to Sensor Tower's 2, including stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, plus a mobile app. Sensor Tower counters by being completely free. On paper they're closely matched, so let pricing, platform fit, and the details below break the tie.
What readers say
GuruFocus
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Sensor Tower
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Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus49 vs 2 categories
- Asset coverage
- GuruFocusAdds stocks and ETFs
- Free plan
- Both
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $549/yr | Free • Contact for pricing |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | — |
Plan limits | 49 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 +47 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | Yes | — |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus MCP Server +3 more | Snowflake, Salesforce +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more | — |
Categories covered | 49 | 2 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 5 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more | 3 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +1 more |
Data partners | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more | — |
Capabilities | 9 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +7 more | — |
Security | Status page and Encryption in transit | 3 signals: SOC2, SSO: SAML +1 more |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit Sensor Tower |
Where each one shines
What GuruFocus and Sensor Tower each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What GuruFocus and Sensor Tower each do best.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 Sensor Tower does best
- Research coverage for mobile app downloads, revenue estimates, usage, retention, session frequency, time spent, audience trends, games, ads, and web or app behavior.
- Public top charts and app lookup tools for limited free discovery before moving into commercial platform access.
- Tracking app store optimization workflows with keyword opportunities, competitive benchmarking, Apple Search Ads analysis, and app performance views.
- Advertising intelligence for share of voice, network coverage, creative tracking, messaging trends, and competitor ad monitoring.
- Web Insights to compare desktop web, mobile web, and app behavior with deduplicated user benchmarking where access permits.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for GuruFocus and Sensor Tower, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for GuruFocus and Sensor Tower, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsQuality InvestorsDividend InvestorsAnalystsQuants/Developers+3 more | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker and CIK | Not specified |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | End of Day |
Data granularity | EOD | EOD |
Pricing sources | ExchangeVendorModel | Not specified |
Data partners | QuoteMediaMorningstarRefinitivFREDSEC / local regulators | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python and GoDocs | Auth: APIKey |
Import methods | CSVBrokerOAuthManual | Not specified |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data APIGuruFocus MCP ServerGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTrade | SnowflakeSalesforceSlack |
Export formats | CSVExcelJSON | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status pageEncryption in transit | SOC2SSO: SAMLStatus page |
Capability signals | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthBroker syncMulti-currencyYield curvesCredit ratings+1 more | Not specified |
Vendor & support | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum | Sensor Tower, Inc.Country: United StatesFounded 2013Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 3/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| 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“Public free tools” |
| Entry paid plan | $549/yr≈ $45.75/mo“Premium”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 200/month included with Premium membership · +2 more | — |
| Tier 2 | $1398/yr≈ $116.50/mo“Premium Plus”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 500/month included with Premium Plus membership · +2 more | — |
| Tier 3 | $200/mo“Data API Builder”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +12 more | — |
| Tier 4 | $2448/yr≈ $204/mo“Professional”billing: Annual only · data api requests: 2,000/month included with Professional membership | — |
| Tier 5 | $2000/mo“Data API Commercial”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +1 more | — |
| Top plan | $100 per unit“Data API Pay As You Go”initial top up: $100 credit · stock daily prices: $0.05/request · +16 more | — |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Custom API / Enterprise Package” | Contact sales“Enterprise” |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between GuruFocus and Sensor Tower?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while Sensor Tower puts more weight on app & website traffic and APIs & data feeds. They overlap in 1 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do GuruFocus and Sensor Tower cost?
Good news: both GuruFocus and Sensor Tower have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use GuruFocus or Sensor Tower on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Sensor Tower doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web and API.
Do GuruFocus and Sensor Tower have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose GuruFocus or Sensor Tower?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if stock ideas and screeners matter to you; go with Sensor Tower if you'd rather have app & website traffic. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and Sensor Tower cover?
Both cover other. GuruFocus also handles stocks, ETFs, and bonds.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and Sensor Tower?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or Sensor Tower?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Sensor Tower doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with GuruFocus or Sensor Tower?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. Sensor Tower is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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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.