Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs Smartkarma
- Paid from
- $45.75/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, API
Best if
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You want ETF screeners, top analysts, and stock comparison.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Start here
GuruFocus
Free • From $549/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You want ETF screeners, top analysts, and stock comparison.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick Smartkarma instead if
Smartkarma
Free • Paid plans available · Web · Mobile
- Go this way if it's completely free.
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 Smartkarma cover a lot of the same ground (10 shared categories, including stock ideas, screeners, and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 49 categories to Smartkarma's 10, including ETF screeners, top analysts, and stock comparison. Smartkarma counters by being completely free.
What readers say
GuruFocus
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Key differences at a glance
- Broker sync
- GuruFocus
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus49 vs 10 categories
- API access
- GuruFocus
- Free plan
- Both
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 Smartkarma does best
- Reading access to independent investment research and analyst commentary from the Smartkarma platform across equities, macro, FX, rates, crypto, and related markets.
- Direct analyst access, real-time alerts, email notifications, and watchlists to follow relevant research as it is published.
- Screening for ideas with SmartScore factors such as Value, Dividend, Growth, Resilience, and Momentum, with filters by country, sector, and market cap.
- The Relative Value tool for HoldCo and share-class pair opportunities, including Actionability, Investability, and z-score diagnostics.
- Monitor FX, rates, macroeconomic calendars, crypto dashboards, market updates, videos, blogs, and newsletters from the broader platform.
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 • Paid plans available |
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 | Yes |
API access | Yes | No |
Broker sync | Yes | No |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus MCP Server +3 more | Bloomberg Terminal |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more | — |
Categories covered | 49 | 10 |
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 | Corporate actions: Current |
Data partners | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more | — |
Capabilities | 9 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +7 more | Universe builder and Factors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and Growth |
Security | Status page and Encryption in transit | — |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit Smartkarma |
Standout features
The best features of GuruFocus and Smartkarma.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 Smartkarma does best
- Reading access to independent investment research and analyst commentary from the Smartkarma platform across equities, macro, FX, rates, crypto, and related markets.
- Direct analyst access, real-time alerts, email notifications, and watchlists to follow relevant research as it is published.
- Screening for ideas with SmartScore factors such as Value, Dividend, Growth, Resilience, and Momentum, with filters by country, sector, and market cap.
- The Relative Value tool for HoldCo and share-class pair opportunities, including Actionability, Investability, and z-score diagnostics.
- Monitor FX, rates, macroeconomic calendars, crypto dashboards, market updates, videos, blogs, and newsletters from the broader platform.
All details
Every attribute we track for GuruFocus and Smartkarma.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther | StocksETFsBondsCurrenciesCryptos |
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 | 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 MCP ServerGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTrade | Bloomberg Terminal |
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 curvesCredit ratings+1 more | Universe builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and Growth |
Vendor & support | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum | Smartkarma Innovations Pte LtdCountry: Singapore |
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“Preview Pass” |
| 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 | Subscription“Pro Platform” |
| Tier 2 | $200/mo“Data API Builder”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +12 more | Subscription“Premium & Data Subscriptions” |
| Tier 3 | $2000/mo“Data API Commercial”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +1 more | Subscription“Digital IR Platform (Corporate)” |
| Tier 4 | Subscription“Premium Plus”billing: Annual only · public price: Current rendered pricing could not establish the Premium Plus amount · +4 more | Subscription“Plus Platform (Wealth/Intermediaries)” |
| Tier 5 | Subscription“Professional”billing: Annual only · public price: Current rendered pricing could not establish the Professional amount · +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” | — |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between GuruFocus and Smartkarma?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while Smartkarma puts more weight on stock ideas, screeners, and watchlist. They overlap in 10 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do GuruFocus and Smartkarma cost?
Good news: both GuruFocus and Smartkarma have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Does GuruFocus or Smartkarma have an API?
GuruFocus has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Smartkarma doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose GuruFocus or Smartkarma?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if ETF screeners and top analysts matter to you; go with Smartkarma if you prefer its overall approach. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and Smartkarma cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, and bonds. GuruFocus also handles mutual funds, options, and funds. Smartkarma adds currencies and cryptos on top.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and Smartkarma?
GuruFocus exports to CSV and Excel. Smartkarma is stingier about getting data out.
Can GuruFocus or Smartkarma connect to my broker?
GuruFocus syncs with brokers automatically. With Smartkarma, you're entering holdings by hand or importing files.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or Smartkarma?
Both GuruFocus and Smartkarma include stock screeners, and they differ more in interface than raw power; try both and see which one clicks for you.
Can I track my portfolio with GuruFocus or Smartkarma?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. Smartkarma is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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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.