Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs The Motley Fool
- 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 screeners, ETF screeners, and top analysts.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
- Paid from
- $16.58/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $16.58/mo instead of $45.75/mo
Start here
GuruFocus
Free • From $549/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You want screeners, ETF screeners, and top analysts.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick The Motley Fool instead if
The Motley Fool
Free • From $199/yr · Web · Mobile
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $16.58/mo instead of $45.75/mo
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 The Motley Fool cover a lot of the same ground (8 shared categories, including stock ideas, portfolio, and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 49 categories to The Motley Fool's 8, including screeners, ETF screeners, and top analysts. The Motley Fool counters by starting cheaper at $16.58/mo.
What readers say
GuruFocus
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The Motley Fool
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Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- The Motley Fool$16.58/mo vs $45.75/mo
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus49 vs 8 categories
- API access
- GuruFocus
- Broker sync
- GuruFocus
- Asset coverage
- GuruFocusAdds bonds and mutual funds
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 The Motley Fool does best
- Reading access to free investing articles, market news, educational content, podcasts, and market snapshots on Fool.com.
- Stock Advisor for two new stock recommendations per month at $199/year for the annual plan.
- Upgrade to Epic for broader access including Rule Breakers, Dividend Investor, Hidden Gems, FoolIQ/GamePlan, AI-powered tools, and 7 monthly recommendations.
- Epic Plus for more recommendation volume, including 8+ monthly stock recommendations and daily Moneyball recommendations.
- Fool Portfolios and Fool One for real-money portfolio access, specialized research and events.
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 $199/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 | Yes |
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 | 8 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | — |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 5 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 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 | — |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit The Motley Fool |
Standout features
The best features of GuruFocus and The Motley Fool.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 The Motley Fool does best
- Reading access to free investing articles, market news, educational content, podcasts, and market snapshots on Fool.com.
- Stock Advisor for two new stock recommendations per month at $199/year for the annual plan.
- Upgrade to Epic for broader access including Rule Breakers, Dividend Investor, Hidden Gems, FoolIQ/GamePlan, AI-powered tools, and 7 monthly recommendations.
- Epic Plus for more recommendation volume, including 8+ monthly stock recommendations and daily Moneyball recommendations.
- Fool Portfolios and Fool One for real-money portfolio access, specialized research and events.
All details
Every attribute we track for GuruFocus and The Motley Fool.ShowHide
All 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 | Not specified |
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 | Manual |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data APIGuruFocus MCP ServerGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTrade | 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 curvesCredit ratings+1 more | Not specified |
Vendor & support | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum | The Motley Fool, LLCCountry: USFounded 1993Support: Phone |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 3/5Reliability 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 | $199/yr≈ $16.58/mo“Stock Advisor annual” |
| Tier 2 | $200/mo“Data API Builder”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +12 more | $499/yr≈ $41.58/mo“Epic annual” |
| Tier 3 | $2000/mo“Data API Commercial”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +1 more | $1999/yr≈ $166.58/mo“Epic Plus annual” |
| Tier 4 | Subscription“Premium Plus”billing: Annual only · public price: Current rendered pricing could not establish the Premium Plus amount · +4 more | $3999/yr≈ $333.25/mo“Fool Portfolios annual” |
| Tier 5 | Subscription“Professional”billing: Annual only · public price: Current rendered pricing could not establish the Professional amount · +1 more | $13999/yr≈ $1166.58/mo“Fool One” |
| 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 | — |
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between GuruFocus and The Motley Fool?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while The Motley Fool puts more weight on stock ideas, portfolio, and watchlist. They overlap in 8 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do GuruFocus and The Motley Fool cost?
Good news: both GuruFocus and The Motley Fool have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Does GuruFocus or The Motley Fool have an API?
GuruFocus has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. The Motley Fool doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose GuruFocus or The Motley Fool?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if screeners and ETF screeners matter to you; go with The Motley Fool if you prefer its overall approach. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and The Motley Fool cover?
Both cover stocks and ETFs. GuruFocus also handles bonds, mutual funds, and options.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and The Motley Fool?
GuruFocus exports to CSV and Excel. The Motley Fool is stingier about getting data out.
Can GuruFocus or The Motley Fool connect to my broker?
GuruFocus syncs with brokers automatically. With The Motley Fool, you're entering holdings by hand or importing files.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or The Motley Fool?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; The Motley Fool doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with GuruFocus or The Motley Fool?
Yes, both do portfolio tracking: holdings, performance, and allocation in one place.
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