Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs Visible Alpha
- Paid from
- $45.75/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, API
Best if
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners.
- Paid from
- On request
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, Desktop, API
Best if
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want research templates and playbooks & case studies.
Start here
GuruFocus
Free • From $549/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners.
Pick Visible Alpha instead if
Visible Alpha
Contact for pricing · Web · Desktop · API
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want research templates and playbooks & case studies.
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 Visible Alpha cover a lot of the same ground (8 shared categories, including stock comparison, data visualizations, and APIs & data feeds), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 49 categories to Visible Alpha's 10, including stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, plus a mobile app. Visible Alpha counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
GuruFocus
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Visible Alpha
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Key differences at a glance
- Free plan
- GuruFocus
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus49 vs 10 categories
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- Desktop app
- Visible Alpha
- Real-time data
- Visible Alpha
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 Visible Alpha does best
- Analyze line-item consensus built from full sell-side models rather than only EPS or revenue estimates.
- VA Actuals to connect stitched historical fundamentals with forward estimates for cleaner time-series analysis.
- Work in Visible Alpha Insights, S&P Capital IQ Pro, or Excel with templates, tear sheets, and updated figures.
- Review target-price and rating distributions with valuation context and consensus changes.
- Monitor line-item revisions, dispersion, trends, and threshold changes through company and metric-level monitoring workflows.
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 | Contact for pricing |
Free tier | Yes | No |
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 |
Desktop app | No | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | Yes | — |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data API, GuruFocus MCP Server +3 more | S&P Capital IQ Pro, Data Feed +2 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | 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 | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time and 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 | — |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit Visible Alpha |
Standout features
The best features of GuruFocus and Visible Alpha.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 Visible Alpha does best
- Analyze line-item consensus built from full sell-side models rather than only EPS or revenue estimates.
- VA Actuals to connect stitched historical fundamentals with forward estimates for cleaner time-series analysis.
- Work in Visible Alpha Insights, S&P Capital IQ Pro, or Excel with templates, tear sheets, and updated figures.
- Review target-price and rating distributions with valuation context and consensus changes.
- Monitor line-item revisions, dispersion, trends, and threshold changes through company and metric-level monitoring workflows.
All details
Every attribute we track for GuruFocus and Visible Alpha.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther | Stocks |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
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, CUSIP, SEDOL, and ISIN |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Real-timeEnd 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 | S&P Capital IQ ProData FeedSnowflakeExcel |
Export formats | CSVExcelJSON | Excel |
| 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 | Visible Alpha (S&P Global Market Intelligence)Country: USFounded 2015Support: Email and Phone |
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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Tier 2 | $200/mo“Data API Builder”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +12 more | — |
| Tier 3 | $2000/mo“Data API Commercial”billing: Billed annually · monthly request limit: No limit · +1 more | — |
| Tier 4 | Subscription“Premium Plus”billing: Annual only · public price: Current rendered pricing could not establish the Premium Plus amount · +4 more | — |
| 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” | Contact sales“Enterprise” |
| Free trial | 7 days | — |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between GuruFocus and Visible Alpha?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while Visible Alpha puts more weight on financials, analyst forecasts, and analyst ratings & price targets. They overlap in 8 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is GuruFocus or Visible Alpha free to use?
GuruFocus has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. Visible Alpha is paid-only. If budget matters, start with GuruFocus and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Which is better for beginners: GuruFocus or Visible Alpha?
GuruFocus is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Can I use GuruFocus or Visible Alpha on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Visible Alpha doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web, desktop, and API.
Do GuruFocus and Visible Alpha 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 Visible Alpha?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if stock ideas and screeners matter to you; go with Visible Alpha if you'd rather have research templates and playbooks & case studies. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and Visible Alpha cover?
Both cover stocks. GuruFocus also handles ETFs, bonds, and mutual funds.
Does GuruFocus or Visible Alpha have real-time data?
Visible Alpha 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.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and Visible Alpha?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (Excel), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or Visible Alpha?
GuruFocus has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Visible Alpha doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with GuruFocus or Visible Alpha?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. Visible Alpha is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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