★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
GuruFocus vs WhaleWisdom
GuruFocus
Best for ETF screeners and top analysts
Free • From $549/yr
WhaleWisdom
Best for institutional ownership and insider data
Free • From $300/yr
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The verdict
The bottom line
GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom cover a lot of the same ground (8 shared categories, including stock ideas, screeners, and backtesting), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. GuruFocus simply does more: 48 categories to WhaleWisdom's 8, including ETF screeners, top analysts, and stock comparison, plus a mobile app. WhaleWisdom counters by starting cheaper at $25/mo.
Key differences at a glance
- Mobile app
- GuruFocus
- Cheaper paid plan
- WhaleWisdom$25/mo vs $45.75/mo
- Free trial
- GuruFocus7 days
- Broader coverage
- GuruFocus48 vs 8 categories
- Desktop app
- WhaleWisdom
- Global coverage
- GuruFocus
Choose
GuruFocus if…
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about ETF screeners, top analysts, and stock comparison, things WhaleWisdom doesn't offer
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Choose
WhaleWisdom if…
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $25/mo instead of $45.75/mo
Comparison snapshot
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $549/yr | Free • From $300/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | 7 days | — |
Plan limits | 38 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 +36 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 Excel Add-in +6 more | WhaleWisdom Excel Add-in, Microsoft Office Store add-in +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +9 more | — |
Categories covered | 48 | 8 |
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 | — |
Data partners | 5 partners: QuoteMedia, Morningstar +3 more | — |
Capabilities | 8 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +6 more | — |
Security | Status page and Encryption in transit | Data residency: US |
| Try it | Visit GuruFocus | Visit WhaleWisdom |
Standout features
What GuruFocus does best
- Global value-investing research platform with historical financial and valuation data, screeners, charts, comparisons, institutional-investor trading histories, executive trading histories, market valuation data, economic indicators, and industry indicators.
- Large global coverage footprint: GuruFocus says it serves more than 1 million users worldwide, covers 100,000 stocks in 100 markets, tracks 8,000+ institutional investors’ trading histories, and tracks 15,000+ mutual fund holdings; API documentation separately describes 60,000+ companies across 9 regions.
- All-in-One Screener with 500+ filters across fundamentals, valuation, profitability, growth, dividends, guru holdings, insider trades, predefined value screens, custom filters, saved screens, downloadable results, and portfolio workflow integration.
- Screener backtesting for more than 80 countries, with U.S. backtests starting January 1, 2006 and non-U.S. country backtests generally starting January 1, 2016; parameters include stock count, ranking metric, sort order, start/end date, and rebalance frequency.
- GuruFocus states that screener backtests are designed to be free of survivorship bias by considering historical mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, and delistings.
What WhaleWisdom does best
- Track and analyze hedge-fund and institutional SEC filings including 13F quarterly reports, Schedule 13D/G events, Form 4 insider transactions, Form D, Form 144, N-CEN mutual-fund search, and Investment Adviser/Form ADV search tools.
- Free tier advertises past two years of 13F data, unlimited email alerts, filer groups up to 5 members, stock watchlists up to 5 stocks, backtesting over recent 13F history, and limited access to most site tools.
- 13F database history goes back to the March 31, 2001 quarter / Q1 2001; Standard and Pro unlock earlier historical 13F data, while Standard also lists historical 13D/G data back to 2006.
- Developer API uses the endpoint https://whalewisdom.com/shell/command, requires a registered account and API access keys/signatures or an authenticated browser session, and is limited to 20 requests per minute.
- API commands include quarters, stock_lookup, filer_lookup, stock_comparison, holdings_comparison, export, holdings, holders, and filer_metadata; outputs include HTML, JSON, and CSV depending on command.
Data & access details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsBondsMutual FundsOptionsFundsOther | StocksETFsClosed-End FundsBondsOptions |
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, CUSIP, and CIK |
| 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 | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python and GoDocs | Auth: APIKey20 req/minDocs |
Import methods | CSVBrokerOAuthManual | Not specified |
Integrations | GuruFocus Data APIGuruFocus Excel Add-inGuruFocus Google Sheets Add-onSnapTradeSchwabFidelityRobinhoodInteractive Brokers | WhaleWisdom Excel Add-inMicrosoft Office Store add-inNightly FTP bulk files for Enterprise |
Export formats | CSVExcelJSON | CSVExcelJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status pageEncryption in transit | Data residency: US |
Capability signals | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderFactors: Value, Quality, Momentum, and GrowthBroker syncMulti-currencyYield curvesAI summaries: Transcripts | Not specified |
Vendor & support | GuruFocus.com, LLCCountry: United StatesFounded 2004Support: Email, Chat, Phone, and Forum | WhaleWisdom, LLCCountry: United StatesSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 3/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing breakdown
$549/yr
Starting price
Plans & pricing
- portfolio 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
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 200/month included with Premium membership
- +2 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 500/month included with Premium Plus membership
- +2 more
- billing: Annual only
- data api requests: 2,000/month included with Professional membership
- requests: 100/month
- billing: Billed annually
- canada add on: $100/month
- +8 more
- billing: Billed annually
- initial top up: $100 credit
- company profile: $0.10/request
- +11 more
$300/yr
Lower starting price
Plans & pricing
Coverage overlap
Shared categories
8Where the two tools cover the same ground.
GuruFocus strengths
40What you only get with GuruFocus.
WhaleWisdom strengths
0What you only get with WhaleWisdom.
No unique categories.
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
Loading sentiment chart...
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom?
GuruFocus leans toward stock ideas, screeners, and ETF screeners, while WhaleWisdom puts more weight on institutional ownership, insider data, and stock ideas. They overlap in 8 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom cost?
Good news: both GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use GuruFocus or WhaleWisdom on my phone?
GuruFocus lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. WhaleWisdom doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web, API, and desktop.
Do GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom 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 WhaleWisdom?
It depends on what you're after. Pick GuruFocus if ETF screeners and top analysts matter to you; go with WhaleWisdom if you prefer its overall approach. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, bonds, and options. GuruFocus also handles mutual funds, funds, and other. WhaleWisdom adds closed-end funds on top.
Which covers international markets: GuruFocus or WhaleWisdom?
GuruFocus has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. WhaleWisdom is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV and Excel), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: GuruFocus or WhaleWisdom?
Both GuruFocus and WhaleWisdom 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 WhaleWisdom?
GuruFocus handles portfolio tracking. WhaleWisdom 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.