★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
IBorrowDesk vs Koyfin
Pick IBorrowDesk instead if
IBorrowDesk
Free • From $10/mo · Web
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $10/mo instead of $39/mo
Start here
Koyfin
Free • From $39/mo · Web · Mobile
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about screeners, ETF screeners, and data visualizations, things IBorrowDesk 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
IBorrowDesk and Koyfin cover a lot of the same ground (3 shared categories, short interest, watchlist, and alerts), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Koyfin simply does more: 20 categories to IBorrowDesk's 3, including screeners, ETF screeners, and data visualizations, plus a mobile app. IBorrowDesk counters by starting cheaper at $10/mo.
What readers say
IBorrowDesk
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Koyfin
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- IBorrowDesk$10/mo vs $39/mo
- Broader coverage
- Koyfin20 vs 3 categories
- Mobile app
- Koyfin
- Real-time data
- Koyfin
- Broker sync
- Koyfin
- Asset coverage
- KoyfinAdds mutual funds and closed-end funds
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 $10/mo | Free • From $39/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | — | 24 limits: Free: watchlists: 2, Free: screens: 2 +22 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | No | Yes |
Integrations | — | Schwab, Altruist +6 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more |
Categories covered | 3 | 20 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: 15-min Delayed and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more | Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day and Adjustments: TotalReturn |
Data partners | — | 6 partners: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Morningstar +4 more |
Capabilities | — | 7 signals: Universe builder, Broker sync +5 more |
Security | — | 4 signals: SOC2, Data residency: US +2 more |
| Try it | Visit IBorrowDesk | Visit Koyfin |
Where each one shines
What IBorrowDesk and Koyfin each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What IBorrowDesk and Koyfin each do best.What IBorrowDesk does best
- Tracking borrow fee percentages and shortable share availability for stocks and ETFs from Interactive Brokers public data.
- Ticker pages to review recent borrow snapshots with timestamps, fee rates, and available shares.
- Monitoring intraday changes with roughly 15-minute refreshes during North American trading hours and slower weekday updates outside those hours.
- Support for adding tickers to watchlists and set alerts for borrow availability or fee changes.
- IBorrowDesk as one input for short-interest, squeeze-risk, borrow-cost, and liquidity research.
What Koyfin does best
- Tools for building customizable dashboards, watchlists, charts, and market monitors across global equities, ETFs, funds, fixed income, FX, commodities, crypto, indices, and economics.
- Screening for more than 100,000 global securities with thousands of criteria, with stock and ETF screening on paid plans and mutual-fund screening in Advisor tiers.
- Advanced charts with technical indicators, fundamentals, valuation measures, analyst estimates, price targets, templates, sharing, and downloads where vendor licenses allow.
- Research coverage for companies with financial analysis pages, customizable financial templates, news, filings, transcripts, analyst data, short interest, and AI transcript summaries on paid plans.
- Tracking portfolios with grouping, notes, summary rows, alerts, custom data series, uploaded CSV price history, and mobile portfolio monitoring.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for IBorrowDesk and Koyfin, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for IBorrowDesk and Koyfin, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFs | StocksETFsMutual FundsClosed-End FundsBondsCurrenciesCommoditiesFutures+1 more |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsAsset ManagersFinancial AdvisorsRIAs / Wealth FirmsStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAm | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | 15-min DelayedEnd of Day | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day |
Data granularity | MinuteEOD | Not specified |
Data partners | Not specified | S&P Global Market IntelligenceMorningstarFREDTrading EconomicsTrueFXPolygon.io |
| Access & integrations | ||
Import methods | Not specified | ManualCSVCustodian |
Integrations | Not specified | SchwabAltruistTradePMRInteractive BrokersBlack DiamondOrionFidelityAddepar |
Export formats | CSV | CSVImagePDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | SOC2Data residency: USEncryption at restEncryption in transit |
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builderBroker syncYield curvesAI summaries: TranscriptsHouseholdingModel portfoliosClient reporting |
Vendor & support | IBorrowDeskSupport: Email | Koyfin, Inc.Country: United StatesFounded 2016Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 3/5Reliability 3/5UX 3/5 | Not specified |
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 | Free | Freewatchlists: 2 · screens: 2 · +5 more |
| Entry paid plan | $10/mo“Patron” | $39/mo“Plus”financials years: 10 · estimates years: 10 · +5 more |
| Tier 2 | — | $79/mo“Premium”alerts: 500 · custom securities: Unlimited |
| Tier 3 | — | $209/mo“Advisor Core”alerts: 500 · reports per month: 10 · +2 more |
| Top plan | — | $299/mo“Advisor Pro”alerts: 500 · reports per month: 200 · +2 more |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“Teams” |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between IBorrowDesk and Koyfin?
IBorrowDesk leans toward short interest, watchlist, and alerts, while Koyfin puts more weight on screeners, ETF screeners, and data visualizations. They overlap in 3 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do IBorrowDesk and Koyfin cost?
Good news: both IBorrowDesk and Koyfin have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use IBorrowDesk or Koyfin on my phone?
Koyfin lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. IBorrowDesk doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Should I choose IBorrowDesk or Koyfin?
It depends on what you're after. Pick IBorrowDesk if you prefer its overall approach; go with Koyfin if you'd rather have screeners and ETF screeners. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do IBorrowDesk and Koyfin cover?
Both cover stocks and ETFs. Koyfin adds mutual funds, closed-end funds, and bonds on top.
Does IBorrowDesk or Koyfin have real-time data?
Koyfin offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. IBorrowDesk 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 IBorrowDesk and Koyfin?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Can IBorrowDesk or Koyfin connect to my broker?
Koyfin syncs with brokers automatically. With IBorrowDesk, you're entering holdings by hand or importing files.
Which has a better stock screener: IBorrowDesk or Koyfin?
Koyfin has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; IBorrowDesk doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with IBorrowDesk or Koyfin?
Koyfin handles portfolio tracking. IBorrowDesk is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
Keep researching
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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.