★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Source check: Unusual Whales checked August 4, 2026
Tool Comparison
Koyfin vs Unusual Whales
Pick Koyfin if
Koyfin
Free • From $39/mo · Web · Mobile
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $39/mo instead of $42/mo
- You care about ETF screeners, data visualizations, and custom dashboards, things Unusual Whales doesn't offer
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Pick Unusual Whales if
Unusual Whales
Free • From $504/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about options, money flow, and options p&l, things Koyfin doesn't offer
- You trade often and need tooling built for speed
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
Koyfin and Unusual Whales cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including screeners, news, and alerts), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Koyfin simply does more: 20 categories to Unusual Whales's 12, including ETF screeners, data visualizations, and custom dashboards. Unusual Whales counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
Koyfin
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Unusual Whales
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Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- Koyfin$39/mo vs $42/mo
- Free trial
- Unusual Whales7 days
- Broader coverage
- Koyfin20 vs 12 categories
- API access
- Unusual Whales
- Global coverage
- Koyfin
- Beginner friendly
- Koyfin
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 $39/mo | Free • From $504/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | 24 limits: Free: watchlists: 2, Free: screens: 2 +22 more | API Trial - Basic: requests per day: 30,000 and API Trial - Basic: historical lookback days: 90 |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | No | Yes |
Broker sync | Yes | — |
Integrations | Schwab, Altruist +6 more | Discord, X (Twitter) +3 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +6 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +3 more |
Categories covered | 20 | 12 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day and Adjustments: TotalReturn | 3 signals: Latency: Streaming and Real-time, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more |
Data partners | 6 partners: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Morningstar +4 more | — |
Capabilities | 7 signals: Universe builder, Broker sync +5 more | 3 signals: Universe builder, Multi-leg options +1 more |
Security | 4 signals: SOC2, Data residency: US +2 more | — |
| Try it | Visit Koyfin | Visit Unusual Whales |
Where each one shines
What Koyfin and Unusual Whales each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Koyfin and Unusual Whales each do best.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.
What Unusual Whales does best
- Tracking U.S. options flow with trade details, exchange data, filters, configurable columns, sorting, and saved trades.
- Multi-leg tagging in the flow feed and open trades in an options profit calculator for payoff and P/L context.
- Monitoring dark pool and off-exchange activity, with market-tide, lit/off-lit, and related flow feeds available where the plan supports them.
- Tools for building alerts across the website, mobile apps, and Discord; free alerts are delayed and limited, while premium alerts are faster and broader.
- Stock and options screeners for unusual volume, options activity, premium, volume, open interest, implied volatility, greeks, and related filters.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Koyfin and Unusual Whales, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Koyfin and Unusual Whales, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsClosed-End FundsBondsCurrenciesCommoditiesFutures+1 more | OptionsStocksETFsCryptos |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsAsset ManagersFinancial AdvisorsRIAs / Wealth FirmsStudents/Researchers | Retail TradersPro RetailDay TradersSwing TradersAlgo Traders |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North America |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day | StreamingReal-time |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
Data partners | S&P Global Market IntelligenceMorningstarFREDTrading EconomicsTrueFXPolygon.io | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKeyDocs |
Import methods | ManualCSVCustodian | Not specified |
Integrations | SchwabAltruistTradePMRInteractive BrokersBlack DiamondOrionFidelityAddepar | DiscordX (Twitter)MCP ServerOpenAPIAI Skills |
Export formats | CSVImagePDF | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | SOC2Data residency: USEncryption at restEncryption in transit | Not specified |
Capability signals | Universe builderBroker syncYield curvesAI summaries: TranscriptsHouseholdingModel portfoliosClient reporting | Universe builderMulti-leg optionsGreeks |
Vendor & support | Koyfin, Inc.Country: United StatesFounded 2016Support: Email | Unusual Whales IncSupport: Email |
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 | Freewatchlists: 2 · screens: 2 · +5 more | Free“Free (limited)” |
| Entry paid plan | $39/mo“Plus”financials years: 10 · estimates years: 10 · +5 more | $504/yr≈ $42/mo“Retail Basic (Annual)” |
| Tier 2 | $79/mo“Premium”alerts: 500 · custom securities: Unlimited | $50/mo“Retail Basic (Monthly)” |
| Tier 3 | $209/mo“Advisor Core”alerts: 500 · reports per month: 10 · +2 more | $150/mo“API Access” |
| Tier 4 | $299/mo“Advisor Pro”alerts: 500 · reports per month: 200 · +2 more | $250/mo“Historical Option Trades” |
| Top plan | — | $375/mo“API Advanced (WebSocket streaming)” |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Teams” | — |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Koyfin and Unusual Whales?
Koyfin leans toward screeners, ETF screeners, and data visualizations, while Unusual Whales puts more weight on options, money flow, and screeners. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Koyfin and Unusual Whales cost?
Good news: both Koyfin and Unusual Whales have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: Koyfin or Unusual Whales?
Koyfin is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Does Koyfin or Unusual Whales have an API?
Unusual Whales has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. Koyfin doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose Koyfin or Unusual Whales?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Koyfin if ETF screeners and data visualizations matter to you; go with Unusual Whales if you'd rather have options and money flow. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Koyfin and Unusual Whales cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, and cryptos. Koyfin also handles mutual funds, closed-end funds, and bonds. Unusual Whales adds options on top.
Do Koyfin and Unusual Whales offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Which covers international markets: Koyfin or Unusual Whales?
Koyfin has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. Unusual Whales is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from Koyfin and Unusual Whales?
Koyfin exports to CSV. Unusual Whales is stingier about getting data out.
Is Koyfin or Unusual Whales better for day trading?
Unusual Whales is the one positioned more for active traders. Koyfin is the better fit if you care less about fast trading workflows and more about a calmer research process.
Which has a better stock screener: Koyfin or Unusual Whales?
Both Koyfin and Unusual Whales 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 Koyfin or Unusual Whales?
Koyfin handles portfolio tracking. Unusual Whales 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.