Tool Comparison
Magic Formula Investing vs Seeking Alpha
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web
Best if
- Paid from
- $24.92/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want news, news sentiment, and alerts.
Pick Magic Formula Investing instead if
Magic Formula Investing
Free · Web
- Go this way if it's completely free.
Start here
Seeking Alpha
Free • From $299/yr · Web · Mobile
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You want news, news sentiment, and alerts.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, screeners and stock ideas), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Seeking Alpha simply does more: 24 categories to Magic Formula Investing's 2, including news, news sentiment, and alerts, plus a mobile app. Magic Formula Investing counters by being completely free.
What readers say
Magic Formula Investing
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Seeking Alpha
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Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- Seeking Alpha
- Broader coverage
- Seeking Alpha24 vs 2 categories
- Mobile app
- Seeking Alpha
- Asset coverage
- Seeking AlphaAdds ETFs and mutual funds
- Free plan
- Both
What Magic Formula Investing does best
- The official Magic Formula screener with two inputs, minimum market cap and either 30 or 50 results.
- Screening for companies ranked on high earnings yield and high return on capital, with the accounting adjustments described by the official methodology.
- A narrow value and quality idea list for further research.
- Focus on U.S.-listed equities because the official universe excludes foreign companies and ADRs.
- Financial and utility companies are excluded from the official screen.
What Seeking Alpha does best
- Reading access to market-moving news, contributor research, ratings changes, earnings coverage, and stock analysis across stocks, ETFs, funds, commodities, and crypto.
- Comparison tools for Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings, SA Author ratings, Wall Street analyst ratings, and factor grades for value, growth, profitability, momentum, and EPS revisions.
- Stock and ETF screeners, top-rated lists, saved screens, and factor-grade filters to find ideas by rating profile, fundamentals, dividend traits, and market behavior.
- Move from a ticker page into financials, valuation context, dividends, ownership, peer comparison, articles, news, transcripts, and analyst expectations.
- Work through earnings with portfolio calendars, estimates, revisions, surprises, transcripts, Earnings Call Insights, and Virtual Analyst Reports.
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 | Free • From $299/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | — | Basic: premium articles per month: 1 |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | — | Yes |
Integrations | — | Plaid and SnapTrade |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Retail Traders and Pro Retail |
Categories covered | 2 | 24 |
Regions | North America | — |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: End of Day, Granularity: EOD +1 more | Latency: Real-time and 15-min Delayed |
Data partners | — | 8 partners: Quodd (formerly Xignite), Cboe BZX Exchange +6 more |
Capabilities | — | 5 signals: Universe builder, Factors: Value, Growth, and Momentum +3 more |
Security | — | Status page |
| Try it | Visit Magic Formula Investing | Visit Seeking Alpha |
Standout features
The best features of Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha.ShowHide
Standout features
What Magic Formula Investing does best
- The official Magic Formula screener with two inputs, minimum market cap and either 30 or 50 results.
- Screening for companies ranked on high earnings yield and high return on capital, with the accounting adjustments described by the official methodology.
- A narrow value and quality idea list for further research.
- Focus on U.S.-listed equities because the official universe excludes foreign companies and ADRs.
- Financial and utility companies are excluded from the official screen.
What Seeking Alpha does best
- Reading access to market-moving news, contributor research, ratings changes, earnings coverage, and stock analysis across stocks, ETFs, funds, commodities, and crypto.
- Comparison tools for Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings, SA Author ratings, Wall Street analyst ratings, and factor grades for value, growth, profitability, momentum, and EPS revisions.
- Stock and ETF screeners, top-rated lists, saved screens, and factor-grade filters to find ideas by rating profile, fundamentals, dividend traits, and market behavior.
- Move from a ticker page into financials, valuation context, dividends, ownership, peer comparison, articles, news, transcripts, and analyst expectations.
- Work through earnings with portfolio calendars, estimates, revisions, surprises, transcripts, Earnings Call Insights, and Virtual Analyst Reports.
All details
Every attribute we track for Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Stocks | StocksETFsMutual FundsCommoditiesCryptos |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro Retail |
Regions | North America | Not specified |
Coverage details | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Real-time15-min Delayed |
Data granularity | EOD | Not specified |
Data partners | Not specified | Quodd (formerly Xignite)Cboe BZX ExchangeNasdaq UTP delayed feedS&P Global Market IntelligenceGICS®ClariFIPlaidSnapTrade |
| Access & integrations | ||
Import methods | Not specified | ManualBrokerOAuthCSV |
Integrations | Not specified | PlaidSnapTrade |
Export formats | Not specified | ExcelPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Status page |
Capability signals | Not specified | Universe builderFactors: Value, Growth, and MomentumBroker syncTax lotsAI summaries: Filings, Transcripts, and News |
Vendor & support | Not specified | Seeking Alpha Ltd.Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 3/5 | Not specified |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free | Free“Basic”premium articles per month: 1 |
| Entry paid plan | — | $299/yr≈ $24.92/mo“Premium (Annual)” |
| Tier 2 | — | $49/mo“Premium (Monthly)” |
| Top plan | — | $2400/yr≈ $200/mo“PRO” |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha?
Magic Formula Investing leans toward screeners and stock ideas, while Seeking Alpha puts more weight on news, news sentiment, and alerts. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha cost?
Good news: both Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use Magic Formula Investing or Seeking Alpha on my phone?
Seeking Alpha lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Magic Formula Investing doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web.
Should I choose Magic Formula Investing or Seeking Alpha?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Magic Formula Investing if you prefer its overall approach; go with Seeking Alpha if you'd rather have news and news sentiment. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha cover?
Both cover stocks. Seeking Alpha adds ETFs, mutual funds, and commodities on top.
Does Magic Formula Investing or Seeking Alpha have real-time data?
Seeking Alpha offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. Magic Formula Investing 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 Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha?
Seeking Alpha exports to Excel. Magic Formula Investing is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: Magic Formula Investing or Seeking Alpha?
Both Magic Formula Investing and Seeking Alpha 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 Magic Formula Investing or Seeking Alpha?
Seeking Alpha handles portfolio tracking. Magic Formula Investing 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.