★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Friday, June 12, 2026
Tool Comparison · Friday, June 12, 2026
Magic Formula Investing vs Special Situation Investments (SSI)
Trying to decide between Magic Formula Investing and Special Situation Investments (SSI)? Here's how they compare on pricing, features, and platforms — and which one fits the way you invest.
Magic Formula Investing
Best for screeners
Free stock screener based on Joel Greenblatt’s Magic Formula strategy. Covers only U.S.-listed equities, excluding financials and utilities. Users choose a minimum market cap and get either 30 or 50 ranked results. Prices are updated daily on trading mornings, and fundamentals refresh quarterly. Free registration is required.
Special Situation Investments (SSI)
Best for forums and newsletters
Event-driven special-situation research with an idea library and member comment threads. Past ideas are free to view; active ideas and discussions require a paid membership. A free "Newsletter Only" tier sends occasional emails but excludes SSI ideas/research and member discussions.
Outbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
The verdict
The bottom line: Special Situation Investments (SSI) simply does more — 5 categories to Magic Formula Investing's 2, including forums, newsletters, and blogs. Magic Formula Investing counters by being completely free. On paper they're closely matched, so let pricing, platform fit, and the details below break the tie.
Key differences at a glance
Free plan
Both
Both have one
Broader coverage
Special Situation Investments (SSI)
5 vs 2 categories
Beginner friendly
Magic Formula Investing
Magic Formula Investing only
Choose
Magic Formula Investing if…
- You care about screeners — something Special Situation Investments (SSI) doesn't offer
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Choose
Special Situation Investments (SSI) if…
- You care about forums, newsletters, and blogs — things Magic Formula Investing doesn't offer
- You want more under one roof — 5 categories to Magic Formula Investing's 2
Consider alternatives if…
- You'd rather have one tool that does it all.
- Neither price feels right for what you'd get.
Comparison snapshot
Standout features
What Magic Formula Investing does best
- Straightforward screener with only two inputs: minimum market cap (USD, millions) and number of results (30 or 50).
- Universe restricted to U.S.-listed equities, excluding financial and utility companies.
- Ranks companies on two factors: high earnings yield (low P/E) and high return on capital, with minor accounting adjustments.
- Update cadence: price data refreshed daily around 8:00 AM ET on trading days; financial data updated quarterly.
- Underlying data source is S&P Compustat.
What Special Situation Investments (SSI) does best
- Research blog focused on event-driven trades and low-risk arbitrage opportunities with short-term catalysts.
- Idea library: "currently actionable" cases are restricted to members; previous opportunities are publicly viewable.
- Ideas page in March 2026 stated SSI had published 73 new investment ideas and that 42 write-ups were still marked as active; Focus List showed 17 actionable special situations.
- Posts typically include key fields (e.g., current price, target price/upside, expected timeline) plus a comments section for discussion.
- Paid membership provides "Full Access to SSI", "High Conviction Ideas", and "Active Discussions & Updates" (monthly or annual billing; payments managed by Stripe).
Data & access details
| Attribute | Magic Formula Investing | Special Situation Investments (SSI) |
|---|---|---|
Asset types | Stocks | StocksClosed-End FundsOther |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEuropeAPAC |
Data freshness | End of Day | Not specified |
API access | Not specified | Not specified |
Export formats | Not specified | Not specified |
Seen enough? The fastest way to decide is to open both and poke around for five minutes.
Pricing breakdown
Tool
Magic Formula Investing
—
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Tool
Special Situation Investments (SSI)
$49.17/mo
Starting price
Plans & pricing
Coverage overlap
What you only get with Special Situation Investments (SSI).
Community category leaders
Vote sentiment comparison
Loading sentiment chart...
Still deciding? Get hands-on with both — most plans offer a free tier or trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Magic Formula Investing and Special Situation Investments (SSI)?
Magic Formula Investing leans toward screeners and stock ideas, while Special Situation Investments (SSI) puts more weight on stock ideas, forums, and newsletters. They overlap in 1 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Magic Formula Investing and Special Situation Investments (SSI) cost?
Good news — both Magic Formula Investing and Special Situation Investments (SSI) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners—Magic Formula Investing or Special Situation Investments (SSI)?
Magic Formula Investing is the friendlier place to start — its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Should I choose Magic Formula Investing or Special Situation Investments (SSI)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Magic Formula Investing if screeners matter to you; go with Special Situation Investments (SSI) if you'd rather have forums and newsletters. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Magic Formula Investing and Special Situation Investments (SSI) cover?
Both cover stocks. Special Situation Investments (SSI) adds closed-end funds and other on top.
Which has a better stock screener—Magic Formula Investing or Special Situation Investments (SSI)?
Magic Formula Investing has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Special Situation Investments (SSI) doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Other tools you might like
These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.
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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.