Tool Comparison
MarketScreener vs MarketWatch
- Paid from
- $34/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You want stock ideas, portfolio, and ESG ratings.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want paper trading, options, and ETF analysis.
Pick MarketScreener if
MarketScreener
Free • From $34/mo · Web · Mobile
- You want stock ideas, portfolio, and ESG ratings.
- You're a long-term investor who cares more about fundamentals than headlines
Pick MarketWatch if
MarketWatch
Free • Paid plans available · Web · Mobile
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want paper trading, options, and ETF analysis.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
MarketScreener and MarketWatch cover a lot of the same ground (10 shared categories, including news, alerts, and calendar), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. MarketScreener includes stock ideas and portfolio, and MarketWatch includes paper trading and options.
What readers say
MarketScreener
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MarketWatch
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Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- MarketWatch
- Asset coverage
- MarketWatchAdds mutual funds and options
- Free plan
- Both
What MarketScreener does best
- Monitor market news and quotes across equities, ETFs, commodities, currencies, forex, and cryptocurrencies.
- Build watchlists with quotes, news, earnings releases, valuation trends, broker recommendations, and email alerts.
- Screening for stocks globally with hundreds of fundamental and technical criteria, with higher filter counts reserved for Premium and Expert tiers.
- Use dynamic charts with technical indicators and switch between stocks and personal lists.
- Explore thematic lists and compare them with index trends and past performance.
What MarketWatch does best
- Read market news and analysis covering equities, funds, options, futures, commodities, currencies, crypto, and rates.
- Quote pages, multi-quote lookup, stock and market screeners, mutual-fund research, ETF pages, fund comparisons, and basic company financial views.
- Tools for building free account-based watchlists that sync across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
- Tracking events with calendars for U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPOs, and options-expiration dates.
- BigCharts supports multiple timeframes and technical overlays.
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 • From $34/mo | Free • Paid plans available |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 13 limits: Free Member: lists: 5, Free Member: securities per list: 25 +11 more | MarketWatch Digital: standard rate: $5/week after intro period and Student: eligibility: Student verification required; current price not publicly confirmed |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | No | No |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +4 more | — |
Categories covered | 16 | 17 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | 5 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +3 more |
Data partners | 3 partners: FactSet, Morningstar +1 more | — |
Capabilities | Universe builder | Yield curves |
| Try it | Visit MarketScreener | Visit MarketWatch |
Standout features
The best features of MarketScreener and MarketWatch.ShowHide
Standout features
What MarketScreener does best
- Monitor market news and quotes across equities, ETFs, commodities, currencies, forex, and cryptocurrencies.
- Build watchlists with quotes, news, earnings releases, valuation trends, broker recommendations, and email alerts.
- Screening for stocks globally with hundreds of fundamental and technical criteria, with higher filter counts reserved for Premium and Expert tiers.
- Use dynamic charts with technical indicators and switch between stocks and personal lists.
- Explore thematic lists and compare them with index trends and past performance.
What MarketWatch does best
- Read market news and analysis covering equities, funds, options, futures, commodities, currencies, crypto, and rates.
- Quote pages, multi-quote lookup, stock and market screeners, mutual-fund research, ETF pages, fund comparisons, and basic company financial views.
- Tools for building free account-based watchlists that sync across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
- Tracking events with calendars for U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPOs, and options-expiration dates.
- BigCharts supports multiple timeframes and technical overlays.
All details
Every attribute we track for MarketScreener and MarketWatch.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsCommoditiesCurrenciesCryptos | StocksETFsMutual FundsOptionsFuturesCommoditiesCurrenciesCryptos+1 more |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailLong-term InvestorsValue InvestorsGrowth InvestorsDividend Investors | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker and ISIN | Identifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | MinuteEOD |
Data partners | FactSetMorningstarS&P Global Market Intelligence | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
Export formats | Not specified | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Universe builder | Yield curves |
Vendor & support | Surperformance SASCountry: France | MarketWatch, Inc. (Dow Jones)Country: United StatesFounded 1997Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 3/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
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 Member”lists: 5 · securities per list: 25 · +1 more | Free |
| Entry paid plan | $34/mo“Access”financial history years: 5 · company reports per month: 3 · +4 more | Subscription“MarketWatch Digital”standard rate: $5/week after intro period |
| Tier 2 | $59/mo“Premium”annual billing usd: 600 · annual equivalent monthly usd: 50 | Subscription“Student”eligibility: Student verification required; current price not publicly confirmed |
| Top plan | $279/mo“Expert”annual billing usd: 2,628 · annual equivalent monthly usd: 219 | — |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between MarketScreener and MarketWatch?
MarketScreener leans toward news, alerts, and calendar, while MarketWatch puts more weight on news, alerts, and calendar. They overlap in 10 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do MarketScreener and MarketWatch cost?
Good news: both MarketScreener and MarketWatch have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Should I choose MarketScreener or MarketWatch?
It depends on what you're after. Pick MarketScreener if stock ideas and portfolio matter to you; go with MarketWatch if you'd rather have paper trading and options. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do MarketScreener and MarketWatch cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, commodities, and currencies. MarketWatch adds mutual funds, options, and futures on top.
Does MarketScreener or MarketWatch have real-time data?
MarketWatch offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. MarketScreener 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 MarketScreener and MarketWatch?
MarketWatch exports to CSV. MarketScreener is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: MarketScreener or MarketWatch?
Both MarketScreener and MarketWatch 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 MarketScreener or MarketWatch?
MarketScreener handles portfolio tracking. MarketWatch 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.