★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Source check: Visible Alpha checked August 4, 2026
Tool Comparison
MarketScreener vs Visible Alpha
Pick MarketScreener if
MarketScreener
Free • From $34/mo · Web · Mobile
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about news, alerts, and calendar, things Visible Alpha doesn't offer
Pick Visible Alpha if
Visible Alpha
Subscription · Web · Desktop · API
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want an API so you can script or automate things
- You care about stock comparison, research templates, and APIs & data feeds, things MarketScreener doesn't offer
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 Visible Alpha cover a lot of the same ground (5 shared categories, including data visualizations, financials, and analyst forecasts), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. MarketScreener simply does more: 16 categories to Visible Alpha's 10, including news, alerts, and calendar, plus a mobile app. Visible Alpha counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
MarketScreener
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Visible Alpha
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Free plan
- MarketScreener
- Broader coverage
- MarketScreener16 vs 10 categories
- Mobile app
- MarketScreener
- Desktop app
- Visible Alpha
- API access
- Visible Alpha
- Real-time data
- Visible Alpha
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 $34/mo | Subscription |
Free tier | Yes | No |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 6 limits: Access: annual equivalent monthly usd: 28, Access: annual billing usd: 336 +4 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | No | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | No |
API access | No | Yes |
Broker sync | No | — |
Integrations | — | S&P Capital IQ Pro, Data Feed +3 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +4 more | — |
Categories covered | 16 | 10 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | — | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +1 more |
Data partners | 3 partners: FactSet, Morningstar +1 more | — |
Capabilities | Universe builder | — |
Security | — | ISO27001 |
| Try it | Visit MarketScreener | Visit Visible Alpha |
Where each one shines
What MarketScreener and Visible Alpha each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What MarketScreener and Visible Alpha each do best.What MarketScreener does best
- Monitoring market news and quotes across equities, ETFs, commodities, currencies, forex, and cryptocurrencies.
- Tools for building custom watchlists with quotes, news, earnings releases, valuation trends, broker recommendations, and smart email alerts.
- Screening for stocks globally with hundreds of fundamental and technical criteria, with higher filter counts reserved for Premium and Expert tiers.
- Dynamic charts with configurable technical indicators and quick switching between individual stocks and personal lists.
- Tools for exploring thematic investment lists for idea discovery and compare themes against index trends and historical performance.
What Visible Alpha does best
- Analysis of granular line-item consensus built from full working sell-side models rather than only headline EPS or revenue estimates.
- VA Actuals to connect stitched historical fundamentals with forward estimates for cleaner time-series analysis.
- Work in Visible Alpha Insights, S&P Capital IQ Pro, and Excel add-in workflows with templates, tearsheets, and updating figures.
- Views for reviewing target price and rating distributions alongside contributor visibility, valuation context, and consensus changes.
- Monitoring line-item revisions, dispersion, trends, and threshold changes through company and metric-level monitoring workflows.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for MarketScreener and Visible Alpha, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for MarketScreener and Visible Alpha, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsCommoditiesCurrenciesCryptos | Stocks |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
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, CUSIP, SEDOL, and ISIN |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
Data partners | FactSetMorningstarS&P Global Market Intelligence | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKey |
Integrations | Not specified | S&P Capital IQ ProData FeedSnowflakeRefinitiv EikonExcel |
Export formats | Not specified | Excel |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | ISO27001 |
Capability signals | Universe builder | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Surperformance SASCountry: France | Visible Alpha (S&P Global Market Intelligence)Country: USFounded 2015Support: Email and Phone |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
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“Free (Member)” | — |
| Entry paid plan | $34/mo“Access”annual equivalent monthly usd: 28 · annual billing usd: 336 | Subscription“Enterprise” |
| Tier 2 | $59/mo“Premium”annual billing usd: 600 · annual equivalent monthly usd: 50 | — |
| 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 Visible Alpha?
MarketScreener leans toward news, alerts, and calendar, while Visible Alpha puts more weight on financials, analyst forecasts, and analyst ratings & price targets. They overlap in 5 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is MarketScreener or Visible Alpha free to use?
MarketScreener has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. Visible Alpha is paid-only. If budget matters, start with MarketScreener and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Which is better for beginners: MarketScreener or Visible Alpha?
MarketScreener is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Can I use MarketScreener or Visible Alpha on my phone?
MarketScreener lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Visible Alpha doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web, desktop, and API.
Does MarketScreener or Visible Alpha have an API?
Visible Alpha has an API for programmatic access and custom integrations. MarketScreener doesn't, so you're working through its interface.
Should I choose MarketScreener or Visible Alpha?
It depends on what you're after. Pick MarketScreener if news and alerts matter to you; go with Visible Alpha if you'd rather have stock comparison and research templates. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do MarketScreener and Visible Alpha cover?
Both cover stocks. MarketScreener also handles ETFs, commodities, and currencies.
Does MarketScreener or Visible Alpha have real-time data?
Visible Alpha 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 Visible Alpha?
Visible Alpha exports to Excel. MarketScreener is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: MarketScreener or Visible Alpha?
MarketScreener has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Visible Alpha doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with MarketScreener or Visible Alpha?
MarketScreener handles portfolio tracking. Visible Alpha is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
Keep researching
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Feedback
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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.