VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

MarketWatch vs OptionStrat comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

MarketWatch adds Screeners, Data Visualizations, Watchlist, Paper Trading, Financials, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Short Interest, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, IPO, and Newsletters coverage that OptionStrat skips.

OptionStrat includes Options & Derivatives, and US Government Trades categories that MarketWatch omits.

MarketWatch highlights: Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools., Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts., and Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates..

OptionStrat is known for: Options strategy builder with profit calculators, chance of profit, net Greeks, and historical implied volatility (in real time on paid plans)., Strategy Optimizer searches thousands of trade setups by target price or date and ranks them by return or probability of profit., and Unusual options flow scanner detects multi-leg strategies (like spreads and condors), with saved filters, alerts, historical search, and performance tracking..

MarketWatch logo

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com

Hands-on review

A global financial-news portal from Dow Jones that combines market data, news, analysis, and investor tools. Real-time Nasdaq last-sale quotes are included, while most other intraday prices run on a standard 15-minute delay. Premium newsletters and in-depth articles are gated behind a subscription. Mobile apps extend the experience with push alerts and watchlist syncing.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.
  • Options coverage with full chains per symbol and an expiration calendar.

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OptionStrat logo

OptionStrat

optionstrat.com

Options strategy builder and unusual flow scanner with plan-based feature tiers. The free plan provides delayed quotes and limited flow. Paid plans unlock real-time builder tools, full unusual flow with alerts, live news, and insider/Congress trades. Live data is available only for non-professional users, with a 7-day free trial on paid plans.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Options strategy builder with profit calculators, chance of profit, net Greeks, and historical implied volatility (in real time on paid plans).
  • Strategy Optimizer searches thousands of trade setups by target price or date and ranks them by return or probability of profit.
  • Unusual options flow scanner detects multi-leg strategies (like spreads and condors), with saved filters, alerts, historical search, and performance tracking.
  • Plan tiers: Free includes 15-minute delayed data and about 10% of flow; Live Tools adds real-time builder and optimizer features; Live Flow adds real-time flow, alerts, insider and Congress trades, and live news.
  • Market events integrated directly into the builder, including earnings and ex-dividend dates.

Community votes (overall)

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

5 overlaps

Mutual strengths include News, Alerts, and Calendar plus 2 more areas.

Where they differ

MarketWatch

Distinct strengths include:

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.

OptionStrat

Distinct strengths include:

  • Options strategy builder with profit calculators, chance of profit, net Greeks, and historical implied volatility (in real time on paid plans).
  • Strategy Optimizer searches thousands of trade setups by target price or date and ranks them by return or probability of profit.
  • Unusual options flow scanner detects multi-leg strategies (like spreads and condors), with saved filters, alerts, historical search, and performance tracking.
  • Plan tiers: Free includes 15-minute delayed data and about 10% of flow; Live Tools adds real-time builder and optimizer features; Live Flow adds real-time flow, alerts, insider and Congress trades, and live news.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeMarketWatchOptionStrat
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: News, Alerts, Calendar, Options, Insider Data

Unique: Screeners, Data Visualizations, Watchlist, Paper Trading, Financials, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Short Interest, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, IPO, Newsletters

Shared: News, Alerts, Calendar, Options, Insider Data

Unique: Options & Derivatives, US Government Trades

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Options, Futures, Commodities, Currencies, Cryptos, Bonds

Options, Stocks, Futures

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, Mobile

Web, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools.
  • Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts.
  • Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates.
  • BigCharts advanced charting platform with multiple timeframes (intraday to monthly) and technical overlays; intraday data typically delayed 15 minutes.
  • Options coverage with full chains per symbol and an expiration calendar.
  • ETF and mutual fund research, including top holdings for flagship funds like SPY and a comparison tool for side-by-side analysis.

Unique

  • Options strategy builder with profit calculators, chance of profit, net Greeks, and historical implied volatility (in real time on paid plans).
  • Strategy Optimizer searches thousands of trade setups by target price or date and ranks them by return or probability of profit.
  • Unusual options flow scanner detects multi-leg strategies (like spreads and condors), with saved filters, alerts, historical search, and performance tracking.
  • Plan tiers: Free includes 15-minute delayed data and about 10% of flow; Live Tools adds real-time builder and optimizer features; Live Flow adds real-time flow, alerts, insider and Congress trades, and live news.
  • Market events integrated directly into the builder, including earnings and ex-dividend dates.
  • Futures flow included with coverage of contracts like ES, GC, BTC, and 6E (data delayed ~15 minutes).
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Yes

Not yet

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Standard listing

Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do MarketWatch and OptionStrat both support?

Both platforms cover News, Alerts, Calendar, Options, and Insider Data workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do MarketWatch and OptionStrat require subscriptions?

Both MarketWatch and OptionStrat keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access MarketWatch and OptionStrat?

Both MarketWatch and OptionStrat support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

MarketWatch differentiates itself with Market data hub with stock and market screeners, mutual fund research, fund comparison, and multi-quote lookup tools., Personal watchlists available free with an account; syncs across web and mobile apps with customizable price and news alerts., and Comprehensive event calendars, including U.S. economic releases, corporate earnings, IPO schedules, and options-expiration dates., whereas OptionStrat stands out for Options strategy builder with profit calculators, chance of profit, net Greeks, and historical implied volatility (in real time on paid plans)., Strategy Optimizer searches thousands of trade setups by target price or date and ranks them by return or probability of profit., and Unusual options flow scanner detects multi-leg strategies (like spreads and condors), with saved filters, alerts, historical search, and performance tracking..

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.