Tool Comparison
MarketWatch vs StockCharts
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You want news, paper trading, and financials.
- Paid from
- $19.95/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
Best if
- You want portfolio, scores, and broker connectors.
Pick MarketWatch if
MarketWatch
Free • Paid plans available · Web · Mobile
- You want news, paper trading, and financials.
Pick StockCharts if
StockCharts
Free • From $19.95/mo · Web · Mobile
- You want portfolio, scores, and broker connectors.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
MarketWatch and StockCharts cover a lot of the same ground (6 shared categories, including alerts, calendar, and screeners), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. MarketWatch simply does more: 17 categories to StockCharts's 9, including news, paper trading, and financials. StockCharts counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
MarketWatch
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StockCharts
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Key differences at a glance
- Asset coverage
- MarketWatchAdds futures and currencies
- Free trial
- StockCharts30 days
- Broader coverage
- MarketWatch17 vs 9 categories
- Free plan
- Both
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.
What StockCharts does best
- Create SharpCharts, ACP charts, Point & Figure charts, Seasonality charts, Relative Rotation Graphs, PerfCharts, and saved layouts.
- Use ChartLists as watchlists or portfolios and import symbols from CSV.
- Run custom scans on daily, weekly, or monthly bars.
- Create price alerts and advanced alerts that can notify through email, SMS, and in-platform messages during market hours.
- Free U.S.
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 • Paid plans available | Free • From $19.95/mo |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 30 days |
Plan limits | MarketWatch Digital: standard rate: $5/week after intro period and Student: eligibility: Student verification required; current price not publicly confirmed | 14 limits: Basic: chart lists: 1, Basic: custom scans: 1 +12 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | No | No |
Broker sync | No | No |
Integrations | — | Tradier Brokerage and OptionsPlay |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 17 | 9 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe, APAC |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 5 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +3 more | 5 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +3 more |
Capabilities | Yield curves | 3 signals: Custom formulas, Universe builder +1 more |
| Try it | Visit MarketWatch | Visit StockCharts |
Standout features
The best features of MarketWatch and StockCharts.ShowHide
Standout features
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.
What StockCharts does best
- Create SharpCharts, ACP charts, Point & Figure charts, Seasonality charts, Relative Rotation Graphs, PerfCharts, and saved layouts.
- Use ChartLists as watchlists or portfolios and import symbols from CSV.
- Run custom scans on daily, weekly, or monthly bars.
- Create price alerts and advanced alerts that can notify through email, SMS, and in-platform messages during market hours.
- Free U.S.
All details
Every attribute we track for MarketWatch and StockCharts.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsMutual FundsOptionsFuturesCommoditiesCurrenciesCryptos+1 more | StocksETFsMutual FundsOptionsCommoditiesCryptos |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North AmericaEuropeAPAC |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | 4 countries7 exchangesIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day | Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day |
Data granularity | MinuteEOD | MinuteEOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
Import methods | Not specified | CSVManual |
Integrations | Not specified | Tradier BrokerageOptionsPlay |
Export formats | CSV | CSVImage |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Yield curves | Custom formulasUniverse builderGreeks |
Vendor & support | MarketWatch, Inc. (Dow Jones)Country: United StatesFounded 1997Support: Email | StockCharts.com, Inc.Country: USFounded 1999Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 3/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 | 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 |
| Entry paid plan | Subscription“MarketWatch Digital”standard rate: $5/week after intro period | $19.95/mo“Basic”chart lists: 1 · custom scans: 1 · +2 more |
| Tier 2 | Subscription“Student”eligibility: Student verification required; current price not publicly confirmed | $29.95/mo“Extra”chart lists: 250 · custom scans: 200 · +3 more |
| Top plan | — | $49.95/mo“PRO”chart lists: 500 · custom scans: 500 · +3 more |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between MarketWatch and StockCharts?
MarketWatch leans toward news, alerts, and calendar, while StockCharts puts more weight on screeners, data visualizations, and alerts. They overlap in 6 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do MarketWatch and StockCharts cost?
Good news: both MarketWatch and StockCharts have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Should I choose MarketWatch or StockCharts?
It depends on what you're after. Pick MarketWatch if news and paper trading matter to you; go with StockCharts if you'd rather have portfolio and scores. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do MarketWatch and StockCharts cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and options. MarketWatch also handles futures, currencies, and bonds.
Do MarketWatch and StockCharts offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Can I export data from MarketWatch and StockCharts?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: MarketWatch or StockCharts?
Both MarketWatch and StockCharts 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 MarketWatch or StockCharts?
StockCharts 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.