VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

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Friday, December 26, 2025

Tool Comparison

MarketWatch vs Total Real Returns comparison

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

Quick takeaways

MarketWatch adds News, Alerts, Calendar, Screeners, Watchlist, Paper Trading, Financials, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Insider Data, Short Interest, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, IPO, and Newsletters coverage that Total Real Returns skips.

Total Real Returns includes Risk Metrics categories that MarketWatch omits.

MarketWatch ships a mobile app. Total Real Returns is web/desktop only.

In depth comparison

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

WebMobile

Pricing

FreeSubscription

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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Total Real Returns

totalrealreturns.com

Web tool for CPI-U inflation-adjusted ("real") and nominal total return charts with dividends reinvested, plus returns tables and drawdowns (EOD; daily updates ~8pm ET).

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view).
Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages.
Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers.
Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off).
Per-symbol performance breakdown includes overall return, exponential trendline/annualized rates (with R^2), growth of $10,000, annual returns, and drawdowns.

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Where they differ

MarketWatch

Distinct strengths include:

News Alerts Calendar Screeners Watchlist Paper Trading Financials Options

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.

Total Real Returns

Distinct strengths include:

Risk Metrics

CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view).
Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages.
Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers.
Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off).

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	MarketWatch	Total Real Returns
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data Visualizations Unique: News, Alerts, Calendar, Screeners, Watchlist, Paper Trading, Financials, Options, ETF Overview, ETF Holdings, Analyst Price Targets, Insider Data, Short Interest, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, IPO, Newsletters	Shared: Data Visualizations Unique: Risk Metrics
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Options, Futures, Commodities, Currencies, Cryptos, Bonds	Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Currencies
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, Mobile	Web
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free, Subscription	Free
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 CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view). Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages. Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers. Controls for custom date ranges and normalization modes (Start=1, End=1, IPO=1, Off). Per-symbol performance breakdown includes overall return, exponential trendline/annualized rates (with R^2), growth of $10,000, annual returns, and drawdowns. Instrument pages include common stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and a USDOLLAR cash/currency series.
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 Total Real Returns both support?

Both platforms cover Data Visualizations workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do MarketWatch and Total Real Returns require subscriptions?

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

Which tool has mobile access?

MarketWatch ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Total Real Returns focuses on web or desktop access.

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 Total Real Returns stands out for CPI-U inflation-adjusted "Total Real Return" charts with dividends reinvested (purchasing-power view)., Toggle inflation adjustment on/off (real vs. nominal dollars) on chart pages., and Compare multiple symbols on a single chart by entering comma-separated tickers..

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