BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON

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Checked September 24, 2026

Tool Comparison

MarketXLS vs OptionCharts

MarketXLS

Most versatile pick
Review & pricing
Paid from
$70.83/mo
Free plan
No
Platforms
Desktop, Web

Best if

  • You want sheets / excel add-ins, broker connectors, and screeners.
Paid from
$20/mo
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web

Best if

  • You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
  • You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $20/mo instead of $70.83/mo
  • You want data visualizations.
Most versatile pick

Start here

MarketXLS logo

MarketXLS

marketxls.com

From $850/yr · Desktop · Web

  • You want sheets / excel add-ins, broker connectors, and screeners.

Pick OptionCharts instead if

OptionCharts logo

OptionCharts

optioncharts.io

Free • From $240/yr · Web

  • You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
  • You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $20/mo instead of $70.83/mo

Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.

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Our take

The bottom line

MarketXLS and OptionCharts cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including options, options p&l, and watchlist), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. MarketXLS simply does more: 16 categories to OptionCharts's 5, including sheets / excel add-ins, broker connectors, and screeners. OptionCharts counters by letting you start free.

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MarketXLS

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OptionCharts

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Key differences at a glance

Free plan
OptionCharts
Cheaper paid plan
OptionCharts$20/mo vs $70.83/mo
Broader coverage
MarketXLS16 vs 5 categories
Desktop app
MarketXLS
Global coverage
MarketXLS
Asset coverage
MarketXLSAdds mutual funds and currencies
See the full side-by-side table
MarketXLS logo

What MarketXLS does best

  1. Use more than 1,000 market-data and analysis functions in Excel on Windows, Mac, and the web, or in Google Sheets.
  2. Access quotes, fundamentals, historical statements, ETF data, options data, mutual-fund data, crypto pairs, FRED economic series, and selected technical data into workbooks.
  3. Real-time streaming quotes on Advanced and Business plans for covered U.S. and Canadian stocks, ETFs, and options.
  4. Standard defaults to 15-minute delayed stock, ETF, and crypto data, with EOD options, mutual-fund, and economic data.
  5. Analyze options chains, Greeks, implied volatility, order flow, strategy profit and loss, and broker symbols.
OptionCharts logo

What OptionCharts does best

  1. Build and compare multi-leg options P&L charts with covered call, vertical spread, iron condor, calendar, and other templates.
  2. Review ticker-level options charts for volume, open interest, Greeks, implied-volatility skew, max pain, expected move, and probability distribution.
  3. GEX and DEX visualizations to understand where listed option positioning may concentrate gamma and delta exposure around a ticker.
  4. Inspect option contract history for price, volume, open interest, and Greeks, including intraday history where available by plan and dataset.
  5. Scan market-wide options trend tables for active tickers, active contracts, high open interest, IV and IV rank, unusual activity, and options flow.

Side by side

Pricing & plans
Starting price
From $850/yr
Free • From $240/yr
Free tier
No
Yes
Free trial
—
—
Platforms & access
Web app
Yes
Yes
Desktop app
Yes
No
Mobile app
No
No
API access
No
No
Broker sync
No
No
Integrations
Interactive Brokers, Thinkorswim +11 more
—
Coverage & data
Asset types
StocksETFsOptionsMutual FundsCurrenciesFuturesCryptos
OptionsStocksETFs
Data freshness
Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day
Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day
Data granularity
MinuteEOD
MinuteEOD
Export formats
ExcelCSV
CSV

Pricing comparison

Tier
OptionChartsCheaper start
Free plan
—
Free
Entry paid plan
$850/yr≈ $70.83/mo“Standard”
$240/yr≈ $20/mo“Premium Annual”
Tier 2
$1500/yr≈ $125/mo“Advanced”
$25/mo“Premium Monthly”
Tier 3
$2400/yr≈ $200/mo“Business”
$420/yr≈ $35/mo“Ultimate Annual (Non-Professional)”
Tier 4
—
$45/mo“Ultimate Monthly (Non-Professional)”
Tier 5
—
$960/yr≈ $80/mo“Ultimate Professional Annual”
Top plan
—
$90/mo“Ultimate Professional Monthly”

See for yourself

Side by side

Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.
Show
Side-by-side comparison of MarketXLS and OptionCharts
Attribute
MarketXLS logo
MarketXLS
OptionCharts logo
OptionCharts
Pricing & plans
Starting price
From $850/yrFree • From $240/yr
Free tier
NoYes
Free trial
——
Plan limits
9 limits: Standard: stock etf delay minutes: 15, Standard: options timing: End of day +7 more—
Platforms & access
Web app
YesYes
Desktop app
YesNo
Mobile app
NoNo
API access
NoNo
Broker sync
NoNo
Integrations
Interactive Brokers, Thinkorswim +11 more—
Audience & fit
Experience level
Beginner, Intermediate, AdvancedBeginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Best for
——
Categories covered
165
Regions
North America, Europe, APACNorth America
Data & capabilities
Data quality
4 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +2 more3 signals: Latency: Real-time, 15-min Delayed, and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more
Capabilities
5 signals: Factors: Value, Quality, and Momentum, Multi-leg options +3 moreMulti-leg options and Greeks
Security
Status page—
Try itVisit MarketXLSVisit OptionCharts

Standout features

The best features of MarketXLS and OptionCharts.
Show
MarketXLS logo

What MarketXLS does best

  1. Use more than 1,000 market-data and analysis functions in Excel on Windows, Mac, and the web, or in Google Sheets.
  2. Access quotes, fundamentals, historical statements, ETF data, options data, mutual-fund data, crypto pairs, FRED economic series, and selected technical data into workbooks.
  3. Real-time streaming quotes on Advanced and Business plans for covered U.S. and Canadian stocks, ETFs, and options.
  4. Standard defaults to 15-minute delayed stock, ETF, and crypto data, with EOD options, mutual-fund, and economic data.
  5. Analyze options chains, Greeks, implied volatility, order flow, strategy profit and loss, and broker symbols.
OptionCharts logo

What OptionCharts does best

  1. Build and compare multi-leg options P&L charts with covered call, vertical spread, iron condor, calendar, and other templates.
  2. Review ticker-level options charts for volume, open interest, Greeks, implied-volatility skew, max pain, expected move, and probability distribution.
  3. GEX and DEX visualizations to understand where listed option positioning may concentrate gamma and delta exposure around a ticker.
  4. Inspect option contract history for price, volume, open interest, and Greeks, including intraday history where available by plan and dataset.
  5. Scan market-wide options trend tables for active tickers, active contracts, high open interest, IV and IV rank, unusual activity, and options flow.

All details

Every attribute we track for MarketXLS and OptionCharts.
Show
Attribute
MarketXLS logo
MarketXLS
OptionCharts logo
OptionCharts
Coverage & fit
Asset types
StocksETFsOptionsMutual FundsCurrenciesFuturesCryptos
OptionsStocksETFs
Experience
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Regions
North AmericaEuropeAPAC
North America
Coverage details
Countries: US and CA5 exchangesIdentifiers: Ticker and CUSIP
Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker
Data
Data freshness
Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day
Real-time15-min DelayedEnd of Day
Data granularity
MinuteEOD
MinuteEOD
Access & integrations
Integrations
Interactive BrokersThinkorswimTradierOrionCharles Schwab (OpenView Gateway)QuoteMediaIEX CloudNasdaq+5 more
Not specified
Export formats
ExcelCSV
CSV
Plans & trust
Security & compliance
Status page
Not specified
Capability signals
Factors: Value, Quality, and MomentumMulti-leg optionsGreeksMonte CarloCorrelation
Multi-leg optionsGreeks
Vendor & support
MarketXLS LimitedCountry: IrelandFounded 2016Support: Email and Phone
OptionCharts, LLCCountry: USSupport: Email
Curation ratings
Methodology 3/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5
Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5

Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.

Pricing

Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.
Show
Plan-by-plan pricing comparison of MarketXLS and OptionCharts
Tier
MarketXLS logo
MarketXLS
OptionCharts logo
OptionChartsCheaper start
Free plan—
Free
Entry paid plan
$850/yr≈ $70.83/mo“Standard”stock etf delay minutes: 15 · options timing: End of day · +1 more
$240/yr≈ $20/mo“Premium Annual”
Tier 2
$1500/yr≈ $125/mo“Advanced”stock etf timing: Real-time streaming · options timing: Real-time streaming · +1 more
$25/mo“Premium Monthly”
Tier 3
$2400/yr≈ $200/mo“Business”support: VIP · consulting: Included · +1 more
$420/yr≈ $35/mo“Ultimate Annual (Non-Professional)”
Tier 4—
$45/mo“Ultimate Monthly (Non-Professional)”
Tier 5—
$960/yr≈ $80/mo“Ultimate Professional Annual”
Top plan—
$90/mo“Ultimate Professional Monthly”

Questions we keep getting

What's the difference between MarketXLS and OptionCharts?

MarketXLS leans toward sheets / excel add-ins, broker connectors, and screeners, while OptionCharts puts more weight on data visualizations, options, and watchlist. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.

Is MarketXLS or OptionCharts free to use?

OptionCharts has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. MarketXLS is paid-only. If budget matters, start with OptionCharts and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.

Should I choose MarketXLS or OptionCharts?

It depends on what you're after. Pick MarketXLS if sheets / excel add-ins and broker connectors matter to you; go with OptionCharts if you'd rather have data visualizations. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.

What asset classes do MarketXLS and OptionCharts cover?

Both cover stocks, ETFs, and options. MarketXLS also handles mutual funds, currencies, and futures.

Do MarketXLS and OptionCharts offer real-time data?

Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.

Which covers international markets: MarketXLS or OptionCharts?

MarketXLS has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, and APAC), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. OptionCharts is more region-specific, mainly North America.

Can I export data from MarketXLS and OptionCharts?

Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.

Which has a better stock screener: MarketXLS or OptionCharts?

MarketXLS has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; OptionCharts doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.

Can I track my portfolio with MarketXLS or OptionCharts?

MarketXLS handles portfolio tracking. OptionCharts 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.