VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing Morningstar Investor and MSN Money will find that Both Morningstar Investor and MSN Money concentrate on Watchlist, News, and Financials workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. Morningstar Investor leans into Screeners, Portfolio, and Alerts, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. MSN Money stands out with Calendar, and Retirement Calculator that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
Morningstar Investor vs MSN Money
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- Morningstar Investor adds Screeners, Portfolio, Alerts, ETF Holdings, Fund Overview, Fund Holdings, Fund Rating, and Bulls Say Bear Say coverage that MSN Money skips.
- MSN Money includes Calendar, and Retirement Calculator categories that Morningstar Investor omits.
- Morningstar Investor highlights: Powerful screeners for stocks, funds, ETFs, and closed-end funds with over 200 searchable data points and curated pre-filtered lists., Portfolio X-Ray tool showing allocations by asset class, sector, and region across combined holdings., and Analyst reports with Fair Value estimates, Moat ratings, and “Bulls Say / Bears Say” perspectives (subscriber feature)..
- MSN Money is known for: Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment., Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list., and Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays..
Morningstar Investor
morningstar.com
Morningstar’s flagship research and portfolio platform for individual investors. Free users get access to screeners and quotes, while subscribers unlock analyst reports, expanded data, and premium ratings. A 7-day trial is available. Canceling a subscription also removes access to saved portfolios, watchlists, and screens.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Powerful screeners for stocks, funds, ETFs, and closed-end funds with over 200 searchable data points and curated pre-filtered lists.
- Portfolio X-Ray tool showing allocations by asset class, sector, and region across combined holdings.
- Analyst reports with Fair Value estimates, Moat ratings, and “Bulls Say / Bears Say” perspectives (subscriber feature).
- Quote pages enriched with Morningstar Star Ratings and detailed analysis for subscribers.
- Portfolio and watchlist alerts delivered via email to keep you informed on holdings you track.
MSN Money
msn.com
Free, ad-supported financial news and market data portal from Microsoft. Watchlists sync across web and mobile when logged into a Microsoft account. Quotes are delayed on most exchanges (10–20 minutes or end-of-day), with Nasdaq last-sale data in real time. Earnings calendar data is powered by Zacks, while fundamentals and charts come from Refinitiv.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment.
- Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list.
- Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays.
- Fundamentals, charts, and fund data provided by Refinitiv; OTC coverage from OTC Markets; stock “Grades” powered by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
- Earnings calendar and estimates sourced from Zacks Investment Research.
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
Morningstar Investor
Distinct strengths include:
- Powerful screeners for stocks, funds, ETFs, and closed-end funds with over 200 searchable data points and curated pre-filtered lists.
- Portfolio X-Ray tool showing allocations by asset class, sector, and region across combined holdings.
- Analyst reports with Fair Value estimates, Moat ratings, and “Bulls Say / Bears Say” perspectives (subscriber feature).
- Quote pages enriched with Morningstar Star Ratings and detailed analysis for subscribers.
MSN Money
Distinct strengths include:
- Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment.
- Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list.
- Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays.
- Fundamentals, charts, and fund data provided by Refinitiv; OTC coverage from OTC Markets; stock “Grades” powered by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | Morningstar Investor | MSN Money |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Watchlist, News, Financials, ETF Overview, Fund Performance, Scores Unique: Screeners, Portfolio, Alerts, ETF Holdings, Fund Overview, Fund Holdings, Fund Rating, Bulls Say Bear Say | Shared: Watchlist, News, Financials, ETF Overview, Fund Performance, Scores Unique: Calendar, Retirement Calculator |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Closed-End Funds | Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Commodities, Currencies |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, Mobile | Web, Mobile, Desktop |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free, Subscription | Free |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Yes | Yes |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Morningstar Investor and MSN Money both support?
Both platforms cover Watchlist, News, Financials, ETF Overview, Fund Performance, and Scores workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Morningstar Investor and MSN Money require subscriptions?
Both Morningstar Investor and MSN Money keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access Morningstar Investor and MSN Money?
Both Morningstar Investor and MSN Money 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?
Morningstar Investor differentiates itself with Powerful screeners for stocks, funds, ETFs, and closed-end funds with over 200 searchable data points and curated pre-filtered lists., Portfolio X-Ray tool showing allocations by asset class, sector, and region across combined holdings., and Analyst reports with Fair Value estimates, Moat ratings, and “Bulls Say / Bears Say” perspectives (subscriber feature)., whereas MSN Money stands out for Free finance news aggregation from thousands of publishers in an ad-supported environment., Customizable watchlists for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds; desktop supports multiple lists, while mobile apps manage a single main list., and Quote latency varies by venue: Nasdaq last-sale and Dow Jones indices are real time, while many global exchanges update with 10–20 minute or end-of-day delays..
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.