VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

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Tool Comparison

MSN Money vs OptionStrat comparison

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

Quick takeaways

MSN Money adds Watchlist, Financials, Scores, ETF Overview, Fund Performance, and Retirement Calculator coverage that OptionStrat skips.

OptionStrat includes Options & Derivatives, Alerts, US Government Trades, Insider Data, and Options categories that MSN Money omits.

In depth comparison

MSN Money logo

MSN Money

msn.com

Hands-on review

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

WebMobileDesktop

Pricing

Free

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.

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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

WebMobile

Pricing

FreeSubscription

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.

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Where they differ

MSN Money

Distinct strengths include:

WatchlistFinancialsScoresETF OverviewFund PerformanceRetirement Calculator
  • 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.

OptionStrat

Distinct strengths include:

Options & DerivativesAlertsUS Government TradesInsider DataOptions
  • 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

AttributeMSN MoneyOptionStrat
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: News, Calendar

Unique: Watchlist, Financials, Scores, ETF Overview, Fund Performance, Retirement Calculator

Shared: News, Calendar

Unique: Options & Derivatives, Alerts, US Government Trades, Insider Data, Options

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Commodities, Currencies

Options, Stocks, Futures

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, Mobile, Desktop

Web, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • 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.
  • Mobile apps extend functionality: Android offers calculators for mortgages, currency conversion, tips, and retirement planning, while iOS supports stock tracking and watchlists.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do MSN Money and OptionStrat both support?

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

Do MSN Money and OptionStrat require subscriptions?

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

How can you access MSN Money and OptionStrat?

Both MSN Money 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?

MSN Money differentiates itself with 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., 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..

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.

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.