VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

MSN Money vs YCharts comparison

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

Quick takeaways

MSN Money adds Calendar, Fund Performance, and Retirement Calculator coverage that YCharts skips.

YCharts includes Screeners, Stock Comparison, ETF Comparison, Data Visualizations, Portfolio, Correlation, Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown), Performance Attribution, Scenario & Stress Tests, Alerts, Data APIs, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Overlap, Analyst Forecasts, Short Interest, Insider Data, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins, and Broker Connectors categories that MSN Money omits.

MSN Money 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., 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..

YCharts is known for: Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks., Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns., and Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators..

MSN Money has a free tier, while YCharts requires a paid plan.

MSN Money ships a mobile app. YCharts is web/desktop only.

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

Web
Mobile
Desktop

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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YCharts logo

YCharts

ycharts.com

Hands-on review

Advisor-focused research, portfolio analytics, and proposal platform. Lower tiers are more view-only, while add-ons unlock the Excel add-in and broader fund/SMA datasets. Intraday quotes are available on a short delay (about 90–120 seconds).

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks.
  • Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns.
  • Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators.
  • Monitoring built in: dashboards, watchlists, alerts, and a live news feed (MT Newswires). Intraday quotes update on a short delay (~90–120 seconds).
  • Excel & API: an add-on Excel add-in with dynamic formulas/templates, a REST API with API keys and official Python/R clients, and exports to CSV/Excel/PDF/images.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

5 overlaps

Mutual strengths include News, Watchlist, and Financials plus 2 more areas.

Where they differ

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.

YCharts

Distinct strengths include:

  • Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks.
  • Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns.
  • Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators.
  • Monitoring built in: dashboards, watchlists, alerts, and a live news feed (MT Newswires). Intraday quotes update on a short delay (~90–120 seconds).

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeMSN MoneyYCharts
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: News, Watchlist, Financials, Scores, ETF Overview

Unique: Calendar, Fund Performance, Retirement Calculator

Shared: News, Watchlist, Financials, Scores, ETF Overview

Unique: Screeners, Stock Comparison, ETF Comparison, Data Visualizations, Portfolio, Correlation, Risk Metrics (VaR/ES/Drawdown), Performance Attribution, Scenario & Stress Tests, Alerts, Data APIs, ETF Performance, ETF Holdings, ETF Fundamentals, ETF Overlap, Analyst Forecasts, Short Interest, Insider Data, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins, Broker Connectors

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Commodities, Currencies

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Closed-End Funds

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, Mobile, Desktop

Web, API

Pricing

High-level pricing models

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

  • Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks.
  • Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns.
  • Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators.
  • Monitoring built in: dashboards, watchlists, alerts, and a live news feed (MT Newswires). Intraday quotes update on a short delay (~90–120 seconds).
  • Excel & API: an add-on Excel add-in with dynamic formulas/templates, a REST API with API keys and official Python/R clients, and exports to CSV/Excel/PDF/images.
  • Advisor ecosystem integrations including Addepar, Orion, Redtail, Schwab Advisor Center, iRebal, Pershing, LPL ClientWorks, Black Diamond, and VRGL.
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 MSN Money and YCharts both support?

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

Which tool offers a free plan?

MSN Money offers a free entry point, while YCharts requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

Which tool has mobile access?

MSN Money ships a dedicated mobile experience, while YCharts focuses on web or desktop access.

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 YCharts stands out for Research workspace with Fundamental Charts, robust screeners, comp tables, scatter plots, scenario tools, and Quickflows to speed common tasks., Portfolio analytics for model and client accounts: optimizer and rebalancing (daily through annual), correlation matrices, attribution and transition analysis, drift/overlap checks, and exposure breakdowns., and Broad data coverage: U.S. and Canadian equities, ETFs and CEFs, plus mutual funds and SMAs as add-ons; 4,000+ fundamental metrics, S&P Global analyst estimates, MSCI ESG datasets, and a large set of macro indicators..

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.