Tool Comparison
ORTEX vs Unusual Whales
- Paid from
- $39/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, API
Best if
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $39/mo instead of $42/mo
- You want short interest, quant, and data visualizations.
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
- Paid from
- $42/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile, API
Best if
- You want options p&l, alerts, and dark pool & off-exchange.
- You trade often and need tooling built for speed
Pick ORTEX if
ORTEX
Free • From $39/mo · Web · Mobile · API
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $39/mo instead of $42/mo
- You want short interest, quant, and data visualizations.
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Pick Unusual Whales if
Unusual Whales
Free • From $504/yr · Web · Mobile · API
- You want options p&l, alerts, and dark pool & off-exchange.
- You trade often and need tooling built for speed
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
ORTEX and Unusual Whales cover a lot of the same ground (9 shared categories, including insider data, money flow, and options), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. ORTEX simply does more: 16 categories to Unusual Whales's 12, including short interest, quant, and data visualizations. Unusual Whales counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
ORTEX
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Unusual Whales
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Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- ORTEX$39/mo vs $42/mo
- Free trial
- Unusual Whales7 days
- Broader coverage
- ORTEX16 vs 12 categories
- Global coverage
- ORTEX
- Beginner friendly
- ORTEX
- Free plan
- Both
What ORTEX does best
- Monitor short interest and securities-lending conditions with utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan.
- Comparison tools for lending-based short-interest estimates with official U.S. exchange-reported short interest and European flagged-short disclosures.
- Tracking intraday and real-time estimates from ORTEX lender and broker data pools where plan access supports those views.
- Research coverage for options activity and flow signals using OPRA-sourced options data, with OPRA terms required before access.
- Rule-based Short Squeeze, EPS, RSI, MACD, and Company Events signals with historical performance shown beside each trigger.
What Unusual Whales does best
- Tracking US options flow with trade details, exchange data, filters, configurable columns, sorting, and saved trades.
- Multi-leg tagging in the flow feed and open trades in an options profit calculator for payoff and P/L context.
- Monitor dark pool and off-exchange activity, with market-tide, lit/off-lit, and related flow feeds available where the plan supports them.
- Tools for building alerts across the website, mobile apps, and Discord; free alerts are delayed and limited, while premium alerts are faster and broader.
- Stock and options screeners for unusual volume, options activity, premium, volume, open interest, implied volatility, greeks, and related filters.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $39/mo | Free • From $504/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | 6 limits: API Trader: rate limit: 1 req/s, API Trader: scope: Single-stock APIs +4 more | 13 limits: Free Limited: options flow delay: 2 trading days, Free Limited: news delay minutes: 15 +11 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | — |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (Add-in), Python SDK +1 more | Discord, X (Twitter) +3 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +3 more |
Categories covered | 16 | 12 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more | 3 signals: Latency: Streaming and Real-time, Granularity: Minute and EOD +1 more |
Capabilities | 4 signals: Universe builder, Multi-leg options +2 more | 3 signals: Universe builder, Multi-leg options +1 more |
| Try it | Visit ORTEX | Visit Unusual Whales |
Standout features
The best features of ORTEX and Unusual Whales.ShowHide
Standout features
What ORTEX does best
- Monitor short interest and securities-lending conditions with utilization, cost to borrow, shares on loan, and percentage of free float on loan.
- Comparison tools for lending-based short-interest estimates with official U.S. exchange-reported short interest and European flagged-short disclosures.
- Tracking intraday and real-time estimates from ORTEX lender and broker data pools where plan access supports those views.
- Research coverage for options activity and flow signals using OPRA-sourced options data, with OPRA terms required before access.
- Rule-based Short Squeeze, EPS, RSI, MACD, and Company Events signals with historical performance shown beside each trigger.
What Unusual Whales does best
- Tracking US options flow with trade details, exchange data, filters, configurable columns, sorting, and saved trades.
- Multi-leg tagging in the flow feed and open trades in an options profit calculator for payoff and P/L context.
- Monitor dark pool and off-exchange activity, with market-tide, lit/off-lit, and related flow feeds available where the plan supports them.
- Tools for building alerts across the website, mobile apps, and Discord; free alerts are delayed and limited, while premium alerts are faster and broader.
- Stock and options screeners for unusual volume, options activity, premium, volume, open interest, implied volatility, greeks, and related filters.
All details
Every attribute we track for ORTEX and Unusual Whales.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsOptionsCurrencies | OptionsStocksETFsCryptos |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro RetailDay TradersSwing TradersAlgo Traders |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPAC | North America |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Countries: USIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-timeEnd of Day | StreamingReal-time |
Data granularity | MinuteEOD | MinuteEOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | RESTWebSocket |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeySDKs: Python | Auth: APIKeyDocs |
Integrations | Microsoft Excel (Add-in)Python SDKMCP | DiscordX (Twitter)MCP ServerOpenAPIAI Skills |
Export formats | CSV | Not specified |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Universe builderMulti-leg optionsGreeksEarnings vol edge | Universe builderMulti-leg optionsGreeks |
Vendor & support | Ortex Technologies LimitedCountry: United KingdomSupport: Email and Phone | Unusual Whales IncSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 | Not specified |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free | Free“Free Limited”options flow delay: 2 trading days · news delay minutes: 15 · +1 more |
| Entry paid plan | $39/mo“Basic Annual” | $504/yr≈ $42/mo“Retail Basic (Annual)”custom alerts: 25 · watchlists: 5 · +1 more |
| Tier 2 | $49/mo“Basic Monthly” | $50/mo“Retail Basic (Monthly)”custom alerts: 25 · watchlists: 5 · +1 more |
| Tier 3 | $99/mo“Advanced Annual” | $756/yr≈ $63/mo“Retail Pro Annual” |
| Tier 4 | $149/mo“Advanced Monthly” | $75/mo“Retail Pro Monthly” |
| Tier 5 | $49/mo“API Trader”rate limit: 1 req/s · scope: Single-stock APIs | $1224/yr≈ $102/mo“Retail Max Annual” |
| Tier 6 | $149/mo“API Quant”rate limit: 5 req/s · scope: All APIs including bulk endpoints | $120/mo“Retail Max Monthly” |
| Tier 7 | $499/mo“API Developer”rate limit: 50 req/s · scope: All APIs including bulk endpoints | $150/mo“API Access”requests per day: 40,000 · historical lookback years: 2 |
| Top plan | — | $375/mo“API Advanced (WebSocket streaming)” |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“API Enterprise” | — |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
Alternatives
Free alternatives
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between ORTEX and Unusual Whales?
ORTEX leans toward short interest, insider data, and quant, while Unusual Whales puts more weight on options, money flow, and screeners. They overlap in 9 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do ORTEX and Unusual Whales cost?
Good news: both ORTEX and Unusual Whales have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: ORTEX or Unusual Whales?
ORTEX is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Do ORTEX and Unusual Whales have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose ORTEX or Unusual Whales?
It depends on what you're after. Pick ORTEX if short interest and quant matter to you; go with Unusual Whales if you'd rather have options p&l and alerts. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do ORTEX and Unusual Whales cover?
Both cover stocks, ETFs, and options. ORTEX also handles currencies. Unusual Whales adds cryptos on top.
Do ORTEX and Unusual Whales offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Which covers international markets: ORTEX or Unusual Whales?
ORTEX has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, and APAC), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. Unusual Whales is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from ORTEX and Unusual Whales?
ORTEX exports to CSV. Unusual Whales is stingier about getting data out.
Is ORTEX or Unusual Whales better for day trading?
Unusual Whales is the one positioned more for active traders. ORTEX is the better fit if you care less about fast trading workflows and more about a calmer research process.
Which has a better stock screener: ORTEX or Unusual Whales?
Both ORTEX and Unusual Whales include stock screeners, and they differ more in interface than raw power; try both and see which one clicks for you.
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