Tool Comparison
Portfolio123 vs Visible Alpha
- Paid from
- $25/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API, Desktop
Best if
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You want screeners, quant, and stock ideas.
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
- Paid from
- On request
- Free plan
- No
- Platforms
- Web, Desktop, API
Best if
- You want analyst forecasts, analyst ratings & price targets, and stock comparison.
Pick Portfolio123 if
Portfolio123
Free • From $300/yr · Web · API · Desktop
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You want screeners, quant, and stock ideas.
- You're newer to investing and want something approachable
Pick Visible Alpha if
Visible Alpha
Contact for pricing · Web · Desktop · API
- You want analyst forecasts, analyst ratings & price targets, and stock comparison.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including data visualizations, financials, and APIs & data feeds), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Portfolio123 simply does more: 19 categories to Visible Alpha's 10, including screeners, quant, and stock ideas. Visible Alpha counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
Portfolio123
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Visible Alpha
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Key differences at a glance
- Free plan
- Portfolio123
- Broader coverage
- Portfolio12319 vs 10 categories
- Asset coverage
- Portfolio123Adds ETFs and closed-end funds
- Beginner friendly
- Portfolio123
What Portfolio123 does best
- Build multifactor ranking systems, stock screens, ETF screens, and rules-based strategies.
- Run simulations with custom universes, buy and sell rules, position sizing, hedging, rebalancing, slippage, and commissions.
- Point-in-time data designed to avoid survivorship and look-ahead bias, with fundamentals, estimates, corporate actions, sector and industry classifications, and historical issues.
- Create ranking systems from fundamental, technical, sentiment, and macro factors, including public factor documentation and FRED-linked economic series.
- AI Factor to train machine-learning predictors for expected returns and feed those predictions into rankings, simulations, and asset-level analysis.
What Visible Alpha does best
- Analyze line-item consensus built from full sell-side models rather than only EPS or revenue estimates.
- VA Actuals to connect stitched historical fundamentals with forward estimates for cleaner time-series analysis.
- Work in Visible Alpha Insights, S&P Capital IQ Pro, or Excel with templates, tear sheets, and updated figures.
- Review target-price and rating distributions with valuation context and consensus changes.
- Monitor line-item revisions, dispersion, trends, and threshold changes through company and metric-level monitoring workflows.
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 $300/yr | Contact for pricing |
Free tier | Yes | No |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 25 limits: Free Screener & Backtesting Access: duration days: 30, Screener (Annual): backtest history years: 5 +23 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | Yes | — |
Integrations | Interactive Brokers and Tradier | S&P Capital IQ Pro, Data Feed +2 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +5 more | — |
Categories covered | 19 | 10 |
Regions | North America, Europe | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 5 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +1 more |
Data partners | 4 partners: FactSet, S&P Global Market Intelligence +2 more | — |
Capabilities | 6 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +4 more | — |
| Try it | Visit Portfolio123 | Visit Visible Alpha |
Standout features
The best features of Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha.ShowHide
Standout features
What Portfolio123 does best
- Build multifactor ranking systems, stock screens, ETF screens, and rules-based strategies.
- Run simulations with custom universes, buy and sell rules, position sizing, hedging, rebalancing, slippage, and commissions.
- Point-in-time data designed to avoid survivorship and look-ahead bias, with fundamentals, estimates, corporate actions, sector and industry classifications, and historical issues.
- Create ranking systems from fundamental, technical, sentiment, and macro factors, including public factor documentation and FRED-linked economic series.
- AI Factor to train machine-learning predictors for expected returns and feed those predictions into rankings, simulations, and asset-level analysis.
What Visible Alpha does best
- Analyze line-item consensus built from full sell-side models rather than only EPS or revenue estimates.
- VA Actuals to connect stitched historical fundamentals with forward estimates for cleaner time-series analysis.
- Work in Visible Alpha Insights, S&P Capital IQ Pro, or Excel with templates, tear sheets, and updated figures.
- Review target-price and rating distributions with valuation context and consensus changes.
- Monitor line-item revisions, dispersion, trends, and threshold changes through company and metric-level monitoring workflows.
All details
Every attribute we track for Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha.ShowHide
All details
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksETFsClosed-End Funds | Stocks |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | IntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersFinancial AdvisorsStudents/Researchers | Not specified |
Regions | North AmericaEurope | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Countries: US and CAIdentifiers: Ticker | Identifiers: Ticker, CUSIP, SEDOL, and ISIN |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-timeEnd of Day | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | EOD | EOD |
Data partners | FactSetS&P Global Market IntelligenceICE Data ServicesFRED | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyDocs | Auth: APIKey |
Import methods | BrokerOAuthCSV | Not specified |
Integrations | Interactive BrokersTradier | S&P Capital IQ ProData FeedSnowflakeExcel |
Export formats | CSVJSON | Excel |
| Plans & trust | ||
Capability signals | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderBroker syncRebalancingCorrelation | Not specified |
Vendor & support | Portfolio123Support: Forum | Visible Alpha (S&P Global Market Intelligence)Country: USFounded 2015Support: Email and Phone |
Curation ratings | Not specified | 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.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free“Manage (Free)” | — |
| Entry paid plan | $300/yr≈ $25/mo“Screener (Annual)”backtest history years: 5 · resource units: 400 · +1 more | — |
| Tier 2 | $35/mo“Screener (Monthly)”backtest history years: 5 · resource units: 400 · +1 more | — |
| Tier 3 | $1000/yr≈ $83.33/mo“Backtest (Annual)”backtest history years: 10 · resource units: 1,000 · +1 more | — |
| Tier 4 | $116/mo“Backtest (Monthly)”backtest history years: 10 · resource units: 1,000 · +1 more | — |
| Tier 5 | $1500/yr≈ $125/mo“Portfolio (Annual)”backtest history years: 15 · resource units: 5,000 · +1 more | — |
| Tier 6 | $174/mo“Portfolio (Monthly)”backtest history years: 15 · resource units: 5,000 · +1 more | — |
| Tier 7 | $2400/yr≈ $200/mo“Ultimate (Annual)”backtest history years: 20 · resource units: 10,000 · +1 more | — |
| Top plan | $278/mo“Ultimate (Monthly)”backtest history years: 20 · resource units: 10,000 · +1 more | — |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Professional / API & Data Licenses” | Contact sales“Enterprise” |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha?
Portfolio123 leans toward screeners, data visualizations, and quant, while Visible Alpha puts more weight on financials, analyst forecasts, and analyst ratings & price targets. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is Portfolio123 or Visible Alpha free to use?
Portfolio123 has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. Visible Alpha is paid-only. If budget matters, start with Portfolio123 and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Which is better for beginners: Portfolio123 or Visible Alpha?
Portfolio123 is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Do Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose Portfolio123 or Visible Alpha?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Portfolio123 if screeners and quant matter to you; go with Visible Alpha if you'd rather have analyst forecasts and analyst ratings & price targets. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha cover?
Both cover stocks. Portfolio123 also handles ETFs and closed-end funds.
Do Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Can I export data from Portfolio123 and Visible Alpha?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (Portfolio123: CSV; Visible Alpha: Excel), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Which has a better stock screener: Portfolio123 or Visible Alpha?
Portfolio123 has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Visible Alpha doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with Portfolio123 or Visible Alpha?
Portfolio123 handles portfolio tracking. Visible Alpha is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
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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.