Robinhood adds Brokerage, Watchlist, Advanced Order Types, Order Book / Level II, and Downloadable Tax Reports coverage that Unusual Whales skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Head-to-head
Robinhood vs Unusual Whales comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
Unusual Whales includes Screeners, Paper Trading, Dark Pool & Off-Exchange, Alerts, US Government Trades, Insider Data, 13F, APIs & SDKs, Data APIs, Education, Calendar, and Dividends categories that Robinhood omits.
Robinhood highlights: Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold)., Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs., and Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders..
Unusual Whales is known for: Live options flow across all US options exchanges, with a status indicator so you know the feed is healthy., Dark-pool tape plus ‘Dark Pool Levels’ to surface recent prints and ticker-specific liquidity zones., and Options and stock screeners with filters for premium, volume, open interest, IV rank, and common technicals..
Robinhood
robinhood.com
Robinhood is a US and UK brokerage offering commission-free trading in stocks, ETFs, and options, plus access to futures and crypto. Options carry per-contract fees. Robinhood Gold ($5/month after a 30-day trial) unlocks Nasdaq TotalView Level II, Morningstar research, larger instant deposits, and a 3% IRA match for eligible customers. The platform also offers 24-Hour Market trading on select symbols, real crypto wallets with deposits/withdrawals, and an accessible mobile-first design.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold).
- Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs.
- Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders.
- 24-Hour Market on select symbols, running Sunday evening through Friday evening ET, alongside extended trading hours.
- Options support includes multi-leg strategies such as spreads and iron condors, with a Strategy Builder tool and Greeks displayed in the chain.
Community votes (overall)
Unusual Whales
unusualwhales.com
Real-time options flow and dark-pool analytics built for active traders. Free plans view delayed data; paid tiers stream live flow, with annual plans unlocking data downloads. The public API is sold separately, and “Periscope” (market-wide SPX exposure) is available as an add-on.
Categories
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Live options flow across all US options exchanges, with a status indicator so you know the feed is healthy.
- Dark-pool tape plus ‘Dark Pool Levels’ to surface recent prints and ticker-specific liquidity zones.
- Options and stock screeners with filters for premium, volume, open interest, IV rank, and common technicals.
- Options Profit Calculator to model multi-leg strategies, Greeks, and payoff P/L.
- Paper trading for both stocks and options to test ideas without risk.
Community votes (overall)
Shared focus areas
3 overlapsMutual strengths include Portfolio, Options & Derivatives, and News.
Where they differ
Robinhood
Distinct strengths include:
- Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold).
- Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs.
- Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders.
- 24-Hour Market on select symbols, running Sunday evening through Friday evening ET, alongside extended trading hours.
Unusual Whales
Distinct strengths include:
- Live options flow across all US options exchanges, with a status indicator so you know the feed is healthy.
- Dark-pool tape plus ‘Dark Pool Levels’ to surface recent prints and ticker-specific liquidity zones.
- Options and stock screeners with filters for premium, volume, open interest, IV rank, and common technicals.
- Options Profit Calculator to model multi-leg strategies, Greeks, and payoff P/L.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
Attribute | Robinhood | Unusual Whales |
---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Portfolio, Options & Derivatives, News Unique: Brokerage, Watchlist, Advanced Order Types, Order Book / Level II, Downloadable Tax Reports | Shared: Portfolio, Options & Derivatives, News Unique: Screeners, Paper Trading, Dark Pool & Off-Exchange, Alerts, US Government Trades, Insider Data, 13F, APIs & SDKs, Data APIs, Education, Calendar, Dividends |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Futures, Cryptos | Stocks, ETFs, Options |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, Mobile | Web, Mobile, API |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free, Subscription, Other | Free, Subscription |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Yes |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Highlighted |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do Robinhood and Unusual Whales both support?
Both platforms cover Portfolio, Options & Derivatives, and News workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do Robinhood and Unusual Whales require subscriptions?
Both Robinhood and Unusual Whales keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access Robinhood and Unusual Whales?
Both Robinhood and Unusual Whales 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?
Robinhood differentiates itself with Commission-free trading on US stocks, ETFs, and options (with per-contract fees: $0.50 standard, $0.35 with Gold)., Fractional share investing starting from $1 across most eligible US stocks and ETFs., and Advanced order types including stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders., whereas Unusual Whales stands out for Live options flow across all US options exchanges, with a status indicator so you know the feed is healthy., Dark-pool tape plus ‘Dark Pool Levels’ to surface recent prints and ticker-specific liquidity zones., and Options and stock screeners with filters for premium, volume, open interest, IV rank, and common technicals..
Keep exploring
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Overlap: Screeners, Portfolio, and US Government Trades.
ScreenersPortfolioUS Government Trades
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.