SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) adds Regulatory Filings Monitoring, IPO, Secondary Offerings, and 13D/13G coverage that Unusual Whales skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Tool Comparison
SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) 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, Options & Derivatives, Portfolio, Paper Trading, Dark Pool & Off-Exchange, US Government Trades, Calendar, and Dividends categories that SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) omits.
Unusual Whales offers mobile access, which SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) skips.
In depth comparison
SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)
sec.gov
Editor’s pick Hands-on review
Primary U.S. source for public company, fund, and insider filings. The Full‑Text Search covers filings since 2001 (including exhibits), while the ‘Latest Filings’ view shows near‑real‑time submissions as they are processed. Search tools include Company search, Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance product search, CIK lookup, and RSS subscriptions. Developers can consume JSON via data.sec.gov (Submissions, XBRL Company Facts/Concepts/Frames). Programmatic access must include a descriptive User‑Agent and respect the SEC fair‑access limit (currently 10 requests/sec).
Categories
Platforms
WebAPI
Pricing
Free
Quick highlights
- Full‑Text Search (since 2001) with fielded filters: word/phrase, company/ticker/CIK/person, filing category/types, filed date ranges, ‘principal executive offices in’ and ‘incorporated in’.
- ‘Latest Filings’ list shows filings as they are submitted (with RSS for any filter; ownership Forms 3/4/5 can be included/excluded/only).
- Company Search with ‘more search options’, plus dedicated searches for Mutual Funds (prospectuses/proxy voting) and Variable Insurance Products.
- CIK Lookup & helper datasets (company_tickers*.json) to map tickers↔CIK (company/fund/series/class).
- Developer APIs on data.sec.gov: submissions by CIK; XBRL endpoints (companyfacts, companyconcept, frames); bulk nightly ZIPs (submissions.zip, companyfacts.zip).
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Unusual Whales
unusualwhales.com
Editor’s pick Hands-on review
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
WebMobileAPI
Pricing
FreeSubscription
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.
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Where they differ
SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings)
Distinct strengths include:
- Full‑Text Search (since 2001) with fielded filters: word/phrase, company/ticker/CIK/person, filing category/types, filed date ranges, ‘principal executive offices in’ and ‘incorporated in’.
- ‘Latest Filings’ list shows filings as they are submitted (with RSS for any filter; ownership Forms 3/4/5 can be included/excluded/only).
- Company Search with ‘more search options’, plus dedicated searches for Mutual Funds (prospectuses/proxy voting) and Variable Insurance Products.
- CIK Lookup & helper datasets (company_tickers*.json) to map tickers↔CIK (company/fund/series/class).
Unusual Whales
Distinct strengths include:
ScreenersOptions & DerivativesPortfolioPaper TradingDark Pool & Off-ExchangeUS Government TradesCalendarDividends
- 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 | SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) | Unusual Whales |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Insider Data, 13F, News, Alerts, Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Education Unique: Regulatory Filings Monitoring, IPO, Secondary Offerings, 13D/13G | Shared: Insider Data, 13F, News, Alerts, Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Education Unique: Screeners, Options & Derivatives, Portfolio, Paper Trading, Dark Pool & Off-Exchange, US Government Trades, Calendar, Dividends |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Closed-End Funds, Bonds, Hedge Funds, Private Funds, Real Estate, Funds | 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, API | Web, Mobile, API |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free, Subscription |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Yes | Yes |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Highlighted | Highlighted |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) and Unusual Whales both support?
Both platforms cover Insider Data, 13F, News, Alerts, Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Education workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) and Unusual Whales require subscriptions?
Both SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) and Unusual Whales keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
Which tool has mobile access?
Unusual Whales ships a dedicated mobile experience, while SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) focuses on web or desktop access.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
SEC EDGAR — Company Filings (Full‑Text Search & Search Filings) differentiates itself with Full‑Text Search (since 2001) with fielded filters: word/phrase, company/ticker/CIK/person, filing category/types, filed date ranges, ‘principal executive offices in’ and ‘incorporated in’., ‘Latest Filings’ list shows filings as they are submitted (with RSS for any filter; ownership Forms 3/4/5 can be included/excluded/only)., and Company Search with ‘more search options’, plus dedicated searches for Mutual Funds (prospectuses/proxy voting) and Variable Insurance Products., 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..
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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.