VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Tool Comparison

Smartfin vs The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Smartfin adds Stock Ideas, Scores, Data Visualizations, Transcripts, Checklist, Insider Data, Watchlist, and AI Business Summary coverage that The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) skips.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) includes News, Dividends, Analyst Forecasts, and Analyst Recommendations categories that Smartfin omits.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) offers mobile access, which Smartfin skips.

In depth comparison

Smartfin logo

Smartfin

thesmartfin.com

Beginner‑friendly stock research platform focused on fundamentals: visual financials, sector‑adjusted scoring (value/profit/growth/health), AI company snapshots, curated stock lists, and real‑time alerts for insider trades & analyst price‑target changes. US‑stocks centric; no brokerage sync or advanced risk/quant features.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

  • AI overview cards: plain‑English company summaries with positives/negatives and peer positioning on hover.
  • Sector‑adjusted scorecards across value, profit, growth, and financial health with peer rankings.
  • Visual Stock Explorer: 30+ years of fundamentals, 200+ metrics, annual/quarterly toggles, downloadable charts.
  • Real‑time alerts for insider trades and analyst price‑target changes; customizable watchlists.
  • Event hub for tracked tickers (earnings, SEC filings, transcripts) and a lightweight research checklist.

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The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) logo

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)

wsj.com

Global business and markets coverage with a deep Market Data Center. Many articles and tools sit behind a WSJ Digital subscription, though some newsletters remain free. Market data pages attribute pricing and fundamentals to FactSet and Dow Jones Market Data; U.S. last-sale quotes are via Nasdaq, and other quotes may be delayed.

Platforms

WebMobile

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

  • Comprehensive business and markets reporting, plus a Market Data Center spanning indexes, stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and mutual funds.
  • Built-in calendars, including a downloadable U.S. economic calendar and an earnings calendar within Market Data.
  • Market lists and stats such as 52-week highs/lows, analyst upgrades/downgrades, and dividend pages.
  • Company quote pages with financial statements, historical charts, and related news.
  • Research & Ratings pages that summarize analyst recommendations, earnings estimates, and price targets for many tickers.

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Where they differ

Smartfin

Distinct strengths include:

  • AI overview cards: plain‑English company summaries with positives/negatives and peer positioning on hover.
  • Sector‑adjusted scorecards across value, profit, growth, and financial health with peer rankings.
  • Visual Stock Explorer: 30+ years of fundamentals, 200+ metrics, annual/quarterly toggles, downloadable charts.
  • Real‑time alerts for insider trades and analyst price‑target changes; customizable watchlists.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)

Distinct strengths include:

  • Comprehensive business and markets reporting, plus a Market Data Center spanning indexes, stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and mutual funds.
  • Built-in calendars, including a downloadable U.S. economic calendar and an earnings calendar within Market Data.
  • Market lists and stats such as 52-week highs/lows, analyst upgrades/downgrades, and dividend pages.
  • Company quote pages with financial statements, historical charts, and related news.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeSmartfinThe Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Financials, Analyst Price Targets, Alerts, Calendar

Unique: Stock Ideas, Scores, Data Visualizations, Transcripts, Checklist, Insider Data, Watchlist, AI Business Summary

Shared: Financials, Analyst Price Targets, Alerts, Calendar

Unique: News, Dividends, Analyst Forecasts, Analyst Recommendations

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks

Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Commodities, Currencies

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web

Web, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • AI overview cards: plain‑English company summaries with positives/negatives and peer positioning on hover.
  • Sector‑adjusted scorecards across value, profit, growth, and financial health with peer rankings.
  • Visual Stock Explorer: 30+ years of fundamentals, 200+ metrics, annual/quarterly toggles, downloadable charts.
  • Real‑time alerts for insider trades and analyst price‑target changes; customizable watchlists.
  • Event hub for tracked tickers (earnings, SEC filings, transcripts) and a lightweight research checklist.
  • Curated ‘Stock Lists’ (e.g., top dividend, top AI, top market cap) focused on U.S. markets.

Unique

  • Comprehensive business and markets reporting, plus a Market Data Center spanning indexes, stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and mutual funds.
  • Built-in calendars, including a downloadable U.S. economic calendar and an earnings calendar within Market Data.
  • Market lists and stats such as 52-week highs/lows, analyst upgrades/downgrades, and dividend pages.
  • Company quote pages with financial statements, historical charts, and related news.
  • Research & Ratings pages that summarize analyst recommendations, earnings estimates, and price targets for many tickers.
  • Alerts and newsletters manageable via WSJ apps and the Customer Center, with support for email and mobile push.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

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Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Smartfin and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) both support?

Both platforms cover Financials, Analyst Price Targets, Alerts, and Calendar workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Smartfin and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) require subscriptions?

Both Smartfin and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Smartfin focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Smartfin differentiates itself with AI overview cards: plain‑English company summaries with positives/negatives and peer positioning on hover., Sector‑adjusted scorecards across value, profit, growth, and financial health with peer rankings., and Visual Stock Explorer: 30+ years of fundamentals, 200+ metrics, annual/quarterly toggles, downloadable charts., whereas The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) stands out for Comprehensive business and markets reporting, plus a Market Data Center spanning indexes, stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and mutual funds., Built-in calendars, including a downloadable U.S. economic calendar and an earnings calendar within Market Data., and Market lists and stats such as 52-week highs/lows, analyst upgrades/downgrades, and dividend pages..

Keep exploring

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.