VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Head-to-head

Smartkarma vs Variant comparison

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

Quick takeaways

Smartkarma adds Screeners, Watchlist, News, Alerts, Calendar, Videos, Newsletters, and Blogs coverage that Variant skips.

Variant includes Market Sentiment, and Forums categories that Smartkarma omits.

Smartkarma highlights: AI-augmented research hub delivering real-time, actionable insights with direct access to top-ranked analysts., SmartScore Screener covers five factors—Value, Dividend, Growth, Resilience, and Momentum—with filters by country, sector, and market cap., and Relative Value tool highlights HoldCo and share-class pair opportunities, with proprietary Actionability/Investability scores and z-score diagnostics..

Variant is known for: AI Catalyst Finder scans filings, transcripts, and other documents to surface potential catalysts in public-company situations., Buyside discussion area with differentiated views and thousands of investor comments., and Predictions marketplace where users forecast outcomes and track sentiment on upcoming earnings events..

Smartkarma has a free tier, while Variant requires a paid plan.

Smartkarma ships a mobile app. Variant is web/desktop only.

Smartkarma logo

Smartkarma

smartkarma.com

An AI-augmented investment intelligence platform that combines independent research, data tools, and real-time alerts. Access is plan-gated: the flagship Pro Platform costs USD 10,950/year per user and is available to accredited or professional investors; Premium and Data subscriptions are available on request, while separate offerings exist for Corporate Digital IR and Plus platforms. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android.

Platforms

Web
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • AI-augmented research hub delivering real-time, actionable insights with direct access to top-ranked analysts.
  • SmartScore Screener covers five factors—Value, Dividend, Growth, Resilience, and Momentum—with filters by country, sector, and market cap.
  • Relative Value tool highlights HoldCo and share-class pair opportunities, with proprietary Actionability/Investability scores and z-score diagnostics.
  • Personalised watchlists and real-time notifications, with opt-in email alerts when relevant insights are published.
  • Research is distributed simultaneously on the platform, via alerts/email, and syndicated to Bloomberg Terminal.

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Variant logo

Variant

variantinsights.com

Invite- and approval-based platform for professional and student investors. Variant combines an AI-powered “Catalyst Finder” with buyside discussions and a predictions marketplace focused on public-company outcomes and earnings sentiment. All content is user-generated (never investment advice), with strict prohibitions against material non-public information. Access is available via professional approval, student programs at select universities, or invite-only flows.

Platforms

Web

Pricing

Other

Quick highlights

  • AI Catalyst Finder scans filings, transcripts, and other documents to surface potential catalysts in public-company situations.
  • Buyside discussion area with differentiated views and thousands of investor comments.
  • Predictions marketplace where users forecast outcomes and track sentiment on upcoming earnings events.
  • Structured prediction markets focused on company-specific outcomes and event-driven scenarios.
  • Access models include professional approval-based signup, student signup at partner universities, and invite-only admission.

Community votes (overall)

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

2 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Stock Ideas, and AI.

Where they differ

Smartkarma

Distinct strengths include:

  • AI-augmented research hub delivering real-time, actionable insights with direct access to top-ranked analysts.
  • SmartScore Screener covers five factors—Value, Dividend, Growth, Resilience, and Momentum—with filters by country, sector, and market cap.
  • Relative Value tool highlights HoldCo and share-class pair opportunities, with proprietary Actionability/Investability scores and z-score diagnostics.
  • Personalised watchlists and real-time notifications, with opt-in email alerts when relevant insights are published.

Variant

Distinct strengths include:

  • AI Catalyst Finder scans filings, transcripts, and other documents to surface potential catalysts in public-company situations.
  • Buyside discussion area with differentiated views and thousands of investor comments.
  • Predictions marketplace where users forecast outcomes and track sentiment on upcoming earnings events.
  • Structured prediction markets focused on company-specific outcomes and event-driven scenarios.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeSmartkarmaVariant
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Stock Ideas, AI

Unique: Screeners, Watchlist, News, Alerts, Calendar, Videos, Newsletters, Blogs

Shared: Stock Ideas, AI

Unique: Market Sentiment, Forums

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, Currencies, Cryptos

Stocks

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, Mobile

Web

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Other

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • AI-augmented research hub delivering real-time, actionable insights with direct access to top-ranked analysts.
  • SmartScore Screener covers five factors—Value, Dividend, Growth, Resilience, and Momentum—with filters by country, sector, and market cap.
  • Relative Value tool highlights HoldCo and share-class pair opportunities, with proprietary Actionability/Investability scores and z-score diagnostics.
  • Personalised watchlists and real-time notifications, with opt-in email alerts when relevant insights are published.
  • Research is distributed simultaneously on the platform, via alerts/email, and syndicated to Bloomberg Terminal.
  • Additional investment tools include FX, rates and macroeconomic calendars, and crypto dashboards.

Unique

  • AI Catalyst Finder scans filings, transcripts, and other documents to surface potential catalysts in public-company situations.
  • Buyside discussion area with differentiated views and thousands of investor comments.
  • Predictions marketplace where users forecast outcomes and track sentiment on upcoming earnings events.
  • Structured prediction markets focused on company-specific outcomes and event-driven scenarios.
  • Access models include professional approval-based signup, student signup at partner universities, and invite-only admission.
  • Strict community standards: insights and analysis only, no investment advice, and zero tolerance for MNPI.
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Editor pick

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Smartkarma and Variant both support?

Both platforms cover Stock Ideas, and AI workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Which tool offers a free plan?

Smartkarma offers a free entry point, while Variant requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

Which tool has mobile access?

Smartkarma ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Variant focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Smartkarma differentiates itself with AI-augmented research hub delivering real-time, actionable insights with direct access to top-ranked analysts., SmartScore Screener covers five factors—Value, Dividend, Growth, Resilience, and Momentum—with filters by country, sector, and market cap., and Relative Value tool highlights HoldCo and share-class pair opportunities, with proprietary Actionability/Investability scores and z-score diagnostics., whereas Variant stands out for AI Catalyst Finder scans filings, transcripts, and other documents to surface potential catalysts in public-company situations., Buyside discussion area with differentiated views and thousands of investor comments., and Predictions marketplace where users forecast outcomes and track sentiment on upcoming earnings events..

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.