Barchart Review 2023
In a nutshell: Barchart is an online market research platform that offers both free and paid services. The website can be used with or without an account, though your experience will vastly improve simply by creating an account.
Barchart is the ideal platform for self-directed investors. It contains a wide variety of technical charts (complete with a plethora of technical indicators), pre-built and custom screeners, market news, historical data, and more.
With so much data amassed on one service, it seems that nearly anyone—be they long-term investors or day traders—can find the information on this platform. However, simply having data doesn’t necessarily mean the platform itself is worth signing up for.
So, exactly how good is Barchart? Find out for yourself by reading my short Barchart review!
| Service Type | Fees | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Market Research Platform | $0 - $29.95 per month | 30-day free trial |
Barchart is best for…
Barchart stands out as a versatile platform tailored to meet the diverse needs of various traders. It presents comprehensive data on a spectrum of assets ranging from stocks, ETFs, and options to futures, forex, and cryptocurrencies.
This breadth of information supports both the short-term strategies of day traders and the long-view objectives of long-term investors. For novice and intermediate traders seeking a consolidated platform before venturing into niche, specialized platforms, Barchart proves invaluable.
However, experienced traders seeking in-depth technical analysis or specialized trading news might eventually lean towards more tailored tools. Nonetheless, with its expansive database and affordable premium memberships, Barchart emerges as a reliable research tool for virtually any kind of market research, making it appealing to a broad audience within the trading industry.
- Interactive charts
- Comprehensive charts & screeners
- Most features offered for free
- Plethora of info may overwhelm
- Site layout leaves a bit to be desired
- Most free features are limited
Table of Contents
What is Barchart?
Barchart is a comprehensive online market research platform. The company has been providing market data and analytics since 1995. With a general reputation for accuracy, reliability, and consistency, it’s not surprising that Barchart.com has a lot to offer investors.
The website grants access to a wide variety of trading tools and features, such as stock and advanced options screeners. It’s perfect for technical studies, offering hundreds of fields of data for analysis, and allows traders to track their portfolios easily using watchlists.
Barchart also serves as a source of market news, although its news services aren’t quite up to par with what I’ve seen from dedicated services like Benzinga. Premium members can also benefit from historic data, which dates back to 01/01/1980.
External Barchart Review & Ratings
| Site | Rating | |
| Apple App Store | 4.8 from 7,150 reviews | |
| 4.9 from 112 reviews | ||
| Google Play | 4.6 from 10,500 reviews | |
| Sitejabber | 4.3 |
After digging through countless Barchart reviews, here are some reviews that stick out to me, from traders who have experienced the platform firsthand:
“It’s an easy site to navigate and it’s opinions have been consistent with the market. I like the ability to build my own lists and compare them to each other with a number of variables.”
“A very worthwhile website with accurate and quick, easy to use information. It gives you accurate consistent data – so much better than most “Here’s what you should buy today” investment websites for amateurs. There is no charge for the basic version which is more than sufficient for an amateur. The best find of any kind that I have made on the internet.”
Most of the Barchart reviews I read online were positive, as evident in their 4.8 overall rating on Apple App store from over 7,000 users. Of course, no company can satisfy 100% of their clients and there are a few outlier, negative Barchart reviews out there.
Most of the negative Barchart reviews are centered around the Android app. Many reviewers praised the website and service itself, but felt that the app was lacking in the user experience they had come accustomed to on the website.
Surprisingly, the Barchart Reddit reviews are also generally positive. Many of the Reddit reviews of Barchart’s competitors are flooded with scathing reviews from disgruntled users. Personally, when I see consistently positive reviews & ratings across various platforms, it gives me confidence that they deliver consistent results.
Features
Barchart offers a variety of features, from basic features to advanced features, let’s take a look at some of the excellent tools I think are most beneficial:
Market Overviews: Barchart provides in-depth market data on a variety of assets, such as stocks, ETFs, options, futures, forex, and cryptocurrencies. Every market segment has its own dedicated tab, with pages highlighting top performers, relevant news, and expert advice.
Detailed Stock Insights: Barchart gives insights into global sector performance compared to index benchmarks, updates on stocks reaching new highs or lows, upcoming earnings reports, and details on options with high trading volumes or notable intraday volatility shifts.
Fundamental Analysis: Barchart offers a quality fundamental analysis tool. Barchart emphasizes price history, technical markers, insider trading, and earnings forecasts over comprehensive fundamental analyses, making it more suitable for swing traders than for deep long-term investment research.
Technical Analysis Capabilities: Interactive charts on Barchart offer a plethora of functionalities, including drawing tools and various technical studies, making it powerful for personal research, even though it might not be the platform’s main feature.
Historical Data: Users have the ability to access and download historical pricing data from as far back as the year 1980, useful for backtesting and tailored evaluations.
Trading Signals and Recommendations: A notable feature is the ‘Barchart Opinion’, which reviews multiple technical markers across various durations to offer buy or sell suggestions, helping identify top stock choices and daily ratings-based trading signals for numerous stocks and ETFs.
Screeners for Different Assets: Barchart provides a wide range of screeners for stocks, options, and ETFs. From basic stock screeners to customizable options screeners and dedicated options screeners, Barchart offers access to custom screeners that are essential features for traders of all experience levels.
Market News Aggregator: Barchart compiles news from trusted sources, categorizing them by market or sector. The real-time market news updates allow users to make informed investment decisions by staying up to date on current market activity.
Custom Watchlists and Portfolios: Barchart allows users to tailor their watchlists and portfolios and even opt for end-of-day performance email notifications, beneficial for strategizing for the next market day.
User Experience and Customization: With a browser-based interface, Barchart has distinct tabs for different markets, facilitating easy navigation. Paid members have some customization options, but the basic website layout remains largely unchanged.
Affordable Pricing Plans: Barchart has a free (ad-supported) version and a Premier Plan, which comes without ads and offers enhanced features. New users can test it out with a 30-day free trial and a money-back guarantee. It is always easier for me to trust a company that stands behind its service.
Pricing & Plans
Barchart.com can be accessed in a variety of ways, both with and without an account. Creating an account does not require paying for a premium membership, but having a paid subscription does offer some useful benefits over the alternative and comes at a relatively affordable price.
Free
The free version of Barchart grants access to a selection of features including market data, news, Barchart Opinion, alerts, screeners, watchlists, portfolios, and more. That said, the free membership does impose a lot of limitations.
Most tools (such as saved custom screeners or watchlists) will be limited to five, whereas a premium member would have unlimited access to these tools. Free members will also have to deal with ads, although these are relatively non-intrusive.
Paid
The Barchart Premium membership is offered in three different billing options: monthly, yearly, and the 2-year plan. The monthly plan costs $29.99 per month, but you can enjoy significant savings with a yearly ($16.67/month) or 2-year ($15.33/month) plan. However, these plans will need to be paid in full.
Premium membership unlocks all of the features of Barchart, including historical data, auto-emailed screener results, Top Picks, advanced real-time price alerts, and advanced options screeners.
Barchart Free vs Premium Membership
Barchart offers both free and Premier memberships. Premier members enjoy an ad-free experience, advanced options screeners, and the ability to download historical data from as far back as January 1, 2000.
They can also access specialized screeners for stocks, ETFs, and funds with end-of-day email updates. Additional Premier perks include top stock picks, futures trading guides, a custom ‘My Charts’ profile, real-time price alerts, and unlimited access to custom views and templates.
Premier users can create custom views with up to 25 columns from a selection of over 400 data fields, spanning from price changes to technical insights. Plus, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, providing peace of mind for those considering the upgrade.
Limitations
Barchart, while packed with a robust suite of tools, does come with certain limitations that I want to inform potential users of. One notable shortfall I found lies in its news feed, which doesn’t quite measure up to the standards set by dedicated news services. This results in a slightly slower delivery and a format that some might find less digestible.
Also, while Barchart supplies vast historical data, there are stipulations to consider. If one is seeking data as far back as 2000, it’s presented on a daily basis. More older data, from 1980 onward, is only available in weekly, monthly, or quarterly summaries.
While the platform’s comprehensive offerings are commendable, newcomers might find the sheer volume of information a bit daunting. Lastly, for traders with a keen interest in technical analysis, Barchart’s stock screeners might seem a tad basic, lacking some of the more intricate technical parameters.
Barchart Competitors
If something you have read in my Barchart review has scared you off, rest assured there are some worthy contenders. StockChart is a popular advanced charting tool that has received praise for its trading education and historical price data. This Barchart vs Stockchart review will show you exactly how they compare.
If you are like me and like to thoroughly research a service before deciding which is best, you can look at this best TradingView alternative article which reviews Barchart and many other competitors.
Is Barchart Right for You?
For long-term investors and active traders alike, I think Barchart has a lot to offer beyond basic charts. With historical data, custom watchlists, custom charts, screeners, news, and more available on a single platform, the overall appeal of this relatively affordable service is clear as day.
Whether you’re looking for intraday stock charts, daily recommendations, or fundamental data, Barchart.com has everything you’ll need to succeed. Access Barchart’s premium services to unlock the features that advanced traders need to beat the market.
Try out a premium membership to the platform—free for 30 days—by clicking here!
Frequently Asked Questions
Currently, Barchart is a private company and shares are not publicly traded.
Barchart does offer a free version. The free version has limited capabilities when compared to Barchart Premier.
Barchart retrieves information directly from global exchanges and consolidates details from news organizations, governmental bodies, associations, and weather sources. Users can access this data through APIs or in formats ranging from real-time with minimal delay, deferred updates, daily summaries, to historical records.