MarketBeat vs Seeking Alpha 2023
As you likely already know, compiling research on individual stocks is an extremely time-consuming process. Fortunately, there are many different subscription services that can assist you with this research, or even provide the research for you.
Although the two services we’ll be covering in this article won’t be able to automate your brokerage accounts according to the latest stock news, they are still very capable platforms.
Offering stock ratings, expertly-written analyses, stock screeners, and more, having a reliable research platform to work with can be the difference between a good portfolio and a great one.
Today, we’re comparing MarketBeat vs Seeking Alpha to see which one is best. Is either service “superior”, or rather, are they each best suited towards a specific type of investor? Keep reading to find out!
| MarketBeat is Better for: | Seeking Alpha is Better for: |
| Cryptocurrency | Expert & amateur analysis |
| Newsletters | Investing tools |
| Affordable pricing | Experienced investors |
Both platforms have many features—such as daily stock watchlists and stock market screeners—that will allow you to start stock tracking and take advantage of trading opportunities.
You will also gain access to current trading activity (conveniently available on a single platform). various trading educational resources, and expert stock recommendations. However, it’s important to note that while you may find recommendations on these sites, neither service has official stock recommendations.
 |  | |
| Free Features | Daily newsletter, mini-watchlist, stock comparison tool, analyst opinions, “Top News” headlines, buying & selling reports. | Limited access to articles, Wall Street ratings, stock quotes/charts, alerts & updates, newsletters |
| Paid Features | Custom daily newsletters, unlimited watchlists, premium stock filters, Idea Engine, stock screeners, trending stock tools | SA Author Ratings/Performance, stock quant ratings, stock dividend grades, Top Ideas, PRO content, short ideas portal, Idea screener/filter, VIP Service |
| Annual Subscription Fees | $0 - $399/year | $29.99 - $69.99/month $239 - $499/year |
| Securities Analyzed | stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cryptocurrencies, ETFs | Stocks, ETFs, REITs |
| Investing Approach | Technical analysis | Technical and fundamental |
| Best Use | Investment research | Better investment decisions |
| Current Promotion | ||
| Modest Money Overall Rating |
Factor 1: Free Features
First, we’ll be taking a look at the free features offered by each platform. While these aren’t technically stock picking services, that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to help you find quality stock picks. Having access to expert-level research is extremely important when it comes to long-term investing, as simply glancing at the stock prices won’t always provide the insight you need to succeed.
MarketBeat has better free features
- MarketBeat offers more features for free
- Seeking Alpha allows users to view stock pricing for free
- MarketBeat limits free users to five stock alerts
MarketBeat
Even a free account offers a lot of benefits to the individual investor. You’ll be able to set up to five real-time stock alerts, monitor stock prices, view ratings on stocks, and read the “Analysts’ Upgrades and Downgrades”.
The free version also includes plenty of resources to help you perfect your investing strategies, such as daily newsletters and access to company profile pages (with financial statements).
Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha’s basic membership is free, but it doesn’t offer many benefits. You won’t have access to Pro articles or proprietary ratings. Retail investors can still enjoy Wall Street ratings and limited access to articles, but these aren’t very useful.
Stock analysis email alerts, news updates, and stock pricing charts are the main benefits offered with a basic membership. All the premium features are hidden behind a paywall.
Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce the cost of a Seeking Alpha subscription to really reap the benefits of the platform (click here to learn more!).
Factor 2: Paid Features
Next, we’ll be taking a look at the real reason you’d subscribe to one of these platforms: the premium features!
Seeking Alpha is the more capable platform overall
- Seeking Alpha has its own proprietary rating system
- MarketBeat sends daily customized newsletters to subscribers
- Seeking Alpha offers both Premium & PRO features
MarketBeat
This platform keeps you in touch throughout the trading day with real-time alerts and unlimited portfolio monitoring (with brokerage linking). A paid membership also unlocks a selection of screening tools, research reports, and the “Trending Stocks” tool, which could help you find your next great investment idea.
Seeking Alpha
Subscribing to Seeking Alpha grants different benefits depending on the subscription you choose. However, a few benefits include access to model portfolios from content contributors, unlimited access to all written content, Quant stock ratings, author ratings/performance, and the Idea screener/filter.
Factor 3: Subscription Costs
Lastly, let’s find out how much you’ll have to pay for each subscription service.
MarketBeat wins when it comes to affordability
- MarketBeat “All Access” costs less than $400 per year
- Seeking Alpha PRO costs nearly $500 per year
- MarketBeat “Daily Premium” still has ads
MarketBeat
Aside from the free membership, MarketBeat has two paid memberships: “Daily Premium” and “All Access”. Daily Premium doesn’t offer quite as many benefits as All Access, so we’d probably recommend this plan to swing traders (All Access is best suited to those who need real-time information).
Both plans are offered as a monthly or annual subscription. Daily Premium costs $19.97 per month, or $199 per year. All Access costs $39.97 per month, or $399 per year. Although you will have to pay for the entire year upfront with an annual plan, it does offer significant savings.
Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha has two paid plans: Seeking Alpha Premium & Seeking Alpha Pro. The Premium service costs $239 per year, while an annual subscription to the Pro service costs $399.
These prices are rather high (especially when compared to MarketBeat’s prices), but you can save some money by using our link at the end of this article!
MarketBeat vs Seeking Alpha: Closing Thoughts
While both of these subscription services are capable of providing investors with information on thousands of stocks and can certainly help improve your trading strategy, we think there’s a clear winner between the two.
If you generally take a hands-off approach to investing and mainly just want a way to keep up with market news, then MarketBeat is a good option. However, when it comes to making actual trades—especially short-term trades—we think Seeking Alpha is the better option.
Paired with a powerful trading platform, Seeking Alpha’s various rating/grading systems, expert articles, and stock screeners are sure to lead you down the road to success.
Sign up & save 50% off your membership by clicking here!
Learn More About Seeking Alpha
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