Best Seeking Alpha Stock Picking Alternatives
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Learning the ins and outs of day trading, stock investing, and how the market works can take years — and even then, there is always more to learn. Stock research platforms can provide insights for growth stocks, ETFs, crypto, forex, mutual funds, and more, to boost your cash reserves. Seeking Alpha, one of the most popular stock research tools, offers a way for beginners and seasoned investors alike to identify up-and-coming stocks early while providing all the research and data you need to make informed investment decisions.
But Seeking Alpha isn’t the only stock-picking service and research tool out there. Whether you’re looking for a different option or just exploring platforms before signing up, I’ll run you through some of the best alternatives to Seeking Alpha — so you can make the right decision for your portfolio.
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
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What is Seeking Alpha?
Before we compare competitors, it’s important to understand what Seeking Alpha offers. This stock service stands apart from the pack because it focuses on crowdsourcing and communication between other investors. It is first and foremost an investing community, with the news, data, and tools to keep you connected.
Seeking Alpha has been known to help investors generate stock ideas, and it expands beyond traditional investments to include digital money like cryptocurrencies. It touts a robust stock database with educational resources from Quantitative Analysis Ratings to Wall Street ratings.
It offers three different plans — a free basic option, a $199 for the first year, and a $200 monthly tier. You’ll get more ratings, charting, and insights with paid accounts, and the highest-level account also offers more exclusive content, in-depth investing tools, more robust research, and an ad-free browsing experience.
Sound interesting? Here are some competitors that offer research tools that track stock prices, growth, and more.
Summary of the best Seeking Alpha alternatives
Investing Platform | Best For |
Motley Fool Stock Advisor | Best for stock picks |
Zacks Premium | Best comprehensive research platform |
Stock Rover | Best low-cost for active traders |
Moomoo | Best free option |
Morningstar Premium | Best for long-term growth |
Sykes | Best for penny stocks |
Benzinga Pro | Best for early access updates |
Charles Schwab | Best brokerage option |
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
The best Seeking Alpha alternatives
Motley Fool Stock Advisor
As one of the top names in the industry, Motley Fool’s first stock research tool, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, offers a solid premise for long-term investors. This service highlights top companies to invest in now to grow your portfolio over several decades. It allows you to take a more active role in investing while giving you the selections, data, and research to make more informed decisions.
The Motley Fool backs up its service with data — claiming to have outperformed the S&P more than three times over the last twenty years. It works by identifying companies poised to dominate the financial markets and letting you in on these findings early on. The service encourages you to buy 25 stocks from its list of recommendations and to hold them for at least five years to see the highest returns.
To put its offerings into context, former Motley Fool stock picks from this service include Amazon, Costco, Walt Disney, and Netflix. You’ll also gain unlimited access to The Motley Fool’s research library and other resources.
Its price point is similar to the second-tier plan from Seeking Alpha — you’ll pay $199 per year for access. While both services offer stock recommendations, Seeking Alpha focuses more on ideas than a set stock plan, while The Motley Fool focuses more on its select picks. If you want to be a little more active in your investments but would still prefer for industry experts to help you decide where to invest, this service could be the right fit.
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
Zacks Premium
Investing enthusiasts have likely heard of Zacks Premium, a stock analysis platform originally started by Len Zacks in the late 1970s. This tool is well-known for its in-depth stock analysis features. It’s very similar to Seeking Alpha in premise — while it won’t offer you a cut-and-dry list of the ‘best’ stocks to invest in, it will provide you with all the ratings, charting, and reporting you need to pick stocks that best suit your portfolio.
That said, it does provide you with some solid stock picks in the form of a top buy list, which features stocks with the highest growth opportunity. This list also comes complete with independent research reports and a ranking list.
The growth potential with Zacks is also high — though not without risk (as is the case with any investment). Stocks rated as a one (the highest rating awarded on the Zacks scale) can return an average of 25% compared to the S&P 500’s 11%. But you don’t have to be advanced to use this tool. It’s extremely user-friendly and offers the educational insights beginners may crave to find new stock picks. And, like Seeking Alpha, Zacks also offers cryptocurrency research.
However, you will pay a considerable amount more than you would with Seeking Alpha.
Zacks Premium starts at $249 a year — and that’s just for access to its focus list, research reporting, premium screeners, Zacks Ranking list, and other basic research tools. Its next level, the Investor Collection, costs just under $500 a year but provides you access to more confidential stock recommendations and purchase lists under $10. While there is a free version, it’s pretty limited.
The Motley Fool is offering its top stock-picking service at 50% off for new members.*
*$89 is an introductory price for new members only. 50% discount based on current list price of Stock Advisor of $199/year. Membership will renew annually at the then-current list price.
Stock Rover
Stock Rover is another top option when looking for a stock selection service. It can connect to your existing brokerage account and then analyze your existing portfolio to help you find investment opportunities for growth.
One of the major perks Stock Rover offers over some competitors is its custom stock screeners. You can choose from over 140 already-built screens or build your own. The screens are built based on different investment strategies and thus satisfy a large range of stock needs. Stock Rover also offers hundreds of metrics, from efficiency and financial standing to ratings. On the downside, it does not offer access to cryptocurrency.
Stock Rover offers a limited free plan. The next level up is its Essentials Plan $79.99 a year or $139.99 for two years. That gains you access to over 8,500 stocks, 260+ financial metrics, five years of financial history, brokerage integration, and much more. Premium service ($179.99 a year or $319.99 for two years) gets you 90 additional metrics, 10 years of financial history, advanced alerts, and prioritized phone alerts. Lastly, Premium Plus ($279.99 a year or $479.99 for two years) gets you 300 additional metrics, custom metrics, equation screening, investor warnings, ratio charts, and even more analytic tools.
Research reports which offer comprehensive analysis on over 7,000 North American companies are also available for an additional $49.99.
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
The Motley Fool is offering its top stock-picking service at 50% off for new members.*
*$89 is an introductory price for new members only. 50% discount based on current list price of Stock Advisor of $199/year. Membership will renew annually at the then-current list price.
Moomoo
Another top alternative to Seeking Alpha is Moomoo. This advanced trading platform is ideal for those interested in active investing who are also looking for a robust array of trading tools. Moomoo offers no commission trading options, low fees, and useful stock research features.
Since it’s a trading app, Moomoo does not have a monthly membership and instead charges for certain orders. Since it’s not primarily a stock research tool but instead a trading platform, you may be surprised by the large amount of data you’ll gain access to.
Moomoo offers real-time Level 2 quotes from Nasdaq, advanced charts and visualizations, customizable financial news feeds, and access to market insights and expert reviews.
Unlike other options on this list, Moomoo won’t tell you what stocks to go after, but it provides a comprehensive toolkit for eager investors to use to research and plan their next moves accordingly.
That said, this means you won’t receive lists of stocks to keep an eye on or inside scoops on up-and-coming companies like you would with options like The Motley Fool.
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
Morningstar Premium
Investors focused on long-term growth who also want access to fund screening may find that Morningstar Premium is a slightly better fit than Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor or Seeking Alpha. This stock platform focuses on fundamental analysis, which means it reviews a company’s current standing, growth potential and valuation, financial backing, and other assets over technical analyses.
Its standout feature is its X-ray technology which can be used to “scan” your current investment portfolio. X-Ray will review and analyze your current portfolio, hunting for gaps, offering advice on your distribution, and alerting you if you’re overexposed in any areas.
Like many similar platforms, Morningstar Premium offers a stock screener — albeit not quite as impressive as comparable services. It also offers recommended stop-pick lists, like The Motley Fool and Zacks. The main downside to Morningstar, however, is its steep price point.
Morningstar Premium has two different tiers. Its Basic membership is free and offers general access to top investment picks, analyst reports, basic X-Ray features, the ability to view archived content and partial access to its portfolio manager and stock screener. Morningstar Premium, which costs $34.95 per month (or $249 a year, with discounts for buying multiple years at a time), offers all of the perks of Basic, plus full access to the portfolio management system, screeners, and X-Ray.
The Motley Fool is offering its top stock-picking service at 50% off for new members.*
*$89 is an introductory price for new members only. 50% discount based on current list price of Stock Advisor of $199/year. Membership will renew annually at the then-current list price.
Timothy Sykes
If you’re interested in the deep levels of analysis, Timothy Sykes offers great insights on penny stock trading. Penny stocks, which are common shares of smaller, public companies that can be purchased for under a dollar, are unique unto themselves. For those looking to invest in penny stocks but wanting a deep bench of insights and advice, Timothy Sykes’ packages may be a good alternative to Seeking Alpha.
Sykes, a financial guru and the co-creator of Profit.ly, a social media platform designed for investors and traders, is well-known in the penny stock industry. His platform offers penny stock picks that are selected based on comprehensive technical analysis. He also offers stock charting tools for most of the trades he makes, and he explains how he buys penny stocks before they begin growing and sells them at their peak.
This trading approach is best for extremely active investors who want full control over what they buy and sell — and have the time to commit to the craft. Sykes’ approach includes holding stocks for a few hours and then selling, so you’ll need to be available during this time frame to sell.
The Timothy Sykes program offers a few different paid options. There’s Tim’s Alerts, which offers access to his stock watchlist and his trading chatroom, and offers alerts through push notifications, email, and SMS. This costs $74.95 a month (discounts are available when you sign up for a year).
You can also sign up for the PennyStocking Silver Package, which includes everything from Tim’s Alerts, as well as a robust suite of educational tools, plus thousands of videos to help you learn more about penny stocks and Tim’s strategy. This costs $149.95 per month (discounts are available when you sign up for a year), slightly less than Seeking Alpha’s higher tier and may be more useful if penny stocks are your aim. Lastly, Tim also offers individual consulting with custom pricing.
You can learn more about Timothy Sykes's products here.
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
Benzinga Pro
Like Seeking Alpha, Benzinga Pro is not a brokerage but an investment research website dedicated to providing useful and insightful real-time data and commentary for investors. Benzinga Pro focuses on traders in particular but can also be helpful for active investors.
With Benzinga Pro, you’ll gain access to market news coverage, including inside access to announcements and real-time reporting. Benzinga Pro often receives PR announcements in advance, giving investors more time to pull triggers ahead of company news releases.
Its editorial staff is far-reaching and thoroughly vetted, and its tools are quite helpful. The platform offers a real-time reporting stock scanner with customization options. Charting is also integrated into Benzinga via Trading View. It’s an ideal platform for novice and advanced investors, with an expansive collection of investing education, insights, reviews, and expert commentary.
There are a few different service tiers available for Benzinga users. Its free tier is limited and won’t offer as much value as Seeking Alpha’s free level. But Benginza’s Basic account offers access to newsfeeds, lets you set watchlist alerts, and grants you access to premium-level Benzinga content. The Basic account costs $27 monthly, much cheaper than many competitors. The Essential account offers all of the below, plus access to real-time quotes and stock scanners for $197 per month. Lastly, its Options Mentorship Tier provides even more robust benefits, including trading mentorships and additional educational tools for $457 monthly.
You can learn more about Benzinga Pro here.
The Motley Fool is offering its top stock-picking service at 50% off for new members.*
*$89 is an introductory price for new members only. 50% discount based on current list price of Stock Advisor of $199/year. Membership will renew annually at the then-current list price.
Charles Schwab
If you’re looking for a Seeking Alpha alternative offering advanced educational resources plus a brokerage account, Charles Schwab might be your one-stop for all things investing. This popular brokerage option is great for new and advanced investors and traders, with easily spelled fees and services.
What’s great about Charles Schwab is that it simplifies understanding a particular stock and company. You can select a stock to learn more about the company, track its performance over different timelines, review past pricing data, and find recent news articles related to the company — all features that make it easier to make a buying or trading decision.
Charles Schwab acquired TD Ameritrade, taking over its innovative Thinkorswim platform for traders, which is heralded as one of the most powerful and insightful trading tools. It’s free for Charles Schwab brokerage account holders and helps you find stocks by filtering down different criteria. From there, review your picks for risk, volatility, rewards, and other factors until you find the option best suited to your portfolio and investing style.
In addition to Thinkorswin, other tools on this platform include news from S&P Capital IQ and the Dow Jones, a daily Market Java email service with tips and recent insights, and expert analysis tools. CFRA Columns and Portfolios also offer additional insights into the market, while MarketEdge offers reports with expert commentary.
To gain access, sign up for a brokerage account with Charles Schwab.
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
Best Seeking Alpha alternatives comparison
Investing Platform | Membership Cost | Custom Stock Picks? | Beginner Friendly? | Mobile app |
Motley Fool Stock Advisor | $199 per year | Yes | Yes | No |
Zacks Premium | $249 per year | Yes | Yes | iOS and Android |
Stock Rover | $$79.99 - $199.99 per year | No | Yes | iOS and Android |
Moomoo | Brokerage; free membership; fees apply | No | Yes | iOS and Android |
Morningstar Premium | Free - $249 per year | Yes | Yes | iOS and Android |
Sykes | $74.95- $149.95 per year | Yes | Yes | No |
Benzinga Pro | Free - $457 per year | Yes | Yes | iOS and Android |
Charles Schwab | Brokerage; free membership; fees apply | No | Yes | iOS and Android |
FAQs
What is Seeking Alpha?
Seeking Alpha is a well known stock research and insights database that is used to help traders generate stock ideas. Rather than selecting the specific stocks everyone should invest in, Seeking Alpha uses a more tailored approach and offers a path to choosing the stocks that best fit your financial needs and investing style.
Is Seeking Alpha Free?
You can access a free account through Seeking Alpha — though it’s quite limited in scope. A paid account provides you with more of the advanced research tools and insights that the platform is known for. Its paid accounts start at $199 for the first year and span $200 per month, depending on the access you require.
What’s the best alternative to Seeking Alpha?
The best alternative to Seeking Alpha will depend on your investing strategy, budget, and financial goals — we think the nine choices above are great alternatives to this trading service. Zacks Premium is likely the most like Seeking Alpha in premise, but other options, like Motley Fool’s two plans, offer more specific stock recommendations, which may appeal to investors. Other alternatives that did not make this list could include Yahoo Finance, Marketwatch, and Bloomberg, which all offer a variety of investing news and insights. The recommendations on this list offer more robust features.
How do you research stocks?
A stock research service like Seeking Alpha can make it easier to do your due diligence before investing. Depending on the service you use, the research process will vary. In general, you’ll want to understand a company’s history, potential growth, past performance, and latest quarterly report before investing. Some stock services offer additional insights, including predictions, ratings, and expert commentary.
Use Motley Fool's Stock Advisor To Invest
- Over 100 Stock Picks with 100%+ Returns
- Averaged Stock Pick Return over 593% (vs. 165% for the S&P)
- 2 New Stock Picks Every Month
- Investment Community With 700,000+ Loyal Members
- 30-Day Membership-Fee-Back Guarantee
- Joy Wallet Reader Deal: The Motley Fool is offering 50% off its top stock-picking service for new members (Limited Time)
The bottom line
Although Seeking Alpha offers a comprehensive platform for thoroughly researching and vetting stocks — it’s not the only service worth considering. Those looking for specific stock picks may prefer Motley Fool Stock Advisor, while those seeking a brokerage and research tool may enjoy Charles Schwab.
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Writer
Courtney Johnston is a freelance writer, specializing in finance, travel, and health. She has written for The Chicago Tribune, Benzinga, BestReviews, Mashvisor, Fundera, MoneyGeek, and The Culture Trip. She also teaches writing instruction at the University of Indianapolis. Courtney currently resides in Indianapolis.
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