Finviz vs TradingView: Screener or Charting Platform?
Finviz and TradingView get compared a lot, but they are built for different jobs. Finviz is a stock screener and market map first. TradingView is a charting platform first. Most day traders who use both use Finviz to find stocks and TradingView to chart them. Here is what each does well, what each costs, and when you only need one.
Short answer. If your main problem is finding stocks (gappers, high relative volume, news, sectors), start with Finviz. Its screener is free, with stock quotes delayed by one minute; Elite adds real-time data for $39.50 a month or $299.50 a year. If your main problem is reading charts and setting alerts across markets, start with TradingView, which has a free plan and paid plans from $12.95 a month on annual billing, with real-time exchange data extra.
At a glance
| Finviz | TradingView | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Stock screener, heat maps, news | Charting, alerts, community scripts |
| Free version | Yes; stock quotes delayed 1 minute | Yes; 1 chart per tab, 2 indicators per chart |
| Paid price | Elite: $39.50/mo or $299.50/yr | $12.95 to $199.95/mo (annual billing) |
| Real-time data | Included in Elite, with pre- and after-market | Extra purchase on every plan |
| Markets | Mainly US stocks and ETFs | Stocks, crypto, forex, futures and more |
| Alerts | Elite: unlimited email and push alerts | From 3 price alerts (free) to 1,000 (Ultimate) |
| Export data | Elite: export to Excel/CSV | Not its focus |
| Trading | No | Through connected brokers |
| Trial / refund | Elite free trial (card required); refunds within 30 days on written request | Free plan, no card needed |
Sources: finviz.com/elite, finviz.com screener page footer, tradingview.com/pricing, checked 6 October 2026. Prices change; confirm on the official pages.
Finviz: built for finding stocks
Finviz is where a lot of traders start their morning. The screener lets you stack filters such as price, float, relative volume, gap, sector and news, and the results come back as a table you can scan in seconds. The heat map shows the whole market by sector at a glance.
The free version is genuinely useful for planning: Finviz’s screener page states that stock quotes are delayed by one minute, with futures and options delayed by 15 minutes. That is fine for building a watchlist before the open, but not for reacting to a stock that is moving right now.
Finviz Elite costs $39.50 a month or $299.50 a year (about $24.96 a month). Finviz lists real-time quotes and charts including pre-market (4:00 to 9:30 AM) and after-hours (4:00 to 8:00 PM), advanced screener filters with unlimited saved presets, a 10-second auto-refresh, multi-layout interactive charts, pattern recognition, unlimited email and push alerts, CSV/Excel export and no ads. New users can start a free trial (a card is required and it renews automatically unless cancelled), and Finviz says refunds are issued during the first 30 days on written request.
TradingView: built for reading charts
TradingView is a charting platform that runs in the browser, on desktop and on mobile. Charts are clean and fast, layouts sync everywhere, and its Pine Script library holds a huge number of community indicators. It covers far more than US stocks, which matters if you also watch crypto, forex or futures.
The free Basic plan allows one chart per tab, two indicators per chart and three price alerts. Paid plans on annual billing are Essential $12.95, Plus $29.95, Premium $59.95 and Ultimate $199.95 a month, and paying monthly costs more. Real-time exchange data is sold separately on every plan. TradingView also has built-in screeners, but its strength is analysis rather than discovery.
Unlike Finviz, TradingView can place orders through brokers it supports. See TradingView vs thinkorswim for how that works.
Read our TradingView breakdown
Head to head
Screening
Finviz wins for US stock screening. It is faster to build and read a screen, and the free version already covers most pre-market planning. TradingView’s screeners are capable but feel secondary to its charts.
Charting
TradingView wins. Finviz Elite’s interactive charts are good for a quick look, but TradingView’s drawing tools, indicators, multi-chart layouts and scripts are on another level.
Real-time data cost
This is the hidden difference. Finviz Elite includes real-time stock quotes in its price. TradingView charges for real-time exchange data on top of the plan. If you need real-time US stock data and only want one paid tool, price both with data included.
Alerts
Both do alerts well. Finviz Elite lists unlimited email and push alerts. TradingView’s limits depend on plan, from 3 price alerts on the free plan up to 1,000 on Ultimate.
Small-cap momentum trading
Neither is a true real-time momentum scanner that pings you the second a stock starts running. Many small-cap traders add a dedicated scanner such as Day Trade Dash or ChartsWatcher on top. Compare them on our tools page.
Which should you use?
Pick Finviz if…
- You trade US stocks and need to find candidates fast
- You plan your watchlist before the open (the free version may be enough)
- You want real-time quotes included in one price (Elite)
- You like exporting screens to a spreadsheet
Pick TradingView if…
- You spend most of your time reading charts
- You trade more than US stocks
- You want community indicators and scripts
- You want to trade from the chart through a supported broker
Or use both
A very common and cheap setup: Finviz (free or Elite) to build the watchlist, TradingView to chart and set alerts, and your broker’s platform to execute. Start with both free versions and only pay for the one you keep opening.
Try TradingView Finviz breakdown Best day trading platforms
FAQ
Is Finviz free?
Yes, the screener is free. Finviz states that stock quotes on the free site are delayed by one minute, and futures and options by 15 minutes. Finviz Elite costs $39.50 a month or $299.50 a year.
Is Finviz Elite worth it over TradingView?
It depends on the job. Elite is worth it if you screen US stocks during the session and want real-time quotes included. TradingView is the better buy if charting is what you do most.
Does TradingView have a stock screener?
Yes, TradingView has built-in screeners, but most traders consider charting its main strength and use a dedicated screener such as Finviz for discovery.
Does Finviz have a free trial?
Finviz offers a free trial of Elite. A card is required and it renews as a paid subscription unless you cancel before the trial ends. Finviz also lists refunds within the first 30 days on written request.
Disclosure: Greenwick may earn a commission if you sign up for TradingView through our link, at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure. Prices and features were taken from each company’s official pages on 6 October 2026 and can change. This page is education, not financial advice. Trading involves risk, including the loss of the money you trade with.