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Named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies six years in a row (2017–2022).
Investopedia: Best Short Term Stock Screener, 2024
The short answer: TrendSpider is for building your own chart system, so an alternative should fill the gap you feel. For a live scanner across the market, with OddsMaker and Holly AI Signals, Trade Ideas. For charts and Pine Script, TradingView. For charting on a budget, TC2000. Already at Schwab? thinkorswim scans for free. Trade Ideas makes one of the tools on this page.
This page is on Trade Ideas' own website. See our Trade Ideas vs TrendSpider page for a head-to-head view.
TrendSpider takes the manual work out of technical analysis. Trendline drawing, multi-timeframe scans, backtests and order automation are all built in.
Every plan includes 25 messages a month with Sidekick, its research assistant. More messages and more AI models need a separate Sidekick plan, listed on its pricing page at $49, $129 or $349 a month for up to 100, 300 or 1,000 messages. The Holly AI Assistant comes with every TI Pro plan, with no add-on to buy. Its AI Strategy Lab is where you train models of your own.
If you want to build chart rules and automate them, it covers the whole job.
The full feature list is in Trade Ideas vs TrendSpider.
For system builders, the draw is what happens after the data arrives. Build a derived measurement in the Formula Editor from Trade Ideas variables using math, Boolean logic and if-statements, use it in a strategy, and test it in OddsMaker, whose Optimization tab breaks results down by time of day, price, symbol and filter value. Holly runs the same cycle on her own strategy library every night and picks the ones that trade in the next session. OddsMaker and Holly AI Signals are TI Premium features. See how the loop fits together.
One question, side by side. On August 12, 2026, we recorded the Trade Ideas AI Assistant and Sidekick answering the same top-gainers request, in one take during market hours. Trade Ideas had a live Top List of stocks at $1 or more on NASDAQ, NYSE, AMEX and NYSE Arca up in under 6 seconds, led by BOXL at +168.0%. Sidekick asked which universe we meant, then ranked 21 S&P 500 symbols with Akamai first at +5.25%, saying it "can't honestly claim the exact top 10" for the whole index. Watch the full test →
All TrendSpider alternatives were measured on the same six points. Sources are under How we checked.
| Tool | Replaces which part of TrendSpider | Real-time data | Backtesting | AI | List price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Ideas | Market-wide discovery and AI signals | Yes, live market data with no scan schedule | OddsMaker, no code (TI Premium / Apex) | Holly AI Signals on TI Premium; Holly AI Assistant in TI Pro on any plan | TI Standard (Core) $127 monthly or $1,068 yearly; TI Premium $254 monthly or $2,136 yearly | Live scanning with Holly and OddsMaker |
| TradingView | Charts and Pine Script | Screener auto-refresh on paid plans | Strategy backtesting; Bar Replay | AI screener requests (paid plans) | Basic $0; Essential $12.95 to Ultimate $199.95/mo billed annually | Chart-first traders |
| TC2000 | Charts and technical scans | Real-time scanning on Premium | Not listed | Not listed | Basic $24.99, Premium $49.99, Premium+ $99.99/mo | Budget charting |
| Finviz Elite | Web screens | Elite: real-time quotes | Not listed | Not listed | Free; Elite $39.50/mo or $299.50/yr | After-hours screens |
| Scanz | Real-time scanner you build | Yes, all plans | Not listed | Not listed | Starter $89, Pro $199, Ultra $999 a month | Traders with a fixed playbook |
| thinkorswim | Broker charts and Stock Hacker | Refresh rate not listed by Schwab | thinkScript strategy testing | Not listed | No charge for Schwab clients | Schwab clients |
Swipe across the table to see each column.
When we say "Not listed," the vendor's own pages didn't show it.
Best for live scanning with Holly AI Signals and OddsMaker
TrendSpider scans on a schedule set by your plan. Trade Ideas watches US-listed stocks continuously. Streaming Alerts, the scanner, can fire on every trade, and Top Lists, the screener, update every 15 seconds. Upgrade to TI Premium and you get Holly AI Signals, each with an entry, a stop and a target, plus OddsMaker for no-code backtests.
Replaces: Market-wide discovery, AI trade signals and no-code backtesting.
Pre-built events, open to tuning. Our help lists 310 alerts and 249 filters, one page each, and any alert can be joined with any set of filters with a minimum and maximum on each. Examples: a 15-minute linear regression up trend, where you can ask for a minimum forecast move in dollars per share; a Fibonacci 50% sell signal; a 5-minute wide range bar. That kind of alert-specific setting exists on 191 of the 310 alerts. Opening range breakouts and breakdowns run at 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes, for example the 60-minute breakout. The result is an effectively unlimited range of scans without writing code.
Worth knowing: Only US-listed stocks are covered. Want trade plans or automation? Those tools, Holly AI Signals, OddsMaker and Money Machine, come only with TI Premium. TI Pro, with Streaming Alerts, Holly and the AI Assistant, is Windows only. Mac users run the browser-based web Dashboard, which needs no download and has Top Lists, Races, TreeMaps, Market Pulse, Picture in Picture charting, stock details and news, and the Unusual Options Activity channel.
Point, click, or ask. A no-code menu holds 310 alerts and 249 filters, and the AI Assistant, included in every TI Pro plan, builds a scan from plain English. Write a custom filter in the Formula Editor when you need one; TI Premium subscribers can backtest it in OddsMaker and receive Holly AI Signals, entry, stop and target attached, through the trading day.
Best fit: TrendSpider users who want the market scanned for them in real time, and new traders who want the premium experience with no build time.
Best for manual charting and world markets
TrendSpider automates chart work. TradingView leaves more of it to you. It is known mainly for its charts, and its screeners cover stocks, ETFs and crypto on 150+ exchanges in 50+ countries. Custom studies use Pine Script.
Replaces: TrendSpider charting, with screens that include markets outside the US.
Worth knowing: Screener auto-refresh is tied to paid plans. TrendSpider users switching scripts will work in Pine Script, not Python.
Best fit: Chart traders who prefer drawing their own lines, and anyone trading non-US markets.
Best for hands-on charts and scans at a lower price
At its core TC2000 is charts, with scanning added on top. You draw and scan yourself instead of relying on automation.
Replaces: Charts and technical scans, done by hand.
Worth knowing: Scans only update in real time on Premium and above.
Best fit: Technical traders who are happy to draw their own trendlines to save money.
Best for simple screens with no setup
Finviz is a web screener with heat maps of the market. There is nothing to automate. You set filters and read the list. It comes free or as Elite.
Replaces: Scheduled scans you only check once a day.
Worth knowing: The free version reloads screens on a 3-minute timer. A live event scanner is not listed.
Best fit: Investors who want quick fundamental screens instead of automated chart rules.
Best for live intraday scanning you configure
Scanz focuses on scanning during the session rather than chart automation. News and SEC filing scans run in real time next to its data and signal scans.
Replaces: Intraday scanning, with Level 2 data added.
Worth knowing: Starter is limited to a single running scan. There is no live teaching room listed.
Best fit: Day traders who want news scans and price scans in one window.
Best for free charts and scans at Schwab
thinkorswim is Schwab's trading software, with a scanner called Stock Hacker. It costs Schwab clients nothing.
Replaces: Chart scans and order entry, at your broker.
Worth knowing: It is designed around a Schwab account. Trade Ideas adds on next to your broker.
Best fit: Schwab clients who swing trade or trade options and can code a little.
TrendSpider is a strong fit for system builders. If one of these sounds like you, stay.
TrendSpider leads with chart automation. Trade Ideas leads with live scanning, Holly AI Signals and OddsMaker. The table maps each TrendSpider habit to its Trade Ideas match.
| If you use this in TrendSpider | In Trade Ideas |
|---|---|
| Automated trendlines and chart analysis | Built-in charts plus real-time chart pattern recognition via Streaming Alerts. |
| Scheduled and multi-timeframe scans | Streaming Alerts and Top Lists, running on live market data. |
| Backtesting on every plan | OddsMaker on TI Premium. Backtesting without code. |
| Sidekick assistant | Plain-English scan building with the AI Assistant. Holly AI Signals with an entry, a stop and a target on TI Premium. |
| Order automation | Money Machine Auto Trading on TI Premium, including a Simulated Mode. |
| Added when you switch | Channel Bar presets come with every plan. |
| Added when you switch | Barrie Einarson and the Trading Room, both free. |
Swipe to see what replaces each habit.
You can skip the build phase. Every subscriber gets it, desktop or web. Big Momentum Movers and S&P 500 stocks moving up quickly start working as soon as you click. Start at Trade Ideas for beginners.
Scheduled scans become Streaming Alerts, the scanner. Watchlist sorts become Top Lists, the screener. Live market data runs both.
Holly AI Signals come with TI Premium. They appear in market hours with an entry, a stop and a target. Holding past the close is allowed.
Used to backtesting? OddsMaker tests a scan on Trade Ideas history, and you don't need to write a strategy.
Past results, including backtests, don't guarantee future results.
TrendSpider offers a paid 14-day trial ($19 to $49). Lower promotional first-term prices appear on its site. Prices checked October 6, 2026.
Automation, testing and AI signals all sit in TI Premium: Money Machine, OddsMaker and Holly AI Signals. The Channel Bar and the Holly AI Assistant need no setup, and both plans have them in TI Pro. The Trading Room is open to anyone, free.
Prices reflect October 6, 2026. Confirm on each site first, since they change.
Sources reviewed October 6, 2026: trade-ideas.com/pricing; trendspider.com/pricing; tradingview.com/pricing; tc2000.com/pricing; finviz.com/elite; schwab.com/trading/thinkorswim; scanz.com/pricing.
History: first version, October 6, 2026. All TrendSpider prices and features were verified on that date.
Trade Ideas is our pick when you want events reported live, with Holly AI Signals and OddsMaker. Since we make it, compare it yourself. For chart automation you design, TrendSpider is still a good choice.
Some, with limits. TradingView Basic is $0. Finviz offers a free version. Schwab clients get thinkorswim free. If you want to watch scans used live, the Trade Ideas Trading Room is free to join, even before you buy the software.
On October 6, 2026, TradingView Essential was $12.95 a month (annual billing), TC2000 Basic $24.99 a month and Finviz Elite $39.50 a month.
Yes. Rather than building a system first, you can rely on Trade Ideas as a good fit for a beginning trader who wants the premium experience. The Channel Bar's channels in TI Pro are ready-made, so you configure nothing. There is also the Holly AI Assistant, which ships in TI Pro with every plan. See Trade Ideas for beginners.
On October 5, 2026, TrendSpider listed Standard at $59 to $89 a month, up to Advanced at $233 to $349 a month. Trade Ideas keeps it to two tiers, priced at $127 per month or $1,068 per year for TI Standard and $254 per month or $2,136 per year for TI Premium.
No. Holly AI Signals appear during the session, and you decide whether to hold overnight or longer. Investors use Streaming Alerts and Top Lists for entry timing as well.
No. Sidekick is a research assistant that helps you build scans and alerts. Holly is the AI behind Holly AI Signals, which come during the trading day with an entry, a stop and a target. Holly is not a bot.
Yes. Some traders keep TrendSpider for chart automation. Trade Ideas then covers the live side: Streaming Alerts, Holly AI Signals and OddsMaker.