The Best Stock Scanners in 2026: 10 Tools Compared

Who has the best stock scanner?

The answer depends on when you look at the market. A trader who acts during the session needs a different tool from an investor who reviews stocks on the weekend.

For live discovery, we pick Trade Ideas. We make it, so weigh our view and try the tools yourself. For research after the close, a screener such as Finviz or Stock Rover can do the job for less money.

Stock scanner vs stock screener: which do you need?

Many lists use the two words as if they mean the same thing. They do different jobs.

• A scanner watches. It tells you when something happens to a stock. In Trade Ideas, Streaming Alerts are the scanner. Examples are a new high, high relative volume or a trading halt.
• A screener sorts. It shows which stocks meet your rules. In Trade Ideas, Top Lists are the screener. They update every 15 seconds.
• Most other tools lean one way. Scanz and Benzinga Pro's Real-Time Scanner work as scanners. Finviz, TradingView, Stock Rover and VectorVest mainly work as screeners.

Trade Ideas gives you both, fed by the same live market data. You can test either one in OddsMaker before you trade it.

If the screener is what you need, see the best real-time stock screeners.

How we compared

A scanner earns its keep by telling you something in time to use it. So every tool faced the same 8 questions. Each one is a column in the table.

• What it is: Scanner, screener, or both.
• Real-time data: Does a match reach you live, and on which plan?
• Scans and alerts: How many conditions, and are hits pushed to you?
• Backtesting: Can you test a scan on history without code?
• AI: Each company's own description of its AI features.
• Beginner-friendly: Presets, training, and a way to try it free.
• Price: The vendor's list price, monthly and yearly where shown.
• Best for: The trader each tool suits.

Our source for every fact was the company itself, on October 6, 2026. How we checked lists them.

The best stock scanners, side by side

"Not listed" is our label for anything absent from the company's own pages.

The 10 best stock scanners and screeners in 2026

1. 1. Trade Ideas

   Trade Ideas is our pick because it covers both halves of the job. Streaming Alerts are the scanner, and Top Lists are the screener. One tells you what just happened. The other shows what is leading right now.

   Counted, not estimated. Our help documents 310 alerts and 249 filters, one page each. Technical events are alerts, each with a bullish and a bearish version on several timeframes: 15-minute bullish engulfing, 5-minute downward thrust, Fibonacci 62% sell signal, and opening range breakouts and breakdowns at 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes such as the 10-minute breakout. Any alert pairs with any filters, each with a min and a max, and 191 alerts have their own extra setting. With one alert and three filters there are more than 788 million pairings, so the scans you can build are effectively unlimited.

   See the move as it happens. Streaming Alerts can fire on every trade. That can be multiple times per second — a new high, a burst of volume or a halt. Every plan runs on live market data. You never press a refresh button, so the list in front of you is the market you are trading.

   Skip the setup. The Channel Bar, in every plan, opens ready-made channels such as Big Momentum Movers. Every TI Pro plan also has the Holly AI Assistant, which turns a plain-English request into a scan. For full control, you can build from 310 alerts and 249 filters.

   Filter for quality. SCoRE is the Composite Rating filter, scored from 30 to 100. It narrows a list. It never tells you to buy or sell.

   Test it, then act. OddsMaker runs a scan back through Trade Ideas history, no coding needed. Holly AI Signals arrive intraday with a symbol, an entry, a stop and a target. Holly hunts for large, long-term potential winners, so the exit is yours: same day or later. Both come with TI Premium.

   Learn it with people. Learn beside mentor Barrie Einarson and other members in the free Trading Room. Stock Races let you feel how fast the market moves.

   Price: For TI Standard, pay $127 a month or $1,068 up front for the year. For TI Premium, pay $254 a month or $2,136 up front for the year.

   Worth knowing: Trade Ideas covers U.S.-listed stocks. Its options data is limited to volume-based filters. TI Pro is a Windows app; Mac traders can use the browser-based web Dashboard with no download, which has Top Lists but not Streaming Alerts.

   Best for: Finding stocks while they move, testing an idea before trading it, and beginners who want the premium experience. Trade Ideas also monitors unusual options activity across all stocks. See the best unusual options activity scanners.

2. 2. TradingView

   TradingView is the chart many traders already know. Its screeners span stocks, ETFs and crypto on 150+ exchanges in 50+ countries.

   Real-time data

   Paid tiers update screener results at 10-second or 1-minute intervals.

   Scans and alerts

   The stock screener has 500+ fundamental and technical fields. Pine Screener and alerts round it out.

   Backtesting

   Strategy backtesting and Bar Replay are listed.

   AI

   AI screener requests on paid plans range from 100 to 500.

   Beginner-friendly

   Yes. Basic is free, and the charts are easy to pick up.

   Price

   Basic is $0. Annual plans: $12.95, $29.95 and $59.95 a month for Essential, Plus and Premium. Ultimate is $199.95 a month, billed annually.

   Worth knowing: Real-time data for some exchanges is an extra purchase. On the free Basic plan, TradingView does not list auto-refresh for screens.

   Best for: Chart-first traders. Plenty of them find the stock in Trade Ideas and chart it in TradingView.

   Trade Ideas vs TradingView →

3. 3. Finviz Elite

   Finviz is a quick web screener with market heat maps. It comes free, or as a paid version called Elite.

   Real-time data

   Free quotes are delayed. Elite adds real-time quotes, from 4:00 a.m. premarket until 8:00 p.m. ET after hours.

   Scans and alerts

   Elite adds advanced filters, unlimited saved presets and alerts.

   Backtesting

   Not listed on the Elite page.

   AI

   Not listed.

   Beginner-friendly

   Yes. The layout is simple, and the free version costs nothing.

   Price

   $0 for the free version, or $39.50 a month ($299.50 a year) for Elite.

   Worth knowing: Screens auto-refresh every 10 seconds on Elite. The free version refreshes every 3 minutes.

   Best for: Evening research and quick fundamental screens. If you only look after the close, the free version may be plenty.

   Trade Ideas vs Finviz →

4. 4. Scanz

   Scanz is a real-time scanner for traders who know exactly what they want. It runs data, signal, news and SEC filing scans.

   Real-time data

   Every plan includes real-time data and news. Premarket and after-hours scanning are included.

   Scans and alerts

   Scanz lists 400+ real-time filters. Pro runs unlimited scans at once and adds alerts.

   Backtesting

   Not listed.

   AI

   Not listed.

   Beginner-friendly

   Fair. You set up your own conditions. You can try Starter or Pro free for 7 days.

   Price

   Starter is $89 a month. Pro is $199 a month. Ultra is $999 a month.

   Worth knowing: Starter runs one scan at a time. The Windows and Mac desktop apps come with Pro.

   Best for: Traders with fixed conditions who want news in the same window and can do without AI or backtesting.

   Trade Ideas vs Scanz →

5. 5. Benzinga Pro

   Benzinga Pro starts with the news. Audio squawk, a calendar suite and a real-time scanner sit around the headlines.

   Real-time data

   Each paid tier carries Nasdaq Basic real-time quotes.

   Scans and alerts

   Benzinga says the scanner monitors 3,000+ stocks. Streamlined adds newsfeed filters for price, volume and float.

   Backtesting

   Not listed.

   AI

   Benzinga AI research is part of Essential.

   Beginner-friendly

   Yes. The news shows why a stock is moving. There is a 14-day free trial.

   Price

   Three tiers: $37 Basic, $147 Streamlined, $197 Essential, each per month. Annual billing costs less.

   Worth knowing: Essential ($197 a month) is the plan with the Real-Time Scanner.

   Best for: Traders whose ideas start with a headline or a catalyst.

   Trade Ideas vs Benzinga Pro →

6. 6. TrendSpider

   TrendSpider does the chart work for you. Trendline drawing, scans, backtests and order automation are all part of it.

   Real-time data

   For non-professionals, real-time U.S. stock data costs nothing extra.

   Scans and alerts

   Strategy-based, multi-timeframe and scheduled scans are listed. Plans include 3 to 10 scheduled scans.

   Backtesting

   Yes, on every plan, with deeper tests on higher plans.

   AI

   Plans come with 25 monthly messages to the Sidekick AI assistant. Larger Sidekick plans cost extra.

   Beginner-friendly

   Fair. You get one or more training sessions a year on any plan. Trials cost $19 to $49.

   Price

   Billing term sets the Standard price, somewhere from $59 to $89 a month. Premium is $99 to $149. Advanced reaches $349.

   Worth knowing: Scan timing depends on the plan. Standard scans every 2 hours, Premium every 5 minutes, and Enhanced and Advanced every minute. The 14-day trial is paid.

   Best for: Technical traders who want software to handle the chart work.

   Trade Ideas vs TrendSpider →

7. 7. TC2000

   TC2000 is charting software with scanning built in. The chart comes first, and the scan follows.

   Real-time data

   Its Basic plan already has real-time U.S. stock data from Nasdaq Basic.

   Scans and alerts

   You scan with indicators, formulas and chart data.

   Backtesting

   Not listed.

   AI

   Not listed.

   Beginner-friendly

   Fair. Paper trading is included, and the focus is the chart.

   Price

   You can pay $24.99 for Basic, $49.99 for Premium or $99.99 for Premium+ each month. Annual billing gives two months free.

   Worth knowing: You need Premium for real-time scanning and sorting. Five streaming scans can run at once.

   Best for: Chart-centered and swing traders on a budget.

   Trade Ideas vs TC2000 →

8. 8. thinkorswim

   thinkorswim is Schwab's trading software. Its scanner, Stock Hacker, sits right next to your orders.

   Real-time data

   How often scans refresh is not stated on Schwab's thinkorswim pages.

   Scans and alerts

   Stock Hacker scans for criteria you choose, including custom ones written in thinkScript.

   Backtesting

   Schwab says thinkScript can build strategy testing.

   AI

   Not listed.

   Beginner-friendly

   Fair. There is no minimum deposit.

   Price

   No charge for Schwab clients. Schwab charges $0 commission on online trades of listed stocks.

   Worth knowing: It is available to Schwab clients.

   Best for: Schwab clients, options traders and swing traders.

   Trade Ideas vs thinkorswim →

9. 9. Stock Rover

   Built for long-term investors, Stock Rover handles research and screening. It is built for screening on fundamentals.

   Real-time data

   The Ultimate plan lists real-time quotes where they are available.

   Scans and alerts

   Premium screens on 300+ metrics. Premium Plus adds 700+ metrics and equation-based screens. Real-time email alerts are listed.

   Backtesting

   Not listed.

   AI

   Not listed.

   Beginner-friendly

   Yes, for investors. There is a 14-day free trial.

   Price

   Premium costs $34 monthly, or $29 a month on an annual plan. Plans run up to $199 a month.

   Worth knowing: Historical screening comes with Premium Plus.

   Best for: Long-term investors who screen on fundamentals.

10. 10. VectorVest

    Value, safety and timing are the three things VectorVest rates. It gives buy, sell and hold ratings.

    Real-time data

    Premium updates U.S. data in real time.

    Scans and alerts

    Auto-ranked preset screeners are included.

    Backtesting

    Not listed on the pricing page.

    AI

    Not listed.

    Beginner-friendly

    Yes. Each plan comes with webinars and one free one-to-one coaching session.

    Price

    Monthly pricing is $49.99 for Market Launchpad, $99 for Enhanced and $149 for Premium. Yearly plans are $499, $995 and $1,495.

    Worth knowing: Market Launchpad and Enhanced show data on a 15-minute delay.

    Best for: Investors who want a rating system and timing guidance.

    Trade Ideas vs VectorVest → VectorVest alternatives →

Stock ratings: SCoRE, VectorVest and Stock Rover

Some tools on this list rate stocks as well as scan them. VectorVest gives value, safety and timing ratings. Its higher plans add stock scores and fair value estimates.

Trade Ideas has its own rating, called SCoRE (Stock Composite Rating). It runs from 30 to 100. It combines more than 15 metrics, mostly technical, with key fundamental data points. It updates live during market hours.

You can use SCoRE as a filter in Streaming Alerts and Top Lists. It is a screen for quality, not a trade signal. Pair it with your chart, your risk plan and liquidity filters.

Because SCoRE is a filter (called Composite Rating in Trade Ideas), Trade Ideas' AI can also use it when it designs a strategy. It brings SCoRE in where it is appropriate to look for a statistical advantage.

Past results, including backtests, don't guarantee future results.

Which stock scanner fits how you trade

Pick Trade Ideas if you want a scanner and a screener you can build any way you like, whether you type a request to the AI Assistant, click through 310 alerts and 249 filters with no code, or write a custom filter in the Formula Editor. TI Premium is where you test that scan in OddsMaker and receive Holly AI Signals, each listing an entry, a stop and a target for the day's ideas.

Are free stock scanners good enough?

Sometimes they are. If you check stocks once a day, delayed data costs you little.

Free tools get harder to use once you trade during the session. Finviz's free quotes are delayed, and its free screens refresh every 3 minutes. TradingView's screener auto-refresh is listed on its paid plans.

A paid scanner earns its price when timing matters to you. Pick the cheapest tool that shows you what you need, when you need it.

Who Trade Ideas is not for

Trade Ideas pays off when you act while the market is open. If that is not you, a cheaper tool can do the job.

• You only look at stocks after the close. A free delayed screener may be all you need.
• Your market is crypto, forex or futures. Trade Ideas covers U.S.-listed stocks.
• You read options flow order by order. A dedicated flow tool shows each trade by strike and expiration.
• The price would be a big chunk of your trading account. Start free, and practice in paper trading first.

How we checked

• Same eight points for every tool. Those are the eight table columns, from real-time data to price.
• Vendor sources only. Competitor details are taken only from each company's pricing or product pages.
• "Not listed" is literal. It means we did not find the feature or price on those pages. The tool may still offer it.
• Order. Trade Ideas is first because it is our pick for live discovery. The rest follow by how close they come to that job.

Past results, including backtests, don't guarantee future results.

Prices checked October 6, 2026. Sources: trade-ideas.com/pricing/; tradingview.com/pricing/; finviz.com/elite; scanz.com/pricing/; benzinga.com/pro/pricing; trendspider.com/pricing/; tc2000.com/pricing; schwab.com/trading/thinkorswim and schwab.com/trading/thinkorswim/desktop; stockrover.com/plans/; vectorvest.com/product-pricing/. List prices are monthly unless marked. Some vendors showed sale or annual prices; we list what each page showed. Verify any price before you subscribe.

Updates in the October 6, 2026 edition:

• We went back to each company's site to verify every price.
• We added a "Worth knowing" line to each tool, including Trade Ideas.
• We added "How we compared", a table of contents and links to six new roundups.

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