TradeClever publishes this comparison and makes a competing stock research product. Every fact below was checked on the product’s own pages; plans and prices change, so confirm them before you decide.
Side by side
Only the points both products document are compared, each in the products’ own terms as checked on the date shown in the sources.
| Topic | StockCharts | Trade Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Markets covered | US stocks (NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX), ETFs and US mutual funds; Canadian, UK and Indian stocks; plus indexes, commodities, currencies, bonds and cryptocurrencies. | Scans NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ by default and can also scan OTC, Pink Sheets, BATS and The Small Exchange. |
| Screening | A Screener with Groups, Key Properties, Price/Performance, Technicals, Chart Patterns and Fundamentals tabs; a screen can be converted into a scan for the Advanced Scan Workbench. | Standard and Premium: customizable scans and screeners built from 500+ alert and filter data points, with real-time data, price alerts and real-time paper trading. |
| Custom rules or formulas | Advanced Scan Workbench: scans built from scan clauses with a cross operator, min and max functions and arithmetic, on daily, weekly or monthly bars; intraday bars are not scanned. | A Formula Editor combines data points with arithmetic into custom filters, such as volume relative to float. |
| Charts | Bar, candlestick, Point & Figure, Seasonality and RRG charts, among others. Free: 3 indicators per chart. Basic, Extra and PRO: 25 indicators and intraday charts. | Standard and Premium: up to 10 charts on screen with customizable layouts. |
| Alerts | Alerts start at Basic. Price alerts: Basic 2, Extra 100, PRO 500. Advanced alerts: Basic 1, Extra 100, PRO 250. | Streaming alert windows report events as they trigger, and a scan can be turned into an audible price alert. |
| Data timing | Every account includes BATS real-time US data and delayed data for other markets; official real-time plans for the US, Canada and the UK cost $9.95 a month each. | Real-time data is included in Standard and Premium. |
| Access | Free level with ads and 3 indicators per chart. New members get a free 1-month trial at the Extra level; subscription and data plan charges are non-refundable. | Full features run in a Windows desktop app; a browser version for Mac and mobile users omits Market Explorer, Brokerage Plus and external linking and loads 5 charts at a time. |
| Pricing | Basic $19.95, Extra $29.95 and PRO $49.95 a month; annual billing prepays 12 months and adds a 13th month free. | Standard: $127 a month, or $1,068 a year (about $89 a month). Premium: $254 a month, or $2,136 a year (about $178 a month). |
Completed-bar conditions or intraday event rules?
StockCharts supports custom technical scan clauses and chart-list review on daily, weekly and monthly bars. Trade Ideas supports real-time alert windows, top lists and event-based testing on Premium.
Try the same research question in each tool
For a daily or weekly technical setup, assess StockCharts' conversion from Screener to Workbench and ChartList review. For a real-time trigger, assess Trade Ideas' alert configuration and sequence of events. Define whether the research asks for a state at a close or an occurrence during a session.
- Write the universe, observation window and thresholds before opening either product.
- Use the same securities and distinguish completed bars from live observations.
- Review matched and rejected examples and record why their definitions differ.
- Time the complete scan-to-chart-to-research-note process on the intended subscription tier.
Which requirement changes the decision?
StockCharts charts and alerts have tier-specific limits and optional official exchange-data plans. Trade Ideas' Windows and browser environments differ in modules and chart count. Include the actual environment and required tier in the trial before comparing annual billing totals.
Compare the selected tier and billing term
Read the documented access and pricing rows with the source date. Separate monthly billing, an annual equivalent, introductory offers, renewal totals, market-data add-ons and optional services. The cheapest first invoice may not be the lowest cost over your intended research period.
- Identify the tier that supplies the required filters, timeframe and saved-work limits.
- Check the amount charged at signup and the amount and date of renewal.
- Test export, alert and chart limits using an ordinary research session.
- Read cancellation and trial terms on the current vendor checkout before subscribing.
Keep a decision record
Choose based on the task you can complete consistently. Record the rule, product tier, operating environment, observation date and remaining question. A feature table helps identify differences; it does not establish expected returns or a universal winner.
Continue with
Sources
- StockCharts: stockcharts.com/pricing/ (checked October 1, 2026)
- StockCharts: help.stockcharts.com/scanning-and-alerts/screener (checked October 1, 2026)
- StockCharts: help.stockcharts.com/scanning-and-alerts/technical-scans/scanning-for-stocks-the-basics (checked October 1, 2026)
- Trade Ideas: www.trade-ideas.com/guide/chapter/9_2_5/9.2.5Exchanges_Tab.html (checked October 1, 2026)
- Trade Ideas: www.trade-ideas.com/pricing/ (checked October 1, 2026)
- Trade Ideas: www.trade-ideas.com/features/formula-editor/ (checked October 1, 2026)
- Trade Ideas: www.trade-ideas.com/features/ (checked October 1, 2026)
- Trade Ideas: www.trade-ideas.com/guide/chapter/30/30Web_Version.html (checked October 1, 2026)