Founded in 2004, Seeking Alpha is a crowdsourced investment research platform based in New York. Seeking Alpha started as a platform for experienced investors to share their strategies and has since grown to be one of the largest research platforms in the US, with more than 20 million monthly users. Seeking Alpha offers valuable information on all assets, including stocks, ETFs, real estate, crypto, and much more.
Founded in 2010, Benzinga is a very established investment research platform with more than 12 years of experience in the market. Benzinga offers investors actionable information in the form of timely alerts sent directly to your email or desktop. Some of the best features of Benzinga include Nasdaq Basic Quotes, Sentiment Indicators, and Unusual Options Activity, ideal for experienced traders looking to track down contracts that are trading at a higher volume.
In this quick Seeking Alpha vs. Benzinga comparison, we will compare the two platforms side by side; keep in mind this is a quick summary; for a more in-depth analysis, check out our full Seeking Alpha vs. Benzinga side-by-side comparison.
Seeking Alpha Premium Vs. Benzinga Basic – Side By Side
Starting with the similarities, both platforms offer access to:
- Advanced Stock Screeners and Stock Ratings
- Real-time news and updates
- Email alerts and signals
- Exclusive premium content
- Access to Stock Analysis and Stock Prices
- 14-day free trial
Seeking Alpha offers three plans; a free Basic plan with limited access, which is completely free, and two paid plans: Seeking Alpha Premium and Seeking Alpha PRO. Seeking Alpha subscriptions range from $239 to $499, considerably cheaper than Benzinga’s premium subscriptions.
Benzinga PRO offers four subscriptions; a minimal Free account, a Basic subscription with an annual fee of $324 – comparable to Seeking Alpha’s Premium and PRO subscriptions -, and two subscriptions better suited for experienced and professional investors: Benzinga Essential and Benzinga Options Membership. These last two subscriptions have substantially higher annual fees ranging from $177 to $347 per month (or $1,404 and $3,372/year).
Here’s the side-by-side of the two most affordable options:
| Platform | Seeking Alpha Premium | Benzinga Basic |
| Subscription | $239/year | $27/month (or $324/year) |
| Real-Time Alerts | Yes | No. 15-minute delay |
| Newsfeed Access | Yes | Limited. No access to Advanced Filtering |
| Signals And Movers | Yes | Yes |
| App Available On Android And iOS | Yes | No. The App is available only on iOS devices |
| Exclusive Ratings Yes | Yes. Stock Quant Ratings and Stock Dividend Grades | Yes. Nasdaq Basic quotes |
| Exclusive Premium Content | Yes. Unlimited access limited limited | Limited access to Benzinga Premium Articles |
| Free Trial | Yes. 14-day free trials | Yes. 14-day free trial |
Seeking Alpha PRO Vs. Benzinga Essential – Side By Side
The Benzinga Essential subscription is the most complete plan for experienced investors. It includes real-time Nasdaq quotes. Access to comprehensive stock screeners and scanners and advanced filtering. Additionally, you will have access to Sentiment Indicators (short-term predictions based on news and historical data), Audio Squawk (Audio alerts), and Signals that notify you of changes in trading volume and price.
The best features of the Seeking Alpha PRO subscription are their TOP Ideas, PRO content, and the Idea Screener/filter. Seeking Alpha is powered by a community of professional investors. It uses a proprietary Quant Rating algorithm to rank all stocks, considering price momentum, EPS revisions, and collective value.
The Seeking Alpha and the Benzinga Pro subscriptions come with a 2-week free trial and exclusive premium content.
| Platform | Seeking Alpha PRO | Benzinga Essential |
| Subscription | $499/year | $177/month (or $1404/year) |
| Real-Time Alerts And Scanners | No. Real-time alerts only | Yes. Email and desktop alerts plus advanced scanners |
| Newsfeed Access | Yes | Yes – with customizable filters |
| Signals And Movers | Yes. Real-time news and updates | Yes. Filter by timer period, sector, and more |
| App Available On Android And iOS | Yes | No. The App is available only on iOS devices |
| Exclusive Ratings Yes | Yes. Wall Street Ratings and Seeking Alpha Author Ratings & Performance | Yes. Nasdaq Basic quotes |
| Exclusive Premium Content | Yes | Yes |
| Additional Features | Become a Seeking Alpha contributor and earn commissions | Unusual Options Activity Add-on |
| Free Trial | Yes. 14-day free trials | Yes. 14-day free trial |
Seeking Alpha Fees vs. Benzinga Fees
Seeking Alpha
- Seeking Alpha Basic: Free
- Seeking Alpha Premium: $239/year
- Seeking Alpha PRO: $499/year
Benzinga
- Benzinga Free: Free
- Benzinga Basic: $27/month
- Benzinga Essential: $177/month (or $1,404/year)
- Benzinga Options Mentorship: $347/month (or $3,372/year)
- Unusual Options Activity (Add-on): $27.97/month
Signing Up With Seeking Alpha
Signing up for Seeking Alpha is easy and won’t take more than a few minutes. It is available for investors worldwide, and there are no special requirements. Here are the steps:
- Visit Seeking Alpha’s website
- On the top right, click Subscribe
- Select a subscription
- Fill in some of your basic information
Make sure to use this link to create your account, and you’ll pay just $39 for your first year of Seeking Alpha Premium – that’s $200 off the regular subscription. If you use our link, the latest Seeking Alpha Premium Subscription Coupon will be applied automatically. Additionally, you’ll gain access to a completely free 14-day trial.
Signing Up With Benzinga
Benzinga is available for investors worldwide, and there are no special requirements to sign up. If you want to sign up for the free subscription, you will only need an email address; if you’re looking for a complete subscription in Benzinga PRO, you will also need to enter and verify your phone number. Here are the steps to get started:
- Visit Benzinga’s website
- Click Sign In on the top right
- Click Create An Account
If you use our link to sign up for any Benzinga PRO subscription, you will get a 34% discount on all annual subscriptions. With our link, you will only pay $117 and $281/month for the Essential and Options Mentorship subscriptions, respectively.
Our Recommendation
If you’re still unsure which platform is a better fit for you, these are our recommendations.
- If you’re not looking to spend any money and want to get a feel for a stock analysis platform, we recommend the Basic Seeking Alpha account with access to news, stock prices, and charting tools
- If you’re looking for a more advanced subscription with access to exclusive stock ratings, real-time alerts, and exclusive premium content, we recommend the Seeking Alpha Premium subscription
- If you’re a professional trader and you need the best tools, including Signals and Movers, and you want an edge over the competition, Benzinga Essential’s subscription and the Unusual Options Activity add-on are our recommendations
Regarding stock research platforms, it’s a good idea to start with the basic subscriptions and work your way up if you think you need more advanced tools. For new investors, we recommend testing out the free trials before committing to a paid subscription.
Final Thoughts
Seeking Alpha and Benzinga are two excellent investment research platforms, each suited for a different type of investor. If you’re a professional trader, Benzinga’s advanced tools will give you an edge over most other platforms if you can afford the high annual fees. Seeking Alpha is better suited for new investors and investors looking to participate and become contributors. Both platforms are very well established in the US and are completely safe to use.
