StockCharts vs TradingView – two of the most popular charting platforms for retail investors. You’ll gain access to deep technical analysis capabilities with hundreds of indicators and drawing tools, no matter which you choose. But which is better for how you trade?
We’re going to compare TradingView vs StockCharts below to help you narrow it down. But we’ll also show you why you might want to use something like VectorVest instead.
Don’t get us wrong, charting tools have their place. But they require you to do all the heavy lifting for uncovering opportunities and figuring out when to actually buy and sell stocks.
On the other hand, VectorVest is a proprietary stock forecasting software that tells you what to buy, when to buy it, and when to sell it. It has outperformed the S&P 500 index by 10x over the past 22+ years. Learn more about how it compares to StockCharts and TradingView below!
Compare StockCharts vs TradingView vs VectorVest at a Glance
| Feature | StockCharts | TradingView | VectorVest |
| Founded | 1999 | 2011 | Early 1990s |
| Primary Purpose | Technical charting and scanning | Charting + social trading network | Stock analysis with Buy/Sell/Hold ratings |
| Indicators | 89 indicators and overlays | 400+ built-in (100K+ community) | Proprietary VST system + screeners |
| Stock Recommendations | None | Technical Ratings (disclaimer: not advice) | Buy, Sell, or Hold on every stock daily |
| Market Timing | Breadth indicators (user-interpreted) | None | MTI, BSR, Confirmed Calls |
| Exit Management | Price alerts only | Price alerts only | ProfitLockerPro (automated stops) |
| Monthly Price | Free to $49.95 | Free to $199.95 | $49.99 to $149 |
| Trial | 1 month free (Extra tier) | 30-day free trial | $9.95 for 30 days |
TradingView – A Sophisticated Day Trading Tool
TradingView is the newest tool in this StockCharts vs TradingView vs VectorVest comparison. It’s been around 15 years, but has quickly become known as one of the top charting solutions over the span with more than 100 million users relying on it.
You get over 400 built-in indicators and 110 drawing tools. TradingView lets you build your own custom indicators and strategies with its proprietary Pine Script language. You also gain access to more than 20 chart types, from basic candlestick and bar views to sophisticated Heikin Ashi and Renko formats.
It’s a charting platform with a social twist, though. Traders come together to discuss ideas, share custom indicators, and talk about live market moves. This community has helped build the public library with up to 100,000 free scripts!
One thing we really like about TradingView, though, is how its Technical Ratings feature aggregates signals from 26 indicators into a composite Buy, Sell, or Neutral reading. That’s similar to VectorVest’s VST system (more on that in a moment).
It’s easy to connect your brokerage to TradingView through Interactive Brokers and TradeStation to streamline your trading process. You can get started with the free tier, but you’ll probably outgrow it pretty quickly and need to upgrade to one of the paid plans. They range from $14.95/month (Essential) to $199.95/month (Ultimate).
You can compare Trade Ideas vs TradingView or TrendSpider vs TradingView in our blog if you want a closer look at these other similar tools. Let’s introduce the other half of our TradingView vs StockCharts comparison in the meantime.
StockCharts – A Great System For Long-Term Traders
This charting system has been around more than 25 years, making it one of the oldest solutions you have access to these days. It’s made specifically for technical analysis. The main difference between StockCharts vs TradingView is the lack of a social element here. It’s purely for charting.
You’ll get nearly 90 indicators and overlays with 27 drawing tools. Only 15 chart types available. You can already see which is the more “capable” charting tool between StockCharts vs TradingView. You’re getting a lot less to work with here.
The platform comes with two charting engines – SharpCharts (the original) and ACP (Advanced Charting Platform). These give you streaming data with up to 12 interactive chart panels.
StockCharts also has its own proprietary stock ranking system called the StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR for short). This scores stocks from 0.0-99.9 using six indicators across three timeframes. StockCharts pioneered Relative Rotation Graphs (RRGs) for tracking sector rotation. Both of these are purely analytical tools with very little direction on execution, though. You have to form your own conclusions after interpreting them.
The platform scans over 50,000 symbols, and technical analysts provide ongoing expert commentary on certain plans as well. Speaking of plans, there’s a free tier available – or you can upgrade to the Pro plan for $49.95/month.
But at the end of the day, choosing between TradingView vs StockCharts can feel like you’re compromising on something – or maybe just that something is still missing. It is. The execution side of things. That’s where VectorVest is different.
VectorVest – Pick Winning Stocks on Autopilot and Execute With Precision
VectorVest is totally different from StockCharts and TradingView – that’s exactly why we think it’s relevant to include it. Not every investor wants to be buried in charts all day long, screening for stocks using complex technical indicators. There’s a better way.
The VST system is a proprietary stock rating algorithm that’s based on three simple ratings:
- Relative value (RV): A comparison between a stock’s long-term price appreciation potential (3-year projection), AAA corporate bond rates, and risk. This rating gives you much better insight than a simple comparison of price to value alone.
- Relative safety (RS): A risk indicator that takes into account a company’s financial consistency & predictability, debt-to-equity ratio, business longevity, and other factors.
- Relative timing (RT): Based on the direction, dynamics, and magnitude of a stock’s price movement day over day, week over week, quarter over quarter, and year over year.
These all sit on their own scales of 0.00-2.00 with 1.00 being the average. Together, they form the overall VST rating for a stock – and subsequently, whether it’s assigned a buy, sell, or hold recommendation.
VectorVest has outperformed the S&P 500 index by 10x over the past 22 years and counting. It’s also called every major market move over that span, from the Dot-Com Crash to the COVID Crisis. This has allowed investors to move to cash before downturns and get back in before the correction, protecting and maximizing capital.
Better yet, the system has advanced tools to help eliminate human error and emotion. ProfitLockerPro, for instance, sets dynamic trading stops for your positions so you can capture profits when they’re there and cut losses before they get out of control.
You’ll gain access to a wealth of stock picks to choose from, too. You can filter by undervalued stocks, rapid movers, safe opportunities, or even by industry. VectorVest adapts to any strategy, whether you’re a day/swing trader, a long-term investor, or an options seller.
The Market Launchpad stock advisory platform starts at $49.99/month. You get real-time data on Premium, though, so you never have to worry about missing a signal. All plans are available through a $9.95 30-day trial so you can see VectorVest in action before committing.
StockCharts vs TradingView vs VectorVest: Side-by-Side Comparison
Most people comparing TradingView vs StockCharts focus on charts, indicators, and cost. But everything changes when you bring VectorVest into the mix and realize how much simpler investing can be.
Here’s what you need to know about StockCharts vs TradingView vs VectorVest.
Charting Tools
VectorVest gives you some charting capabilities, but it’s not really made for that. Charting tools are more StockCharts vs TradingView territory. It’s their specialty. And as we talked about earlier, TradingView has a lot more to offer here. You get:
- 400+ built-in indicators
- 110+ drawing tools
- 20+ chart types
In contrast, StockCharts only offers 89 indicators, 27 drawing tools, and 15 chart types. So you have a little less to work with. The other way you could think about it, though, is you won’t get nearly as overwhelmed by all the options. You can be more focused.
And for what it’s worth, you do get some pretty cool capabilities with StockCharts that you wouldn’t with TradingView. You can stream multi-panel charts and leverage proprietary tools such as SCTR rankings and Relative Rotation Graphs.
Stock Recommendations
This is where the StockCharts vs TradingView comparison falls short for investors who want answers. You have to go out and find them yourself with either of these tools.
That’s the whole point of a charting tool. You decide what criteria matter to you, then you build a chart that screens for these opportunities. But what if we told you there was an easier way?
VectorVest delivers the best stocks every day through its pre-curated picks. You can find opportunities based on whatever matters most to you – value, safety, or timing. Or, filter by a specific industry or strategy. You never have to look far for your next trade! It’s the #1 stock picker.
Entry and Exit Timing
Again, neither side of the StockCharts vs TradingView showdown tells you when to buy a stock or when to sell it. You’ll use the charting tools to identify potential entry and exit points, but your returns are dictated by how accurate your own technical analysis is.
On the other hand, VectorVest is all about timing your trades with consistent precision. The RT indicator tells you the perfect moment to enter, and when conditions are softening and it’s time to get out. A trend above 1.00 is positive; below it is negative.
Better yet, you can remove yourself from the exit side of your trade altogether with ProfitLockerPro. This tool sets up dynamic trading stops so you take profits when they’re there, leave room for more growth, and cut losses when it’s time.
Gauging Market Conditions
It’s not just about timing your entry and exit relative to the stock’s trend. You have to take the overall market into account as well.
StockCharts gives you breadth indicators (like advance-decline lines and McClellan Oscillators) but you have to actually know how to interpret them, and that takes a lot of experience. TradingView’s community feature is helpful here as you get to hear how other investors feel about the market conditions. But crowd sentiment and actual market timing are different things.
This is yet again where VectorVest distinguishes itself from the alternatives. You’re shown market sentiment at a glance every time you open the tool, so you know when conditions are favorable and when you might want to sit on the sidelines.
More importantly, the Confirmed Calls tool has successfully predicted every major market turn for the past two decades and counting. This has allowed investors to close out positions before crashes and get back into stocks before the market corrects.
Learning Curve
It’s no secret that learning how to use charts as part of your technical analysis is complicated. Beginners are going to face a steep learning curve, whether they go with StockCharts vs TradingView. That said, most people who have tried both say that TradingView has a bit more modern interface.
There’s pretty much no learning curve with VectorVest, though. You can quite literally follow the buy, sell, or hold recommendations with zero knowledge of fundamental or technical analysis. It’s so simple. You’ll also gain access to tons of educational resources to hit the ground running.
Plans and Pricing
Keep in mind that you get what you pay for, so price alone doesn’t paint the full picture. Compare not just cost, but value for the money. Here’s a good look at StockCharts vs TradingView vs VectorVest across different tiers:
| Platform | Free Tier | Entry Paid Plan | Mid Tier | Top Tier |
| StockCharts | Yes (limited) | Basic: $19.95/mo | Extra: $29.95/mo | Pro: $49.95/mo |
| TradingView | Yes (limited) | Essential: $14.95/mo | Plus: $29.95/mo | Premium: $59.95/mo |
| VectorVest | $9.95 trial (30 days) | Market Launchpad: $49.99/mo | Enhanced: $99/mo | Premium: $149/mo |
Final Words on TradingView vs StockCharts
You’re definitely in the right place if you’re comparing TradingView vs StockCharts and want a charting tool. But what happens when you want something that actually makes your investment decisions simpler?
VectorVest saves you time and stress, removing human error and emotion along the way. It’s a better StockCharts and TradingView alternative that goes beyond charts to cover the full investment decision, from surfacing ideas to buying and selling at the perfect time. Try it today!
Frequently asked questions
How much does StockCharts cost per month?
Free, $19.95 (Basic), $29.95 (Extra), or $49.95 (Pro).
Is StockCharts really worth it?
Only if you prefer to conduct your own technical analysis. A lot of people prefer VectorVest because it doesn’t shackle you to your screen and force you to do all the heavy lifting – only to still end up dealing with human error and emotional decisions.
Is TradingView still the best?
It’s certainly hard to beat for charting and technical analysis – you get 400+ indicators, 110+ drawing tools, and 20+ chart types. But it doesn’t tell you what to buy or when to buy/sell it. It just gives you the tools you need to do all the heavy lifting yourself.
Is there anything better than TradingView or StockCharts?
Yes, VectorVest covers the parts they leave out: stock ratings and exit management backed by market timing signals. It’s used by millions of investors who are earning higher returns with less work and stress. Give it a shot yourself!
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