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While reading a stock chart mostly benefits short-term or day traders, there is still value to be said for long-term investors.
Free stock chart websites allow you to paint a holistic picture of the asset you are thinking about investing in.
Reading a stock chart – also known as technical analysis – can help you identify emerging trends, breakouts, and assets on the verge of free fall.
Whether you are learning how to start investing or are a seasoned investor, stock charts can play a pivotal role in your overall investing strategy.
To help you tap into the potential of technical analysis, our team of investing experts rounded up the best free stock chart websites for you to use.
We ranked and reviewed each free stock chart website based on:
- Technical Indicators
- User Experience
- Stock Commentary
- Design
- Real-Time Stock Quotes
- Financial News Availability
There are multiple data points you can include when evaluating stock charts, but these four helps us paint a clear picture, so you can make an informed decision.
However, not all free stock chart websites are created equally. Some aggressively sell their premium subscription service, while others bombard you with pop up ads. Some charting websites even restrict you to a certain number of “searches” per month.
Best Free Stock Chart Websites (Ranked & Compared)
- TradingView: Best Overall Free Stock Chart Website
- TD Ameritrade (Thinkorswim): Best for Day Traders
- Barchart: Best for Technical Indicators and Recent Company News
- Stockcharts.com: Best for Ease of Use
- Yahoo! Finance: Best for Real-Time Quotes
- Google Finance: Best Design (Sleek and Modern)
- Finviz: Best for Automated Analysis and Stock Screener
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty details.
#1.TradingView
Built and designed by experienced developers and world-class investors, TradingView is the best free stock charting website.
This site allows investors to view real-time stock charts, add technical indicators, and read detailed analysis that is authored by the broader TradingView community.
It is important to note that TradingView is a social media website. This means Traders can interact with one another, share ideas, and foster lasting bonds.
However, take all ideas with a grain of salt. Just because one investor is advocating to either buy or sell a specific stock does not mean that is the right investing move to make.
Additionally, TradingView allows traders to create customized watchlists, set up alerts, and test out new custom-built investing strategies.
This free site will enable investors to chart stocks, bonds, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, pull economic data, and review global data.
Consumers can also pay to upgrade their experience. TradingView’s payments plans are reasonable and give you access to exclusive features and resources that are not available in their free plan.
TradingView Price:
- Basic: $0 (FREE)
- Pro: $14.95/month
- Pro+: $29.95/month
- Premium: $59.95/month
Pros:
- 100+ Technical Indicators
- Easily Share Ideas and Collaborate with like-minded investors
- Ad Free
- Set Alerts and Notifications
- Charts are Easy-to-Read & Visually Appealing
Cons:
- Community May Influence Your Decision-Making Process
- Website is not the easiest to navigate
Bottom Line
With a sleek design that is easy to navigate and visually appealing, TradingView is a robust platform that has a lot to offer and is worth trying.
>> Related: Best Online Stock Brokers
#2. TD Ameritrade (Thinkorswim)
TD Ameritrade is a fan favorite amongst day-traders and short-term investors. For years, their free platform – Thinkorswim – has enabled investors to analyze charts, create watchlists, backtest trading strategies, review options statistics, and identify market-moving trends.
Thinkorswim allows provides investors with overnight trading opportunities (only for select ETFs, futures, and Forex), and an earnings tool that aggregates thousands of data points, so you can make an informed decision and maximize profits.
But that’s not all.
TD Ameritrade’s Thinkorswim platform also allows users to explore 400,000+ economic data points from a birds-eye-view. This helps you understand what factors are impacting both domestic and foreign economies.
However, the best part about Thinkorswim is the built-in educational resources and customer support they provide to their users.
Within the platform, you can take interactive courses, read articles, watch videos, receive personalized coaching, and test your strategies with a paper trading account.
Thinkorswim Price:
- Free. However, if you want to trade in real-time, then you will need to fund your account. But Thinkorswim is free to use and download if you open an account ($0 minimum deposit required).
Pros:
- Robust Capabilities. Easily include 300+ technical indicators and review stock charts.
- Best-in-class Customer Support
- In-Depth Educational Resources to further your skills as an investor
- Detailed Research
- Easily pull and review global and domestic economic data points
- Ad Free
Cons:
- Must sign up for a TD Ameritrade Account to access Thinkorswim
- New investors may be overwhelmed with the information overload
Bottom Line
Thinkorswim is designed for day-traders and short-term investors. This platform enables you to test out strategies, analyze stock charts, and review crucial economic data.
With that said, there is a bit of a learning curve you will have to overcome if you are not familiar with the platform.
#3. Barchart
Barchart.com offers investors a straightforward platform. On Barchart, investors can create watchlists, analyze stock charts, compare stocks, utilize a simple screener, set up alerts, and more.
This free stock chart website does not shy away from features and benefits. Investors can create a “Barchart Dashboard,” where they can display stock market quotes, customize charts with technical indicators, and follow their favorite stocks, futures, and forex market pages.
To augment your experience, Barchart also publishes in-depth financial news articles, so you can stay up to date. However, what separates Barchart from the rest is the business solutions they offer small businesses and corporations.
Businesses can tap into their OnDemand Financial Data APIs, Streaming Market Data Feeds and Hosted Website Solutions.
Barchart wants businesses to scale their data strategy and harness the power of financial markets to streamline the decision-making process.
Barchart Price:
- Standard Version: Free
- Premier: $29.95/Month
Pros:
- Small Business Solutions: Developer Tools, Web Hosting, APIs, and more.
- Detailed Financial News
- Robust Dashboard that allows you to analyze charts, add technical indicators, set alerts, and more
- Track currencies, Stocks, ETFs, Futures, and Options
- View Stock Market Leaders
- View Unusual Options Activity
Cons:
- Barchart runs Ads ☹
- The free version is limited in capabilities
Bottom Line
Barchart is one of the best free stock chart websites due to its straightforward platform, design, and tailored small business solutions.
Additionally, the financial news they syndicate hails from news outlets such as the Associated Press and Investment Professionals.
>> Related: Forex Trading
#4. Stockcharts.com
Stockcharts.com is a free stock chart website that rivals TradingView. With a clean user-interface, easy-to-use tools, and dynamic capabilities, it is perfect for investors who want to get their toes wet into technical analysis.
Even though the Stockcharts free plan does not support real-time updates, it still packs a punch. Investors can analyze stocks, view data from 3-years ago, and add technical indicators. The free plans allow investors to do bar, candlestick, and line charting.
Additionally, investors can create ChartLists, which allows them to customize charts, track specific stocks, set up custom alerts, and view your information from your mobile device.
Investors who upgrade to Stockcharts paid plans can get access to historical data, tailored customization, and expert market commentary.
StockCharts Pricing:
Stockcharts.com offers four tiers: Free, Basic, Extra, and Pro. Each comes with different features and benefits.
- Standard: Free
- Basic: $14.95/Month
- Extra: $24.95/Month
- Pro: $39.95/Month
The key takeaway here is that StockCharts paid plans gets you more advanced user interfaces and historical data. This data is necessary if you are looking to test out trading strategies.
Pros:
- Free Stock Charts
- Charts are easy-to-understand
- Customize Your Stock Charts
- No Ads
Cons:
- The free plan is limited in capabilities
- Only 3 Technical Indicators per chart (free plan only)
- No Real-Time Data
Bottom Line
StockCharts.com is a great place to start for beginner day-traders or new short-term investors. However, there are better options out there.
>> Related: Introduction to Stock Options
#5. Yahoo! Finance
For years, Yahoo! Finance lagged behind a few industry leaders; however, in 2019, this iconic American brand overhauled their entire stock charting experience.
As an investor, you can turn to Yahoo! Finance is you want access to real-time stock quotes, financial news, and a robust charting experience that allows you to review 100+ technical indicators.
Furthermore, you can create a customized watch list to follow, and you can link your brokerage account to synchronize Yahoo! Finances.
Users can upgrade to a premium plan if they want fewer ads, more charting features, live customer support, and detailed third-party investment research.
Yahoo! Finance Price:
- Standard Version: Free
- Premium: $34.99/Month
Pros:
- Real-Time Stock Quotes
- 100+ Technical Indicators to Employ
- Financial News updated hourly
- Full-Screen Stock Charts to Dissect
Cons:
- Ads become annoying quickly
- Premium subscription is expensive
Bottom Line
Yahoo! Finance was one of the first online platforms to cover the financial industry in detail. They offer users a free stock charting experience that does not lack in capabilities.
Furthermore, Yahoo! Finance has one of the bestinitial public offering calendars around.
#6. Google Finance
Have you ever typed a stock ticker into Google Search? Sure, you have. Recently, Google has invested heavily in its finance section.
In our opinion, their charts are designed the best and are the easiest to use. However, besides a simple chart display, there isn’t much more.
With that said, investors can still follow stocks, read real-time financial news, and dive deep into both domestic and global economies.
Google Finance Price:
- Free for All Investors
Pros:
- Clean Design
- Financial News syndicated from CNBC, The Motley Fool, Investor Business Daily, and more.
- Follow Stocks, Indexes, and ETFs
- Ad Free
Cons:
- Can’t Use Technical Indicators
Bottom Line
Google Finance will not serve day-traders or short-term investors like some other free stock chart websites; however, if you are looking to track historical performance, then this service is a great place to do so.
Again, if you are looking for technical indicators and more advanced features, then it is advised to look elsewhere.
>> Related: Best Stock Analysis Websites
#7. Finviz
Finvizis the last brand to appear on our coveted list of the best free stock chart websites. Even though the user-interface is not the best, Finviz allows investors to backtest strategies, read charts, analyze stocks, and catch up on the latest financial news.
Finviz Price:
- Standard Version: Free
- Elite: $24.96/Month
Pros:
- Back Test Investing Strategies
- Stay Up to Date on Current Financial News
- Track Stocks, Forex, Futures, and Cryptocurrency
- Stock Screener
- Stock Charts are Easy to Read
Cons:
- User Interface is Outdated
- No Real-Time Stock Quotes. Finviz is delayed 15-minutes for NASDAQ and 20-minutes for NYSE.
- Pop Up Ads
Bottom Line
Finviz is just another free stock chart website. The capabilities are limited, and the user interface is not aesthetically appealing. However, if you are looking for a quick platform to view stock charts, then Finviz isn’t bad.
Paid vs Free Real-Time Stock Chart Websites
We all want free services; however, there are a few things you need to know. Free Stock Chart Websites are not updated as frequently or quickly as a paid service is.
Majority of the websites we reviewed in our list of the best free stock chart websites offer paid and or a premium subscription.
This is where their attention, focus, and resources are allocated towards – their paying customers. Premium services usually boast real-time data, hundreds of technical indicators, customer support, exclusive investment research, and other features that are not offered to customers who use the service for free.
But free stock chart websites are still a great resource if you are just starting out or need to take a quick glance at a specific stock during a lunch break. Just remember, the data may not be updated, so double-check with another resource.
Furthermore, free stock charts are a great tool you can use to learn. Learn what each technical indicator means, collaborate with like-minded investors, and ask questions—this is the beauty of free community-based resources.
Where Can I Get Real-Time Stock Quotes for Free?
The best stock chart websites that offer real-time stock quotes are TradingView, TD Ameritrade’s Thinkorswim, Yahoo! Finance, and Barchart. These four resources are used by millions of investors around the world to receive real-time stock quotes.
Additionally, all four of them allow investors to read detailed financial news, review free stock charts, and tap into the power of historical data to backtest investing strategies.
Ultimately, real-time stock quotes will enable you to make data-driven informed investment decisions.
What Are the Best Free Stock Charts?
Backed by hours of research and user-testing, the best free stock charts are TradingView, Thinkorswim, and Barchart.
To recap our selection of the best free stock charts:
- TradingView
- Thinkorswim
- Barchart
These platforms all investors to create watchlists, track stocks and other equities, and harness data to paint a holistic picture of an investment opportunity.
How to Choose (and Use) the Best Free Stock Chart Websites
We did the research for you. Rely on our insights to make the right decisions. Here are a few things you need to consider when selecting the top free stock chart website.
Real-Time Stock Quotes
No one likes data that is delayed—especially not day traders, hedge funds, or short-term investors. Real-time stock quotes are a must if you plan using chart analysis to make potential investment decisions.
Technical Indicators
There are so many technical indicators you can use. It seems like every day a new one is being added or tested. Ultimately, which technical indicator you use depends on your personal preference.
I know day traders who strictly use RSI, while others primarily focus on volume. While these are just two examples, you need to find which technical indicators you like, and make sure a free stock chart website supports it.
Ad Free
When executing a trade, timing matters. The last thing you want to worry about is a popup ad slowing you down from entering or exiting a trade. Choose a stock chart website that is Ad free or severely limits the number of ads.
User Interface (UX/UI)
In our day and age, UX/UI matters. As a consumer, you want the best possible experience. Review each charting website and decide which user interface you like best.
Personally, we are fans of TradingView, but what we value may not be something you find important. We all have different opinions.
Are the Best Free Stock Chart Websites Safe?
Yes, the best free stock chart websites are free. They all employ advanced software to produce results consumers can use to make informed investment decisions.
However, be careful on community-based investing sites. Why? There are people out there who will try to influence the stock to move in one direction or the other.
When they do this, they are only in it for themselves. All these investors want to do is profit on the position they are in, whether it is for the long-term or short-term.
Bottom Line: The Best Free Stock Chart Websites
There you have it. These are the best free stock chart websites for investors. Our team spent hours researching each site, trying them out, and analyzing various data points.
Hopefully, you utilize the power of chart analysis to help you make the best investment decisions from here on out.
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